Featured What would the reaction be at the church you attend?

It is a FB Parable.

 

Stories like this are "Christian self-flagellation". And they really do nothing to help the poor, bring the church to righteousness, or produce any sort of meaningful change. They are designed to produce angst or pride depending upon your 'place in the story'.

 

About 15 years ago I headed a homeless ministry in the church I was attending, one Sunday I jumped in the van early and went downtown and picked up three men went back to the church seated them and stood back and watched.

I'm no longer a member of that church.

 

May God have mercy on you

 

His response would not be mine but your post is over the top.

 

Originally Posted by Bro. Curtis

We won't know, because this is a one-sided story, dishonest, and created to call Christians cheap and uncaring.

Originally Posted by Arbo
How is it that you know what the intent of the story is? Could your animosity toward CTB be clouding your judgement?

I presume this is directed to Bro. Curtis.

 

Our pastor would counsel, "Be wise as sepents and harmless as doves." The church never gives cash, though individual members are certainly free to do so. We'd ask some questions (and pray for wisdom) to attempt to sort out the con artists, and if convinced the situation was genuine, might take the person shopping, line up a motel for short-term homelessness (longer term we'd offer a ride to a rescue mission several towns to our south.) Folks with cars might get gas cards. Any such contacts, with or without gifts, cons or genuine, would be accompanied by the Gospel. Offering cash makes it too easy for recipients to buy smokes or booze or other drugs, and we shouldn't be enabling stuff like that.

As long as a person's dress, aroma, or conduct doesn't cause significant distraction to others, he/she would be greeted/invited and allowed to sit anywhere there's room. Should the person be that kind of distraction, two members of the same gender would counsel the person in a room away from the sanctuary. Do we always get it right? Of course not, but as long as we lean on God, He will direct.

 

http://www.tennessean.com/article/2...ille-pastor-goes-undercover-homeless-man-week

 

Now there's a real story. Thanks for posting it.

 

Excellent.

 

So then tell me, what word of hope does the church have to offer the world?

 

We have the greatest of hopes to offer- eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. All else is temporal.

 

I did a similar thing about 8 years ago at my old church of about 4000. People coming into the parking lots saw me coming out of the woods and making my way across the church parking lot. I then made my way to the side entrance of the church and was greeted by an usher. They wanted to see if they could do anything to help me, but those ushers sure didn't want me to go into the sanctuary. They did everything they could to send me to another part of the church. :laugh: Granted we had glass panes around a large part of the back of the sanctuary so folks could still see me.

I did get some stares because of the way I was dressed. Rolling around in mud will do wonders for your appearance. But other than some antsy ushers, everyone seemed to be okay with my presence. I was friends with the pastor so he was in on it. Folks were wide eyed and crying by the time he was done with his sermon.

2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. James 2:3-9

The people inside the sanctuary were actually very nice, just seemingly a bit weirded out.

 

So anyhow, what's the big impact? Some more folks will grit their teeth and sit by the homeless looking people now and feel like they did their "job" as Christians? Is that it? Do they all look like that guy? Is that how you tell? What if someone is homeless but doesn't look like that? Should there be stories of how people didn't notice because the homeless person wasn't wearing proper "I'm homeless" apparel?
And why does everyone seem to feel the need to be made to feel bad over not feeling bad over strangers not giving money to a fake homeless person in a fictional story on the internet? ROFLOL
Come on, we don't need fake stories if we want to feel bad. We're all quite horrible enough if we stop and really think. If we're not, then good, keep it up and go for even better, and don't stop and try to purposely feel terrible. That's not the goal.

 

I wonder if Jesus would be ok with the use of a parable...

 

I'm sure he wouldn't be okay with "evangelistic lies". He didn't use names in His parables, nor did he pass them off as true stories.

 

You're right, the story should have been presented better.

 

Tell that to the mother watching her kids starve to death or dieing for lack of proper medical attention. Yea, when they die, then they will be in heaven. Guess what they are going to tell you.

Here is what most of these churches dont do....they dont address life on this side of death. Consequently, the world will grow less & less interested in your dogmas & modern churches.......and from my prospective, its a good thing.

 

Brother,

I'm sorry to disagree with you, but...

If I am ever made aware of a legitimate need in my church or town I do my very best to find help. I have given money out of my pocket to help people with legitimate needs. I have bought meals and groceries for people with real needs. I've even provided a place to stay in my house for people who were homeless. I've paid utility bills and rent for people who needed help out of my own funds. I'm a sucker for a sob story. My wife has to watch me- or we would likely be homeless ourselves.

I don't need made-up tear-jerker stories to tell me what the church should do and how.

Jesus himself said, "The poor you always have with you". Poverty will never be eradicated even if the churches, and Christians, poured every penny of their budgets into that mission.

Helping the poor is not the main mission of the church- preaching the gospel and making disciples is. Helping the poor is a way to do that and not an end in itself.