Responsibility.

While I understand that no church is perfect, and while I do have a lot of faith in the leadership and direction of my current church, I read an article tonight that questions not only our own presuppositions about money, consumerism, and other facets of our society - but the moral, personal, and professional responsibility of the people who minister to us and have very public opinions that can not only represent an entire populous, but also dramatically affect the ideas and actions of that group. Below is an excerpt, but I would recommend reading the entire article.

This, then, is the sad state of my mind as I listen to the Sunday sermon. To those who would say that the pulpit is no place to pierce the myths and enlighten the masses to the more unfortunate truths about our nation, I would say “if not there, where?” If not our moral leaders, then whom? Pastors have a great influence over the thought processes of their congregation. Many pastors are fond of the saying, “The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it!” I’m afraid that many in the congregation believe a variant of this that goes, “My pastor said it, he believes it, so that settles it.” When pastors promote the flag, the sheep salute. When they offer no comment on war, or the ecological condition of the planet, this is a tacit endorsement of the status quo. And when they give sermons about our obligation to give, rather than receive, and never tie in the systemic contradictions of our economic system to this obligation, then they are, in my humble opinion, abrogating their responsibility as moral leaders. (from Burnside Writer's Collective, Sunday Morning Quarterbacking)