Theology of perfection

Last night my Shepherd and I had dinner with a prominent couple (Bob and Peg) from church.  They have been involved in ministry for many years.  When I think about people in this congregation who impress me, they are at the top of the list.

There were several aspects of the conversation that were very interesting.

1. Response to announcement of E’s removal as elder.  The abrupt nature of the statement was at question.  They did not ask why E was no longer an elder.  Peg had called E, assuming  he stepped down for too many demands at work.  She was pleased to report he had no disparaging remarks.  My Shepherd did explain E was forced to resign – by the eldership because E was found to not be qualified to be a spiritual leader.

2. They had never heard of the rape.  Bob and Peg were the youth leaders when S’s daughter (12 or 13 years old)  was raped at church by an 18 year old man/boy from the youth group.  The perpetrator  has since been convicted of 2 counts of 1st degree rape.  Two counts because there were 2 different victims who testified in court, including S’s daughter.  The court stuff finished over the summer (6-8 months ago).  And the youth leaders knew nothing about what the conviction was for.

The topic came up last night because we were sitting around the dinner table together.  Peg had several things she wanted to talk about.  Both are common themes at the church – Why is S leading the church in worship when he obviously doesn’t have his family in control (hence the forced sabbatical)?  And why does S not extend grace where there was sin.

Since the biggest concern was to keep things quiet, the story was never told in an official capacity.  Instead, it has been left to filter through the gossip and innuendo.  Most people have put the information together to assume it was statuatory rape… and horribly unfair that the boy got the prison sentence while the girl lives without consequences.  People know nothing of her night terrors, panic attacks, cutting, struggles with guilt.  People don’t know the threats this 13-14 year old girl lived with to protect her little sister from being raped by this “good boy”.

The person who carefully managed this was E.  He was the one offering counsel to S.  He was the one giving information to the elders.  I found out last night, E’s son is married to the perpetrator’s sister.  Hmm, is it possible E has mixed motives to keep images untarnished?  Finally, a motive I can truly understand.  It all makes more sense now.

3. Theology of perfect saints.  Conversation wandered to a wondering of how to discuss sin, especially with the youth.  How do you condemn sin and love the sinner without giving permission to everyone to sin?  It has been a common theological concern here.  If we admit we sin (as a Christian) won’t that give permission to people to do the same sins? Don’t we won’t our leaders to have achieved a higher standard?

The example given was that of revealing to children a sin of the past to have them throw it up at you when the child wants to justify his behavior.

As I think about the whole of the situation here, I think all three of these topics worked together to create the “Perfect Storm”.  You have a theology that says we do not admit or confess wrong doing.  We have leaders who have selfish motives being “the voice” of leadership.  And we have a congregation unwilling  to acknowledge leaders are imperfect people.  As long as everyone pretends we are all without sin, we never have to deal with sin.  And the sinner grows emboldened.