by Reid on September 21, 2009
Last weekend a wedding was scheduled in Vancouver, British Columbia. The bride and groom are from Colorado. The officiant, the “pastor” who was to conduct the ceremony is a dummy, well a ventriloquist’s dummy to be exact.
The puppet’s name is Butch and his master is a childrens’ entertainer named Maralee Dawn. On her hugely self-promoting website she claims to air her program on so many channels and networks around the world that you have likely heard of her already. She also claims to be ordained by the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.
News reports revealed that the provincial government, which certifies all persons who are qualified to perform marriages, was not thrilled about the impending nuptials being overseen by Butch. Apparently the dummy does not hold a certificate to perform marriages, and he would not qualify for one because he is too young anyway.
There are too many disturbing things about this to go into all of them but a couple are worth consideration. First, why do evangelicals do things like this? is it for promotion, attention, or because they have a misguided sense of how to engage the culture? Second, why is the government having to step into this when the ordaining body should be stepping in with a cautionary word.
And third, the bride, the groom, the puppeteer and Butch: which one really deserves the tag of “dummy”?
by Reid on September 21, 2009
There’s something not quite right about sheep running. They’re not built for speed or agility and usually there’s some degree of confusion about directions. So it’s best not to be in their path when they stampede. You likely won’t die but you may have a lot of small dents if you are trampled by sheep.
When the sheep are people who make up the congregation of a church you don’t want to be in harm’s way when they start to roll.
This is a place for pastors and other church leaders who have been, or are in danger of being, trampled by sheep. Let’s admit up front that there are too many shepherds out there who have in some way abused the sheep. They have misled them, mistreated them, and tragically sometimes destroyed them. There are several good places for those sheep to receive help and support when they have been the victims. This, however, is intended to be a shelter for the shepherds and other leaders who have found that somehow their lives have been changed by sheep who are out of control.
And that’s usually the reason why the sheep get a shepherd in their sights and take a run at him or her. It’s about control.
The book which is supposed to guide and govern Christian churches, the Bible, is unequivocal about leadership. Depending on context the same Greek word can be translated as “pastor” or, more often as “shepherd”. In the Bible Jesus calls himself “the good shepherd”. He is also called “that great shepherd of the sheep.” Pastors and elders are “under shepherds”. All Christians are simply “the sheep”. There’s a reason for this. Sheep need care, nurture, protection and leadership, and these are all the responsibilities of the shepherds. When some, a few, or many of the sheep decide to ignore this biblical model it may turn bad and lead to someone being trampled by the sheep.
The other victim of sheep in a woolly stampede is truth. Truth is being trampled under hooves in the Christian church today in alarming ways, through books, magazines, journals, conferences, seminars, radio, television and internet broadcasts, and by some ungodly shepherds.
There are lots of warning signs when the sheep are restless. Learn to recognize those signs and maybe a stampede can be averted.
Comments, stories, debate, disagreements and arguments are welcome.
