Disillusionment of Changed Wages in Church Burnout

Yesterday we talked about people sowing in an organizational church hoping for heavenly rewards. A common experience in life is expectations to be unmet. Because one expects something does not mean it is right, realistic or even agreed upon but all parties. A lot of relationships have unspoken expectations and it can be a source of conflict.

Jacob had his wages changed. He worked for seven years expecting to marry the love of his life only to be given her sister in marriage. He also had his wages changed several times after that.

Many people who are disillusioned with the organizational church are so because of expectations not being met. Their wages are changed. They expected peace, joy, hope, respect, love, or meaning. What they received was membership, responsibility, obligations, trials, and pain. Of course many experience both because of the earthly and heavenly natures of the church.

Disillusionment need not be the end story.

Comments

Jeri said…
Actually, I'm disillusioned with the organized church because it's full of pedophiles, and the men who are not pedophiles refuse to do anything about the men who are. There's no confrontation, no rebuke, no excommunication, and no alerts given to the rest of the body of Christ (which goes way beyond denominational lines) when a pedophile gets off on probation and walks away from his current denomination to slip happily into another. Ministers of every denomination have entered into a gentlemen's agreement of silence to look the other way on these unspeakable sins.

Some ministers pray for "the persecuted church," those people in other countries who do need our prayers, and yet they utter not a word for the dozen or so each month in this country who are either being victimized and are doomed to remain victimized until they are old enough to escape, are reporting victimization, or are confronting their cleric/clergy abusers in a court of law, or watching them walk away from a guilty verdict with a one-year sentence or probation.

Frankly, I think God is going to destroy the entire Religious Right, so I've left it. I'm home hiding under the bed and repenting. It *may* have something to do with disillusioned expectations, but it's got a lot more to do with shock, horror, and revulsion at the callousness, smugness, and detachment of organized religion.
8:45 PM
pruittcommunications said…
Jeri,

That is a whole different level of disillusionment than what I was talking about. In one sense I would like to answer your issues by trying to say that not every congregation is the same but I don't think that would answer the issues of the heart that you are addressing. If you or someone you love has been the victim of a pedophile then any reassurance or defense of the not guilty sounds trite.

While you talk about God judging the Religious Right, I believe God will judge all his church which has not protected the little ones.

1 Peter 4:17
" For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? " (ESV)

I don't think most people think about this verse as pertaining to the modern world. But it will come. I'm not sure why you believe the Religious Right is more guilty than the other parts of the Christian church? If you care to give further insight I am interested. I think we know pedophiles are not confined to a certain political view or religious theological background. It may feel that way to the victim though.

By the way, victimization happens in other places too. Churches are easy marks because they are focused on being welcoming.

I would recommend a book that has been useful to me. "Anger: Handling a Powerful Emotion in a Healthy Way" http://www.amazon.com/Anger-Handling-Powerful-Emotion-Healthy/dp/1881273881/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224500465&sr=8-16

This book gave me permission to be angry and give healthy outlets for that anger. By the way, let me way, I don't believe reading this book will fix you. But it may give you some tools in dealing with your anger.
7:04 AM
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