"Fallen Ministers"

     I was sitting in my office tonight, looking at my bookshelf for something specific, and pulled out a book entitled, "Heart Talks with Ministers."  This book was compiled by a Nazarene minister and has several different articles, or chapters by other men.  This book has no copyright date in it, so I don't know when it was written, but there is a handwritten name and date in the front dated 1931 as a gift.  I came across a chapter entitled, "Fallen Ministers," and wanted to share an excerpt with you.

     "Little indiscretions, little deviations from the pathway of strict prudence, little violations of the conventionalities of refined society, are courses which, in their relation to the opposite sex, have led many a minister on to more adventurous things, and have resulted either in his moral ruin, or in so smirching his character and reputation as thereby to render his continuance in the ministry a stench in the nostrils of the public, and an occasion of casting suspicion and reproach upon all ministers, however decently and holily they may have lived.  The minister of the Gospel who does not observe that plain and sensible rule given by John Wesley to preachers, "Converse sparingly and conduct yourself prudently with women," will almost certainly become a moral pest in society, involving himself and the church in contempt and disgrace.
     There is no justification for a brother, in shaking hands with a lady, to hold her hand unduly, press it to his own, gaze into the depths of her eyes, etc., even though he shout hallelujah! while doing so.  If she has not the moral courage or the disposition to rebuke his course, someone else should do it, and in a way to impress him strongly with the impropriety of his conduct.  There is no justification for a preacher's holding so many private conversations and having so many private correspondences as some do with certain female members of their congregations, even though the private interviews and communications may be ostensibly on religious topics.  Religion always thrives better in the daylight and in relations between the sexes that require no privacy.  Nor is there any valid excuse for a minister's devoting himself in the way of personal labor, especially in campmeeting and revival work, chiefly to trying to help the female sex.  With some men this is a suspicious circumstance.  They seem to feel specially called to labor with girls and women.
     Not that judiciously  endeavoring to instruct and help those of the fair sex is in itself wrong; but it is the paying an over attention to them, and that to the neglect of others just as needy and worthy, that should be guarded against, lest it cause one's good to be evil spoken of, and at least familiarity should breed contempt, or something worse.  And, of course, he who cultivates what is generally known as "spiritual affinity" outside his own family relations, is to be regarded with grave suspicion, since "spiritual affinity," so-called, is almost sure to become fleshly affinity, or free-love before long, if allowed to run its course.  Alas! how numerous have been the instances in proof of this!"

                                                                         Bishop W.T. Hogue
                                                                         Heart to Heart Talks with Ministers
                                                                         Chapter 7, P 56-57
    

"The School of Affliction"

     That was the title of the sermon that Pastor Mike Ridge preached this morning in church.  It was an excellent sermon, I must say! 

     One of the things that he talked about was the fact that "The School of Affliction" gets our attention.  Sometimes it is how God has to get our attention.  He used a story in II Samuel about Absalom and Joab to illustrate the point.     Absalom had not spoken to his father for quite some time, and wanted to contact him, so he sent a message to Joab, requesting his presence.  Joab ignored the request.  Later, Absalom sent him another request, but to no avail.  Joab still would not respond.  Finally, Absalom told his servants to go set Joab's barley field afire. . . That would get his attention!  Joab then made his way to see Absalom. 

    The point was that sometimes God tries to get our attention. . .He calls, and calls. . .but we choose not to listen.  Then God has to send some sort of affliction our way to get our attention, just as Absalom sent an affliction to Joab to get his attention. 
     The plea was not to make God have to send affliction in order to get your attention!

This post does not do the sermon justice, but it was a really good sermon!