The Church Has Left the Broken Behind?

I hear a lot of talk now days from people going 'hey how did we get here?' A sense that the church has left the broken behind.

How did we do it?

• Fear: When ever we let fear pollute our thinking. I am sorry but cultbusting and doctrine debunking is not really the activity of proclaiming the truth. I do not see Christ or his apostles spending much time on apologetics.
• Manipulation: Often times leadership uses the tools of manipulation, fear, obligation, and guilt. (FOG) Persons, healthy enough to recognize, confront, act (sometimes by moving on), or choose to ignore and continue to submit to the head of the Church which is Christ.
• External Values: A focus on appearance. (1stJohn 2:15)
  
• Ignorance: Rigorous opposition to behavioral sciences.
  

What now?
1) Admit, accept, and talk about our fears. Embrace love as our bedrock for the unknown.
I dare any of you who are pastors, study leaders, or teachers to openly talk about what you are really afraid of.

2) If we recognize we have used FOG to manipulate in the church; promptly admit it. Embrace controlling only what we can; ourselves. If we have been under leadership who regularly uses these aggressive methods confront in love, move along, or act. Tolerating abuse is participating in it.

3) Resurrect a passion for brokenness and spirit of openness. When we the church confess our adulteries, sexual immoralities, acts of greed, addictions, and failures, we do not taint the blood of Christ, we define it's power.

4) Anyone in a church who wants to be involved with counseling should take a few behavioral sciences courses and do some reasonable case study and get familiar with terms and facts. The church needs to stop running in fear from phsycology and lead the way with illuminated sciences. Regardless of those who fear the church that is emerging a lesson should be taken by Rick Warren and John Baker who developed Celebrate Recovery and boiled the 12 step into 8 principles. People have hurts habits and hang-ups- and Jesus cares for those people. Come up with 5 reasons. Or the 4 paths, or web 2.0 to help them, just get 'er done. Stop with the pettiness.

The age of compassion is on us.