Oops

To my faithful reader, and you know who you are, sorry it’s been so long!

I’ve been immersed in developing lectures on the 2000 year history of the Church which I have 13 three hour class sessions to cover. Come this fall, I will teach 25 or 30 seminarians of all ages the importance of our past as Christians. To give you a sense of how daunting that seems, next Spring, I will teach another course on The Early Church, about the first 425 years in the same number of lectures. This fall, it merits one class meeting.

But I am completely looking forward to the challenge. I have to say, however, the task has brought unexpected sadness. The reality is, the history of the institution and, frankly, many of its leaders at every level, is dark. Well, if not dark, sad. It is very unpleasant to see how far removed both have been from the basic teaching of Jesus from the very early.

Perhaps the worse thing that happened to the Gospel was for the institution entrusted with it to be tolerated and then legalized during the reign of Constantine in the early 4th century. Very quickly, it not only became the state Church, it became a tool, or willing partner anyway, in the power associated with kings and emperors. But, dear reader, I know you know all this.

And so do I, but it has been tough to be reminded of it again in significant detail. And to be very aware that, while the leadership today may not be personally corrupt and completely caught up in the trappings of power, the Church remains a long way from the teachings of Jesus. That is not to say that none of what Jesus modeled or commanded gets done. Heck, much was done in “those olden days” too. But when the average parish budget is 85% or more dedicated to ministry within the congregation, we’re probably not spending much on the poor, the orphaned, the widowed, or those who need the consolation of the Gospel.

But you know this too, reader. I guess the question many men and women of good will and who love God have been asking and are asking still is, “How long, O Lord? How long?”

Peace,

Jerry+ P.S. I’ll do better about writing. P.P.S. Thanks to those who sent more items for the list from the last post.