Civil Sundays

They say that the most exclusionary hour across the United States is that one hour of Sunday morning Bible class. All sorts of social imbalances abound but few notice or correct it because bad manners have woven themselves into the fabric of our churches.

And there is the matter of church protocol and manners. Has church decorum so fallen by the wayside that rudeness and snootiness have become part of the Sunday morning church experience?

Did we ever think that so little civility would exist within the confines of God's house that a regularly attending single parishioner could try to justify approaching a married couple to cheerfully greet the husband - while completely ignoring his wife?

Who brought such a cold, rude, unacceptable spirit to the temple and got so comfortable with it that they made room for it on a pew?

And how many parishioners have condoned this rude behavior by ignoring it and not saying a word against it? When we don't object to injustice because it is not happening to us, we are allowing that evil to strengthen and make itself at home. It will strengthen so that when we are alone, no one will stand with us against it.

A word to Pastors, Elders and parishioners everywhere... if you see unjust and unrighteous behavior from any parishioner towards any other, stop it in its tracks. If the bold rudeness takes place publicly it must be corrected with kindness but corrected nonetheless and immediately but publicly just as it was done.

Do not let any parishioner suffer at the hands of another simply because a strong willed parishioner has gotten away with that wrongful behavior that no one dared say anything against it as a matter of course. It is never too late to correct a wrong that hurts the spirit of the church in its entirety.

When guests visit a church, they are studying the interactions of those present. They are quietly deciding if this is the place for them. When a guest sees that spiteful ugly behavior, you can trust that they will not return.

Treat your brethren with love and grace and make sure they each treat one another with love. It's the calling card guests to church take with them when they're in the House of God.