Sermon Video: Self-Righteousness = Contempt for God's Mercy

Released between two horrific mass shootings was the report about how sex abuse was handled by the Southern Baptist Convention.  This horrific reports detailed failures spanning decades to report and combat sexual abuse within SBC churches and institutions.  At the same time, the SBC has been on the forefront condemning the sexual ethics of the culture at large, primarily targeting those outside the Church.  This blatant hypocrisy has become far too common, we have cynically come to expect it of our politicians and even pastors, and it is toxic to both the Culture and the Church.

The Apostle Paul takes aim at hypocritical judgementalism, when the people of God condemn others for doing the very things they themselves still do (often in secret).  That this is entirely unacceptable goes without saying, but the deeper danger is that is damages our relationship with God, leading to entirely justified anger because it makes a mockery of God's grace and forgiveness to us.

Children need mentors, parents need to be vigilant

 I am a firm believer in the merits of 40 Assets Model (The Developmental Assets Framework).  Long story short, this model predicts that the more positive assets a child has growing up, the more likely that child will be to avoid negative behavior and outcomes.  For example: A child with 34 of the 40 assets will be less likely to experiment with drugs or drop out of school than a child with 7.  Statistical likelihood is not determinism, some children with a high score may still struggle, and some with low scores will succeed in spite of them.  However, by and large, when we can, as parents and as a community, it is more than worth our investment of time and money to help ensure that as many children as possible are given the chance to develop more assets.  What is an asset?  Parental involvement, positive peer influence, high expectations, safety, caring neighbors, other adult relationships, youth programs, religious community, etc.

Looking back on my childhood, I had ample parental involvement, high expectations, a group of friends that were a positive (if nerdy) influence, and all sorts of other assets.  I was truly blessed with an abundance of assets during my formative years.  Two of these in particular are connected to the purpose of this post: religious community and other adult relationships.  My family attended church services at Galilee Baptist Church on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday evening.  We went to Sunday School, I was involved in Junior Church, VBS, 5 Day Clubs, Christian camps, and later youth group.  There was no lack of God-centered influences in my life.  As you can imagine, I would highly recommend to parents that they involve their children (and it makes a big difference to the kids if their parents are involved as well, not just dropping them off) in church activities.  Multiple activities, regularly.  It is an investment that will pay tremendous dividends later on.  

That being said, it is unfortunate that we need to add a warning: Parents make sure that the church you involve your kids with is taking Child Abuse prevention seriously.  Make sure they follow the state guidelines, and more than that, that they have no tolerance for situations that have the potential for abuse.  "Nobody ever thought that X would be a child molester" has been said over and over.  Parents need to make sure they know that their kids are not being put into situations where their child is alone with a potential abuser.  And since abusers are, by their nature, difficult to spot, that warning needs to apply across the board.  It is easier, logistically, to assume that our kids are safe, that it won't happen here, but we're be foolish to do so.  From the perspective of a church pastor, I would never allow anyone to work with children that I have even the barest hint of worry about, but that's not enough.  We have rules and procedures in place for a reason.  

This need for rules and multiple people keeping an eye on things was brought once more into focus at the multi-site church, Menlo Church, led by Pastor John Ortberg.  After great success (by all accounts) at the church, Ortberg's tenure ended in resignation because he failed to be proactive about a potentially dangerous situation involving children and a youth worker (in this case his son).  {John Ortberg and the Pitfalls of Pastoral Discernment - by Daniel Harrell, editor, Christianity Today}  Once again, one person's judgment is not sufficient, abuse (potential or actual) is not an area in which church leaders should be making their own judgment.

The second area that I was blessed with abundant assets as a youth was that of 'other adult relationships'; in my case that meant coaches.  From elementary school on, I played three sports a year, and a couple of my coaches transcended the coach-player relationship to become a mentor, and as I grew older, even a friend.  Two stand out, both of whom were teachers at Saranac: Don Videtich, who had the misfortune of coaching me in basketball for several years, and Cindy Sanford, who stepped out of her comfort zone to coach cross-country.  To be a kids' sports coach is a tremendous opportunity to affect young people with positive values of teamwork, dedication, and sportsmanship.  It is also a chance for adults to model proper behavior to kids, to show an interest in kids who might otherwise slip through the cracks.  

Unfortunately, we need to remember the exact same precautionary warnings about coaches too.  The idea that prompted this post was an article from ESPN about a female Texas Tech women's basketball coach being fired after allegations of horrendous abuse heaped on her players {Texas Tech fires Marlene Stollings after report alleging abusive program}.  Sadly, we're no longer shocked that an institution like a college has to wait for a report to take action, that no oversight was in place to stop the alleged actions up front.  What happened at Texas Tech is also a reminder that we can't let stereotypes dull our vigilance as parents (and community members in general).  Even if the vast majority of abusers are male, that doesn't mean we can ignore ideas of safety if the coach is a woman.  Even if young children are more vulnerable, that doesn't mean we can assume that teens or young adults can 'take care of themselves'.  The pressure on kids to conform, to 'not rock the boat', and the fear of embarrassment should they speak up, is terribly real, don't put the onus on them to report abuse.

