On the heels of yesterday's post, regarding Church of God Pastor Mansour Bey's involvement in the protests leading to the riots in Toledo, comes a news story from Monroe, Ohio. The Middletown Journal reports that First Church of God in Monroe hosted the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling in preparation for an upcoming referendum regarding a proposed casino in the area. Pastor Terry Ball is active in the fight against the casino. (Story Link)
I'm sure these types of community involvements by Church of God congregations are quite common, as these are just two media covered examples from the last few days. I'm glad to see that there is involvement in real issues outside the walls of the local church.
My questions from yesterday still remain. As I reflect further on these recent examples I think part of my uneasiness is that we often get involved in these issues in a reactionary manner. That is, once it becomes a problem we go out and protest, and indicate that we are AGAINST something. Certainly there is a place for this. I believe, however, that if we are truly missional we will be salt and light in our communities at all times, even before we are prompted out of the comfort of our pews. In other words, in what ways do we communicate to the world that we are FOR something. Is it the "Good News" that we are known for?
I know that media reports don't tell the full story, and I have no first hand knowledge of what the two congregations in question have been doing before this. Nevertheless, these are considerations worthy of further pondering.
I'd love to hear from more of you on your experiences and reflections.
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