Whoever Causes One of These Little Ones Who Believe in Me to Sin….

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! Matthew 18:5-7

This twitter thread is a poignant example of what happens when a “church” abandons their primary obligation to follow Christ in all things and chooses self-protection over the care of the sheep they claim to shepherd. As Scripture teaches us, such people will give Him an account of actions.

Sat next to a woman on a plane who is done with church not because she is lazy or “spiritual but not religious“ but because a trusted pastor abused his power and hurt her and the system protected him while discarding her. It was hard for her hearing that I was a pastor. (1)

— cнυcĸ degroaт (@chuckdegroat) September 26, 2019

I could sense it and named it, which put her at ease slightly, but being #TraumaInformed I asked if she would prefer that I be re-seated or trade with someone else. Even the Directv feed with news was disregulating for her. All she sees is Xns disregarding the powerless. (2)

— cнυcĸ degroaт (@chuckdegroat) September 26, 2019

I checked in every so often. We talked a little. Thankfully she had tools to regulate. But I suspect she spent much of the flight doing the work of taking care of herself, which is sad and tragic. This is reality, folks. She’s not weak, not faking it. It’s not her job… (3)

— cнυcĸ degroaт (@chuckdegroat) September 26, 2019

… to come back to us. We, like Jesus, must go to her in her pain. Not disregard her. Not minimize this. But honor how a trusted pastor’s abuse and a colluding system made the church, of all places, the most unsafe place on earth for her. God help her, God help us. 💔 (end)

— cнυcĸ degroaт (@chuckdegroat) September 26, 2019

Brief afterword: someone messaged me asking: how could you have helped her or shared a better gospel with her? First, in some ways I think she was there to share a better and more beautiful gospel with me, to convert me.Who gets to say that she is broken and I am well? 👇

— cнυcĸ degroaт (@chuckdegroat) September 26, 2019

She was my teacher in that moment. Second, my task? To remained attuned to her. To honor her, even if that meant switching seats.Not to be some heroic/ godly empath, an unsolicited therapist.

Simply to attune and abide.

— cнυcĸ degroaт (@chuckdegroat) September 26, 2019

I’ve conversed with some multi-generational Lutherans who invested in CEF or DIL. Like the woman in this twitter thread some have since left the church – partly because of this scandal, partly because of how their trust was violated by an institution for whom such duplicity was unthinkable, and partly because of the mistreatment they suffered at the hands of the institution and their fellow members.

Now that the LCC – ASC Settlement has been finalized and its contents public knowledge, there is more than enough evidence to support barring anyone involved in the CEF, DIL and Shepherd’s Village Ministry fiasco from serving in any Synodical office. For clergy members removal from the pastoral office should also be on the table.

For those who would say “but what about grace? And forgiveness?” Yes there is grace in the right-hand kingdom for those who repent of their sins, that doesn’t wipe away the temporal consequences that need to happen in the left-hand kingdom. When Christ told the thief on the cross “today you will be with Me in paradise” the thief’s temporal punishment was not taken away – he experienced it in full (and rightly so!). It was his eternal punishment that was covered by Christ’s suffering and death – which is why he joined Christ in paradise for all eternity.