Frustration is an evil thing. Defined as a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs, it is entrenched in the Church. Laity is frustrated with leadership; clergy are frustrated with the membership; and I’m guessing that just about everyone is frustrated with the Bishops. The result is a Church which is dying a slow, painful death, struggling for a last gasp of air. As I see it, that is the picture of Christianity in the United States (actually in the Western World). We have become affluent and now focus on maintaining our wealth. At least part of the problem is the politically correct, hyper-sensitive day in which we live. There’s a pink elephant in the room and rather than naming it, everyone just hopes it will leave! We are the Church! Both clergy and laity need to realize we are about making disciples for Jesus Christ, not elite memberships that will faithfully grease our palms. We are about serving others, not being served. We are to reach the least, the last, and the lost with the Good News, not hide behind closed doors reassuring ourselves of our own security. I wonder how long it will take, if we don’t start acting like the Church again, till we sense the frustration of our God! Until then, “I know that my Redeemer lives and in the end, he will reign upon the earth!” (Job 19:25).
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