Today we were informed that former pastor Ted Haggard was "completely heterosexual" Having emerged from three months of aggressive counseling he had shed off his homosexual skin and can now get on with his life. This redemption is sure to raise debate on both sides of the homosexual issue, but it is not the type of redemption I was hoping for.
I'm actually not talking about any personal redemption, but the redemption between Haggard and his church. The American church has a funny reaction to it's fallen leaders. At first there's the initial shock and confusion, as you would expect in such a situation, followed by words of acceptance and compassion, but at some point things begin to take a turn for the worse. It doesn't matter if you're Ted Haggard, or Jim Bakker, you at some point you'll get swept under the rug, dismissed, and pushed away for ever. It seams that God's redemption that is talked about on Sunday morning isn't for them. In Teds case the oversight board of his church actually recommended that he move out of town and find work in the secular world.
Why can't the Church practice the scandalous redemption that the preach on Sunday mornings. Haggard, or Bakker for that matter, are no different from the rest of us. It just happened that there faults were put on display for the whole world to see. Why is the Church so willing to help people overcome there personal problems, but unwilling to eventually restore there fallen leaders to the old positions. True, we should hold out leader to a higher standard that others, but don't they also get to access the same redemption that we have access to. I fear that, in the end, more harm than good is actually done by sweeping our fallen leaders under the rug.
So Ted, if your up for it, your welcome to join me in Boston. We can start a Church, nothing to big, maybe a house church and go from there. I believe God can still use you and I'm not afraid to practice scandalous redemption.
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