What they say and how they say it
From time to time on these pages I've commended the ministry of young pastors who have done a good job of handling the Word. The commendation was never meant to be a blanket endorsement of their ministry. It is difficult to assess the faithfulness of an individual without the perspective of time, so I've limited it to commending certain parts of their ministry or teaching.
I confess that there are times that some of the "new generation" (funny to say that since many of them are nearing or have passed 40) of pastors makes me uncomfortable. One such area is the use of vulgar, crass, coarse, offensive language. I'm not immune to an occasional coarse epithet - after all, seven years in the Marines means I've heard most of it. When I do use a coarse epithet I'm not perfect, only progressing in my sanctification), I apologize to those who might have heard it and I ask God's forgiveness. I have a very strong opinion that such coarse language should not be part of the pastor's tool box.
Same for any church leader. I once confronted a church elder about using a coarse word for fecal material. He dismissed it as simply being "barnyard language". My response was that we weren't in the barnyard, and what he had done was denigrate an idea, not describe something he should wipe from the bottom of his shoe.
I discovered the other day that there are others who have noticed the same tendency and don't approve. It heartened me to know that someone agrees with me. Check out a well crafted response at Substituting scatology for theology. I am no longer young enough to wear a toe ring, an ear ring or sandals in the pulpit. I still wear "white side walls" like when I was in my 20's, though Catherine reminded me the other day that it is because the hair is that color
I can do one thing better than the young guys sometimes do - and that's season my conversations with grace like Colossians 4:6 says, "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."
That's VERY different from using salty language. Trust me. Semper fi!
I confess that there are times that some of the "new generation" (funny to say that since many of them are nearing or have passed 40) of pastors makes me uncomfortable. One such area is the use of vulgar, crass, coarse, offensive language. I'm not immune to an occasional coarse epithet - after all, seven years in the Marines means I've heard most of it. When I do use a coarse epithet I'm not perfect, only progressing in my sanctification), I apologize to those who might have heard it and I ask God's forgiveness. I have a very strong opinion that such coarse language should not be part of the pastor's tool box.
Same for any church leader. I once confronted a church elder about using a coarse word for fecal material. He dismissed it as simply being "barnyard language". My response was that we weren't in the barnyard, and what he had done was denigrate an idea, not describe something he should wipe from the bottom of his shoe.
I discovered the other day that there are others who have noticed the same tendency and don't approve. It heartened me to know that someone agrees with me. Check out a well crafted response at Substituting scatology for theology. I am no longer young enough to wear a toe ring, an ear ring or sandals in the pulpit. I still wear "white side walls" like when I was in my 20's, though Catherine reminded me the other day that it is because the hair is that color
I can do one thing better than the young guys sometimes do - and that's season my conversations with grace like Colossians 4:6 says, "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." That's VERY different from using salty language. Trust me. Semper fi!
ALL THAT SOAP DID SOME GOOD
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