Where is the Grace?

My husband is a Methodist minister to 2 small rural churches. One of them has had the longtime tradition of community services at Christmas and Easter with another church of a different denomination. The pastors take turns preaching the the other's church. Last week, my husband gave the message at the other church. He did an ad-lib "one-man show" about the busy-ness between Thanksgiving and Christmas, where we often forget about the Nativity. In it, he said, "Oh God" several times...as in "Oh God, we forgot the stuffing!"

Two days later, he gets a phone call from the other pastor, stating that he felt that was blasphemous, and that Jim is no longer welcome in his church. He also sent out a letter to his parishioners to that effect. The only reason Jim knew was that several of his parishioners are related to the others, and they passed the information on. (Remember this a tiny rural community) One of our church ladies confronted the other pastor and demanded that he call as a professional courtesy, so he called Jim at 9:00 pm on Tuesday, and he wasn't nice about it either.

A check on the other church's website proclaims that they are a "loving community of Christians that believes Jesus still changes lives".

I so want to confront this guy and ask him where the grace is in his church.

Grace is too often absent in the one place where it should be most plentiful. Sorry about this. He is welcome to preach at my church if you guys are ever in Oregon....um, are you free the Sunday after Christmas?

If the parishes your husband serves remain supportive of your husband then a graceful response back thanking the pastor who shuts doors for the opportunity to visit his church.

Perhaps reminding that pastor he remains welcome to visit your husband's churches because he does not shut the church doors to any sinner.

I second >3 richardbsmith:. Respond with grace, charity and forgiveness if you can.

~2~ He says thanks, but the commute is a bit too far. :)

This isn't over yet. Rumor mill is rampant, and people are taking sides. OTOH, a bunch of parishioners seem oblivious to anything untoward, and a few have waffled back and forth. Should be interesting to see what happens between now and Easter, when the other guy is supposed to be preaching at our church.

Small towns. Sigh.

> 1, 5

Ho-hum. Small towns, indeed. You can tell all concerned that this misunderstanding is a mere tempest in a teapot and a mountain made out of a molehill. The concern over some "blasphemy" controversy here is just too precious for words.

You want a REAL example of blasphemy? Well, back in the summer of 1962 we had a shouting match break out in our (s. baptist) church that nearly resulted in people having their butts kicked right there in the house of the lord. My father left in the middle of it all because he realized his temper was out of control. The church was split until the preacher left two weeks after. Half of the children missed vacation bible school that summer (including me) because their parents were boycotting the church.

The problem? - the question of racial integration of the church - 20 per cent, including the preacher, were for just seating any blacks that showed up in the balcony - the other eighty per cent didn't want any (censored) allowed in the church at all (this larger group included all but one deacon).

When the church got back together - after the deacons found the proper type replacement preacher, i.e., one who was pro-extreme segregation - then things got back on track, the "liberals" in the church having gotten their comeuppance and thus wisely kept their mouths shut in the future about "all people" being welcomed as god's children. Apparently the thought was that heaven itself would be racially segregated.

I'm new to the group and hope I'm not overstepping but did your husband ask for grace? Or apologize? I've heard people say at my church that hearing people use the Lord's name so casually incorrect is something that bothers or hurts them a lot. You know, commandment #3.