Christians and Pharisees

I spend a greater part of my musing wondering about those who call themselves Christians. Mostly I do this whilst I am wandering the streets of Masterton putting advertising pamphlets into those letter boxes that don't have large 'No Junk Mail' signs on them. I undertake the deliveries to supplement my superannuation. The remuneration is pretty minimal. Also, out of that minimal payment, I am required to pay income tax and also Accident Compensation Corporation dues. I stick with the belief that at least the 4 to 5 hours of walking is doing something towards my health. I counteract that goodness with lots of chocolate.

However I am getting off the subject.

I belong to a congregation that is known as a joint or uniting congregation that goes back to the days when various denominations decided that the future lay in union, rather than alone, as we all worshipped the same God. As a result the local Presbyterian congregation and the local Methodist congregation combined under the the one umbrella. Time went along, as it does, and there was the inevitable 're-think' and the mother churches decided that union was not for them so they appeared to abandon those 'joint' congregations and concentrated on more lucrative congregations.

What they did not abandon, of course, were the buildings. After all, those structures were worth 'a bob or two.'

As a result many joint congregations were left with two masters to deal with. In many cases those masters pulled in opposite directions but always required their share of the money the congregations raised.

Life went on until it didn't in many cases. The congregations became older and both the congregations and the masters lost touch with their roots and their purpose. Sunday congregations dropped to a few elderly people gathering for four hymns, two prayers and a sermon that rarely related to current events.

So, in the case of the congregation I belong to, it was decided to merge with another nearby congregation. One congregation was a Union congregation and the other Presbyterian. Both congregations were made up primarily of people who had at various times been members of both congregations. Agreement was 'sort of' reached with one of the big sticking points being the buildings. The union congregation building had some local historical significance and following the Canterbury earthquake had under gone strengthening to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars raised via many means. Financially the Union congregation was in a reasonable state. The Presbyterian congregation, not so much. Following a lot of discussion and numerous meetings agreement was reached on a merger. The use of the buildings was not settled but agreement was reached that one Minister would be shared between both congregations, in the interim, and the use of the buildings be decided later.

All were reasonably happy.

Along comes the biggest property owner of the two buildings, the Presbyterian Church. New trustees, or something, said that the merger had not been in accordance with the 'rules' and would have to be done all over again. As a result there has been a big split between the congregants. It is primarily over the buildings and at which place services should take place etc, etc.

Now I come to my point of Christians and Christianity.

Surely it is irrelevant where the services take place. This holding onto buildings is, in my mind, so wrong. In one of the cases the building complex spends the best part of six days empty. In the other case the complex houses a Childcare facility and an opportunity shop. One complex is on the main street and the other is close to the local hospital. Surely the complex near the hospital could be used to house those relatives who were visiting the sick and injured. Maybe it could be used by the homeless or those in need of temporary housing.

Surely that would be a Christian response. Let's face it, Christians follow the way of Jesus and all I see here is groups of those I call Pharisees. What did Jesus call them? Snakes and vipers wasn't it?
How very, very sad!