Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 9, 1995 TAG: 9510090108
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ROY H. SCOTT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
I commend The Lutheran Family services for their work in providing counseling and other family services to those in need.
Thank you Roanoke Area Ministries for feeding and sheltering the poor.
I understand the strain your budgets are under in taking on this work that has no financial reward. I also know your load would be much lighter if all churches in the area felt the calling as strongly as you. Unfortunately, these ministries to the poor represent only a paltry amount of the budgets of the local churches.
This is because the church has lost its mission. It stands in its earthly glory, in a "form of godliness" without the power and focus Christ commanded. It spends its time sustaining a hierarchy with dogma and self-serving interpretation of doctrine. It no longer meets the needs of the oppressed. It is focused on maintaining itself.
The major portion of its budget is spent on the pastor and the facilities. There is little, if any, going to meet the needs of the poor. The tithe is brought into the storehouse and "stored." It is not meted out to those who are in need. Churches set up large "nest eggs" of certificates of deposit under the guise of some building program or "for a rainy day."
This is contrary to Christ's life and teachings. We, the body, the church, should live day to day, hand to mouth, as Christ did. Christ requires us not to store up things, but to share.
The church has turned itself away from the calling of Christ to meet the needs of the poor and oppressed, and is focused on maintenance of a specific doctrinal interpretation or on making some socio-religious political statement. It focuses its resources on picketing abortion clinics or attacking the public school system petitioning for prayer in the classroom.
The church takes these stands in an "appearance of righteousness," but it is only an appearance. It looks good to say you are for the poor and the innocent, unborn child, but where was the church when the young girl, before her conception, was struggling in doubt and confusion? The church was busy building another fellowship hall, padding another pew, erecting another steeple and, Sunday after Sunday, hungry souls inside the church walls sit under the empty teachings of mediocre church leaders who have lost (or didn't have in the first place) their calling.
The call to worship in sacrifice (Romans 12:1) is to subjugate your need and meet the needs of those around you. Other forms of worship, including prayer, Bible study, tithing and church attendance, are worthless, meaningless, powerless without sacrifice, without meeting the needs of those around you (Isaiah 1).
I implore Gov. George Allen to turn up the heat on the religious community. Do not let us off the hook. We have no other mission but to meet the needs of the poor.
Jesus commanded Peter: "Feed my sheep." This was no Christological metaphor, but a ministerial imperative. I encourage those churches who are attempting to follow this command. Have faith, give, sacrifice. Does not Christ promise to meet your need tenfold if you meet the needs of others?
To those in the religious community who would say why us, why not the government? It is only the government's responsibility because the church has given it up. If the church had continued, in faith, to do as Christ commanded, the Department of Health and Human Services wouldn't exist, nor would welfare or food stamps.
Roy H. Scott is a counselor for Mental Health Services in Christiansburg and an ordained minister in the Wesleyan denomination.
by CNB