LOOSE CANNON OR A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS

Rhetoric is the art of using language to persuade others, but it can be inflated or insincere in style, and our world is full of it.

It's the politicians' stock in trade; they say what they think the people want to hear. Business people use rhetoric, and pressure groups and negotiators; clever use of language for effect. But churchmen are good at it too. Often you’ll hear them quote the Scripture; 'God uses the foolish things of this world to confuse the wise,' yet on the occasion that I don't like to talk about too often – when I seriously considered entering the ministry – I was told I needed to have a non-theological degree before they would even talk to me.

Now it so happens I have my non-theological degree, so I asked the appropriate gentleman why that should be, for I didn't intend joining the church to teach English or Criminology, so why should I need a degree in one of those subjects? And the nice man said; 'To be an effective leader in the Lord's house you must be at least on a par socially, with those in your care.' Now, doesn’t that strike you as a tad hypocritical? I mean, if that’s the case, why did God tell Paul, 'My grace is sufficient. My strength is perfected in your inadequacy'?  

Yet, what might be the reaction of the governing body of any major denomination if one who had been an adulterer, an alcoholic or one so promiscuous that he couldn't remember how many people he had slept with, were to apply to become a minister of the 'Word and Sacrament'?

And yet all through the ages, God's choice of leaders flew in the face of reason, confounding respectable churchmen. He ran things his way; he was prepared to take risks with people.

Moses murdered an Egyptian in cold blood and yet he became perhaps the greatest leader the Israelis ever had. David was their greatest ever king, but didn’t he commit adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband slaughtered so he could have what he wanted? Then there was Samson who behaved as though sleeping around was an Olympic sport. And Peter, the one disciple many of us can relate to if we're honest; a wild and unpredictable loose cannon, impetuous, always shooting his mouth off, a man who would blow any church committee to pieces, and yet Jesus singled him out and said, ‘Peter, feed my lambs.’

So, what's all this leading to? Do you ever feel dirty, soiled, inadequate? Do you ever look around at the others in the pews to your left and right and think, 'Why would God want to use me when he's got all these guys?' Then think on this. God could have chosen Aaron as his spokesman, but he preferred Moses with his stutter. He could have picked solid Esau, but he opted for Jacob the schemer, and why didn’t he ask a safe pair of hands; gentle, predictable John to feed his lambs? But he didn't, Peter was his man for the job, the guy who cursed and denied he ever knew Jesus.

Now, why God chooses whom he chooses is an interesting topic, but it matters not here, except that they all appear to have at least one thing in common. There was a degree of reality about them; they were quick to put their hands up and say, 'Sorry, I got it wrong again.'

The thing we need to remember is this; while religious men step diplomatically around us, not know where we fit, find us hard to handle, Abba, our heavenly Dad loves us just as we are. He sees what we can become, and in love he sweeps us up in his great arms, warts and all.

Now, doesn't that make you feel good?