Would you have stopped?
[BBC News]
A minister posed as a tramp and gatecrashed his own service to teach churchgoers about “acceptance”.
The Reverend Derek Rigby donned a wig and some torn clothes and surrounded himself with lager cans and syringes in the church doorway on Sunday morning.
Most of the congregation at the Trinity Methodist Church in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, ignored the intruder.
The vicar said most were “embarrassed” by their behaviour when he finally revealed himself during the service.
The former police officer had told the congregation he would be late for Sunday’s service, and only informed one church member of his true plans, in case anyone decided to dial 999.
Read more here.
[From me]
Matthew 25:35-36
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.‘
I wonder if I would have stopped. Looks can be deceiving. God loves everyone yet we build churches in suburban areas to reach those who look good. We give a dollar here and there. But do we really want them in our church or homes? Ouch! That will preach.
What do you think?
I think this is brilliant. I had heard stories about something like this but never truly had seen it in action. Would I have stopped? Hmmmm…I hope so.
Bill(cycleguy)’s last blog post..Dreeaaam (Not the Everly Brothers? song)
Kevin…if this had happened at the average church on an average Sunday morning, most of us would have been so busy getting ready for the day that we would have simply walked right past him. Didn’t Jesus tell us a parable about walking past a “hurting” individual?
Then again, if we didn’t igore the man, we probably would have picked up the phone and called the police for help. That’s very Christ-like.
M. Steve Heartsill’s last blog post..Pet Owners Of America, Unite!
I give handouts much more often than I go to church. Sometimes, along with the handout, I give a 211 pamphlet that I keep in the my glove box. Please consider giving these out if your have this service in your area - 211 can help people find a place to stay and something to eat.
That is just genious. Way to go Reverend - His parishioners will not soon forget that sermon.
In the BBC article, the pastor said, “some people said they wished I had been there because I would have known how to deal with the situation”. I think that’s what I would have thought “where’s the pastor, he’ll know what to do”.
I’ve wanted to do this myself but my “physical” appearance would probably give myself away. Maybe I could get a friend to “help” me with something like this.
Kevin, you look kinda grody. Are you available in a couple of weeks?
Rick Boyne’s last blog post..Better Late Than Never
Hmm, that guy looks like a guy I played in a band with back during my old bar band days.
Seriously. we had the Christian motorcyclist’s in one Sunday and one of them came dressed in funky dirty clothes, long hair, and just looking rough… When I came up to speak, I brought him up and turned the morning over to him… while he talked he took off the wig, and jeans… with dockers and stuff underneath and went from grungy to conservative… he challenged people about how they perceive people with first impressions. Our folks still talk about it.
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