So, where does that leave us?  We know that kids absolutely need mentors beyond their own family, that the influence of religious organizations and adult mentors like teachers and coaches can have a huge positive impact for the rest of your kids life.  Allowing the potential negatives to convince us to 'bubble wrap' our kids isn't the answer, vigilance is.  We, and as the father of a precious little girl just starting kindergarten, I do mean we, need to have our eyes and ears open, and not just for our own kid's safety, for every kid.  How can we best do this?  By being involved along with our kid, volunteer to help out, both those religious and sporting programs could use the extra help.

The SBC dis-fellowships a church which continues to employ a child-sex offender as their pastor: a step in the right direction, but not enough.

Christianity Today reported on the outcome of a recent SBC Executive Committee meeting: Southern Baptists Disfellowship Church Over Abuse for the First Time But victim advocates say the denomination hasn’t gone far enough. by DAVID ROACH

A small step in the right direction; a convicted child offender has no business serving in a pastoral role. God offers 2nd chances to those who truly repent, but the parameters for pastoral leadership as outlined by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:1-12 and Titus 1:5-9 leave no room for church leaders with such sinful behavior in their past (the pastor in question sexually assaulted two pre-teen girls). In addition, a "we don't leave the child predator alone with children" policy is NOT sufficient. Churches must take sexual abuse seriously, of both children and adults. If this minister has turned his life around, has repented, let him serve in other ways, let him warn others to avoid his mistakes, minister to other sexual offenders, not assume authority over God's people; he is not qualified to do so.
Let us pray for our brothers and sisters in the SBC who are struggling mightily with the issue of sexual abuse in their churches (it is in every denomination, just as it infects nationwide schools, scout troops, sports teams, etc. none are immune to this scourge of human depravity). That the leadership of the SBC was willing to take this step is a positive sign, that many seem more afraid of 'liberalism' within the SBC (as the article and two sexual abuse survivors associated with the SBC are claiming) than sexual predators within the SBC is a disturbing sign that all is not well in the health of this denomination. In addition, the move to connect the effort to root out sexual abuse with 'liberalism' as a way of deflecting that effort (as evidenced by the video created by Founders Ministries which is led by an SBC pastor: By What Standard? God's world...God's rules whose video promo took a swipe at Rachael Denhollander {The first victim to publicly abuse Larry Nassar, who now advocates for abuse victims and the need to protect against new abuse}) is an extremely troubling development. To those within the SBC who are fearful of 'liberal' movements, is it compatible with Christian morality to use that fear (whether it is justified or not) as an excuse to avoid dealing with the full scope of the sexual abuse that has occurred with in the SBC? Defending the innocent and holding church leadership accountable is not a liberal or conservative issue, it is a moral imperative.

NOTE: As a minister within the American Baptist Churches denomination, and a representative on our regional board of directors, I fully recognize that our loose affiliation {regional executives can refuse to acknowledge an ordination, or remove an ordination recognition from a minister who has engaged in immoral (or heretical) behavior, but cannot remove that minister, for only the local church can hire or fire its own pastoral staff} makes the ABC vulnerable to issues like the one that the SBC is dealing with. Should it become known that an ABC church within ABCOPAD (my region) is employing a sex offender, and refusing to terminate that relationship, I would advocate for the removal of that church from our fellowship (which is the most we could legally do). Our loose affiliation and lack of regional record keeping regarding our churches means that sexual abuse within the ABC, and ABCOPAD in particular, is below the radar, but in no way is it non-existent.

For my previous commentary on the trailer for By What Standard?: "By What Standard?" - A shameful trailer made by Founders Ministries utilizing the worst political ad tactics

The Shame of Joe Paterno

There is no excuse.  That the family is trying to spin the Freeh report to protect his "legacy" is only adding to the shame he deserves.  Joe Paterno may have served his fellow man for decades, and he did, but what will he be remembered for?  Looking the other way to protect his buddy and his football program as children were raped by the man whose office was next door.  The legal ramifications for Penn State will be huge, and they should be, but the moral ramifications are beyond the pale.  Each of those students who gathered to protest the firing of Joe must now look themselves in the mirror and realize that they were helping to protect a man who made an inexcusable evil choice. 
Those of us who serve the public as our life's calling know that everything we have worked for could be ruined by a false accusation.  It makes us tentative, causes us to have rules about ministering alone with anyone, and plays to our fears.  It cannot be helped.  The innocent deserve our discomfort.
If any of these 4 leaders at Penn State (plus who knows how many more further down the ladder) had any sense of courage or honor, they would have gone to the police regardless of the consequences.  It is not a choice, it is an obligation.  Everything else that may be offered in their defense is meaningless.  They knew enough, they knew children were at risk, and they walked away.  Only one person needed to do the right thing to put a stop to Sandusky's predatory rapes of children; at Penn State, to their shame, there was none.
There is no excuse, only shame.