It’s ironic, in light of what Jesus instructed in his new commandment to us, that Christians can sometimes be so nasty with one another. Jesus told his disciples (and us) that we are to love one another and that people will know we are his disciples by the way we love each other. I haven’t found any Christians who argue with that instruction, and most are happy to fulfill it as long as the others they’re loving don’t mess things up. I heard it said that fewer Christians would notice heresy being preached from the pulpit than would get angry if the pastor changed some of their traditions. Is taking communion each Sunday part of your church tradition? See how loving the people become when you move it to a monthly or a quarterly activity. What about getting rid of Sunday school or changing the style of music? As a church leader, I’ve learned that it’s in those moments that I find out just how loving or unloving Christians are. Regardless of the purpose behind the change, we can fall to the temptation to love our traditions over loving the people for whom Jesus died.
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