Learning from Example, Rather than Experience

I suppose it has been ten or twelve years since I was involved in a satellite counseling ministry at a large church in central Florida; while counseling the bulk of my clients at a different location.

Each Saturday I arranged to meet with whomever contracted my services from that church or local area. I will always remember one day in particular. The events of that day, however, had little or nothing to do with my official capacity in that congregation. For you see, as I was waiting for my next client, someone knocked on the office door. And thinking that perhaps my client was a bit early I swung open the portal. However, standing there was an older man with whom I was not acquainted. Our conversation proceeded roughly like,

“Is the pastor here?”

“Uh, no sir. He isn’t generally here on Saturdays.”

“Well, I’ve arranged to meet him here at 11am.”

“I see. Why don’t you come on in and sit down. I provide counseling services to the church. I’m Dr. McDonald.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m ‘Rev. Jensen.’”

And so the conversation continued. Interestingly enough, as we “compared notes” we discovered we shared some mutual friends. It seems Rev. J. had performed the marriage ceremony for Danny and Marlene M. I had first met Danny when he and I worked part-time at United Parcel Service, and while attending the same college.

As the preacher and I easily moved from one topic to another, I happened to ask him about his background. It seems he had pastored a couple of churches in Florida in earlier years, but ‘til recently he had been employed as an associate pastor at an internationally known ministry in Louisiana. And it immediately occurred to me that this church was, at that time, the featured “fodder” on national and cable news broadcasts.

Another minister. Another Scandal.

It seems the senior pastor, Rev. J.S., had made some very bad choices of late. Sadly, he had “gone whoring after strange flesh;” just as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had once done. (Jude 1:7)

“The good minister” had, in essence, been “caught with his pants down” in a “red light district.” And someone had managed to snap photographs. Not good. Not good at all.

And I expect the majority of adults living today remember watching a video of his tearful confession on the evening news; as he stood on the ground floor level of his home church.

“I have sinned. I take the responsibility. I take the fault.”

Rev. Jensen shared something with me that day which he might just as easily kept to himself. Perhaps, at this point he had nothing to lose, the generalities of the thing were well-known, and I was, after all, a counselor.

“After it all came down Jimmy rejected the denomination’s requirement that he step away from the ministry for a year, and submit himself to ecclesiastical rehabilitation; including counseling.”

(and)

“I begged him to reconsider. I begged him to submit to counseling.”

(and)

“Of course, we know the end from the beginning now. Our denomination defrocked him. They voided his ordination. And the rest is history. He continued to pastor, though many of his congregation left him high and dry. And, of course, he fornicated a second time; (though who can say how many times he had ‘done the deed’ without getting caught).”

I can tell you I came away from that experience having been provided an enlightening entre into the life of a man and his church. How the mighty had fallen.

What might have been considered a chance meeting, yet known of God before the eons, and which set in stone a decades old decision to cherish my calling, and to continue to avoid the very appearance of evil.

In Psalms 51 we read the confession of another man with whom the failed minister was familiar, and who had made some similar choices, but who did him “one better.” He covered up his sin with the murder of an innocent man.

 Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    so that sinners will turn back to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
    you who are God my Savior,
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.

 ^{God grant that all who serve learn from example, rather than experience.}


 By William McDonald, PhD. (Mc)Donald's Daily Diary. Vol. 32. Copyright pending

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