Indifference to the "saved"?

[Daryl]

There's a topic here on indifference to the "lost."

How about indifference to the "saved"??

[Dr. Shane]

Indifference to the lost or saved is a major sin and a major problem in the church. Christ longs for us to be kind to each other.

"But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." Luke 6:35

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" Rom. 12:10

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Eph. 4:32

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." Col. 3:12, 13

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." James 1:27

• Is it possible for a single mother in church to go all week without recieving a phone call from another church member?
• Is it possible for a visitor to come to church and not be invited into someone's home for dinner?
• Is it possible for a fatherless child in church to be without a mentor?
• Is it possible for an elderly member to be lonely all week?

[Clio]

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Shane said:

• Is it possible for a single mother in church to go all week without recieving a phone call from another church member?
• Is it possible for a visitor to come to church and not be invited into someone's home for dinner?
• Is it possible for a fatherless child in church to be without a mentor?
• Is it possible for an elderly member to be lonely all week?

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Not just possible, a regular occurrance.

Here's a recent example.

I was in the store last night and my husband and I got separated. One of the checkers is a good friend and she waved and I nodded. I was a little frazzled because I was looking for my husband. So I said to her "I lost my husband..." as a way of explaining why I wasn't stopping to talk.

There was a screech, and the woman in the check out line, who I hadn't noticed because her back was to me initially, and I was looking around for my husband, turned to me and said, "I'm soooo sorry!"

I looked at her, and realized she was a church member. I apologized for scaring her, and then she said to me, "We lost touch with you, haven't seen you in church since he got so ill. I thought he died! Why don't you call us?"

Right. Every second of every day is spent working to make ends meet, ministering to my husband and children, and trying to find a little time to recharge my own batteries. Sabbath is my day with Abba and Jesus, and my husband. When nothing else demands my time and I can focus on being there for him, and helping to carry the burden of his pain by ministering to his needs.

Why would I want to call someone who's part of a group of people who think my husband is faking his health problems and that hasn't bothered to contact me in... oh... a year?

How do I know that? My daughter went to church last week and praised God for her papa's return to health, and more than one member had the gall to come up and ask her just how sick he had been, and was it really true he'd been that ill.

She told me the atmosphere was so hostile she went in the bathroom and cried. But she wasn't going to let them run her off so she stayed anyway.

[Dr. Shane]

Saddly, I am afraid, such incidents are not isolated. The indifference that is prevelant in the church is perhaps the church's greatest sin.

I do believe the environment here at Club Adventist is quite different. While we do disagree with each other on some doctrines, politics and lighter issues, I believe the members here really to care for one another and wish such an attitude was more common in the church as a whole.

I really see the mission for Club Adventist as being one to edify the church. That is to minister primarily to those that are already members or that are former members. I find this is a safe haven and a comfortable place to spend time.