THE PASTOR'S CORNER 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth by a sovereign command.  It was a divinely spoken word that brought order out of chaos.

Conflict in the Church

These days it seems that the church is often torn by conflict.  Some people think that the church should be free of conflict.  Biblically, an idealized, conflict-free notion of the faithful community is never presented.   What is found in the Bible instead is people remaining faithful to God through the conflict.  Notable is the story of the struggle in the wilderness captured in the 17th chapter of the book of Exodus.  Here, the people are wandering across the miles, hoping some day to enter the promised land.  Things have gotten so bad that some are expressing regret that they were ever freed from slavery in Egypt, thinking perhaps they had it better then.  The current crisis is a life-threatening need of water.  The weight of their groaning is carried on the weary  shoulders of Moses, their leader.  Moses fears even that this wandering nation will take his life.

So Moses cries out in anguish to God.  God intervenes, commands Moses to strike the rock at Horeb and the people will witness the miracle that water will come forth from the rock.  Moses, to commemorate the event, declares that the name of this place will be Meribah – which means “contention.”   Call this place the place of conflict. 

 We don’t like conflict.  When conflict exists in the church it can be particularly painful for us.  We somehow feel that our beliefs and consideration of one another should cancel out conflict.  But it doesn’t.  Many times it sharpens the conflict. 

 I believe that grace can pour out of conflict, just like God made that water to flow out of that rock.  Conflict need no undo us.  It may strengthen us, clarify us and increase our wisdom and resolve.  In the months and years ahead our church, at its highest levels of government, will know conflict just as surely as Moses encountered it at Meribah. 

 The most important approach to conflict is to listen to the one with whom you disagree.  Listen without speaking.  Stay with them as they speak.  It is only by listening to one another carefully and patiently that we will ever overcome conflict and thus make it the rock out of which water and life will flow. 

                                                     Rev. Joel Whiteside, Pastor

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