LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 85

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4. ONE People Forgiven through Christ to Forgive in the Church...
Children of the same heavenly Father, one people forgiven
to forgive in the church,
On Sunday, I shared a story about a man who experienced
relief from his depression through the power of God’s forgiveness . A kind brother helped me to see that I neglected to say
that depression may have causes other than guilt and that God
has blessed us with other methods for treating such causes .
My omission could lead some to conclude that all depression
can be treated in the same way . I’m sorry for my carelessness
and ask for forgiveness .
For those I have hurt by what I said, I invite you to seek me
out privately so that with God’s help we may be reconciled .
I will be available in the back guest section much of today .
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;

The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above .

We share our mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear,

And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear .1

Do people actually fight in the church?
In her book The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Burton Mains
describes a bride like no other:
The wedding guests have gathered in great anticipation; the
ceremony to be performed today has long been awaited . . . The
bridegroom and his attendants gather in front of the chancel…
One by one, the bridesmaids, heralds of the nuptials, begin to
stride in measured patterns . Several flower girls sow rose petals
upon the white, unmarked aisle cloth . The sound of the organ
rises, a joyous announcement that the bride is coming . Everyone
stands and strains to get a proper glimpse of her beauty—then
a horrible gasp explodes from the congregation . This is a bride
like no other .
In she stumbles—something terrible has happened! One leg
is twisted; she limps pronouncedly . The wedding garment is
tattered and muddy; great rents in the dress leave her scarcely
modest . Black bruises can be seen welting her bare arms; the
bride’s nose is bloody . An eye is swollen, yellow and purple
in its discoloration . Patches of hair look as if they had actually
been pulled from her scalp .
Fumbling over the keys, the organist begins again after his
shocked pause . The attendants cast their eyes down . The congregation mourns silently . Surely the Bridegroom deserved better
than this! That handsome Prince, who has kept himself faithful
to his love, should find consummation with the most beautiful
of women—not this . His bride, the church, has been fighting
again .2

When I talk to unbelievers about Christian reconciliation, I
often get this question: “Do people really fight in the church?”

85

We can and do fight in the church, and when we do, relationships are broken, ministries suffer, and our witness to
Christ is diminished .
But it’s not just those outside that are surprised . We are
taken aback when conflict appears in our Christian home,
within our Christian church, at our Christian school, and in
our Christian community . But should we really be surprised?
God’s people have been in conflict with one another since
Adam and Eve sinned . Cain murdered Abel because he was
jealous of his brother’s relationship to God . King David lusted
after another man’s wife; had an affair with her; and, when
she became pregnant, became so desperate to conceal his sin
that he arranged for her husband’s death . Jesus’ disciples
argued among themselves as to who was the greatest, even
while Jesus was in their midst! And Paul’s letters to the early
Christian churches reveal that they experienced all kinds of
conflicts .
As those who read God’s Word, we of all people should
remember that while we are saints, we are also still sinners .
James 4:1–3 identifies the source of our conflicts:
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is
it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire
and do not have, so you murder . You covet and cannot obtain, so
you fight and quarrel . You do not have, because you do not ask .
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend
it on your passions .3

So, if we know that we are still sinners, then we should
anticipate that we will be in conflict with one another, even
in the church . The question we should ask is not, “What if we
get into conflict?” but rather, “How should the children of God
respond to conflict when we find ourselves in the midst of it?”

Saints and Sinners: Responding
to Conflict in the Church
One day I received a call from a pastor who asked me if he
should be doing something to address a situation in his church .4
One of his congregational members contracted another member for construction work on his home . Disagreement arose
between them regarding the quality and completion of the
work, and the homeowner sued the contractor . These two
members attended worship regularly but would sit on opposite sides of the sanctuary . Friends in the congregation sided
with one party or the other, and they divided themselves into
two groups, sitting with the member they supported . The pastor told me that this dispute literally split his congregation
down the aisle . He indicated that the parties were scheduled
for court the following week . He wondered what his responsibilities were in this situation .
Our text for today can help answer this pastor’s question .
In Colossians 3:12–17, Paul writes:

2010 Convention Proceedings