To Disciple Or Not To Disciple....

We're not sure exactly when but from the Middle Ages on what the Apostles had set up as mandated from God within the church vanished. Ritual replaced relationship, mass replaced intimacy and formality replaced fellowhip. The clergy was now isolating themselves from the congregation and the congregation was being cut off from its direct access to scripture. Very few were able to know what the Bible really said and only a handful gave permission to teach what they wanted taught. As history changed, the reformation broke down the barriers that had isolated the common man from scripture but the clergy despite the ability to marry and intermingle with his congregation still remained somewhat isolated. Catholic or Protestant the spiritual implication didn't seem to change the fundamentals of the church. The service still had its formality and ritual. The clergy still was set apart from the congregation and the vicious cycle continued. Enter the twentieth century, the church no longer was the small hundred or so congregations of most American communities but now were monstrosities with thousands coming each Sunday. The distance felt before between the congregation and the clergy was intangible but with an audience this size how could today's clergy be all things to all people? This time though we can't even have physical access to many of our pastors due to the demands that are unreasonably placed upon them. We see them on Sunday but even having a friendship casually with them is probably rare. Because the church was never able to get back to the princples set down by Peter and Paul in scripture, pastors are expected to do the job of deacon, elder and pastor. Many are overworked and underappreciated simply because their congregations do not know what scripture says about what a pastor's job is and what their responsibility as the congregation is.