Behind the Glass Shield

As I sat this morning listening to an amazing message on submission I was torn inside. The particular place where I have acquired to sit in the congregation is upstairs behind a glass shield. Once again sitting by myself I was forced tho think of how different life has been since the pastorate that I was in over three years ago. When your a pastor everybody comes to you with their issues to talk, everybody wants advice or counseling on their hurts, pains and issues whether that be directly or indirectly connected with them. It seems from a pastors perspective that their is community cause you know the issues others face and you can administer prayer and grace to that person. The problem is many times they come to you because it is your job to listen, to give advice, to care. It it is not because you are a christian and it is your duty as a believer in Christ to care. Interesting that even in the old testament God speaks to us through the book of Ecclesiastes and says,


Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 (New International Version)

Two are better than one,because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,his friend can help him up.But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

and then again in Galatians,

Galatians 6:1-3 (New International Version)

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

This idea of community is all through scriptures, the idea of accountability is through Scriptures. WHY? So that if someone falls down someone out there in the community of believers is there to help that person up before he falls so far it is hard to get him back on track. Not to say that God will not do his job in retrieving a saint however their will be damage done before it is fixed that will be irreversible to a certain extent.

So what am I getting at?

The reality of that glass shield that I sit behind has turned into the reality of mine as well as, I suspect this to be true of most believers, is that we are afraid of committing our lives not only to God but to the knowledge of another. We like the glass shield because we can listen to the message on Sunday or whenever you meet and then not worry about the time it will take to invest in another believers life. We are scared to get into the "dirt" with them.

"Don't tell me about your struggles or thoughts cause then I will have to share your burden with you and invest time and frankly... I don't have the time presently so you will have to take a rain check on this!"

It is the classic hey how are yo in passing but when you start the answer with not so good it almost causes the questioner to twitch cause they were expecting you to lie and tell them your good so they can leave feeling they have done their job of communicating with you and not have to care about how your doing. Sad to say but I have found in my life presently that it is those that are apart from God that I have had more meaningful community with for the past little while! Although I yearn for it to be with other believers.

So the glass shield translates to this very question:

Who is better, the one who sits behind the glass shield at home watching a sermon being spoke on TV and not meeting with others in the service or the ones who sit behind the glass shield at the service and care nothing about those sitting around them and hoe the heck they get out of the service in time to not have to care?


Hebrews 10:25 (New International Version)

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

I really hope the church comes back to this! Not just living behind the glass shield but breaking it down and caring for other believers!

You want to reach the world for Christ? Love one another!

John 13:33-35

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."