31 January 2002 Editorial:
Boundaries

Larry Kirkpatrick

The church is a place of boundaries. Where two or three (or more) are gathered in God's name, His name means there are boundaries. To be gathered in His name is to be gathered together into His group, separated out of the world and unto the gospel. It means that the principles of His kingdom are operational there in that gathering. If His principles include the truth that "In Christ's kingdom there is no lordly oppression, no compulsion of manner" (Desire of Ages, p. 550), then that is the way it will be when the members of His kingdom are gathered. God's position at the center of the group's attention and devotion rules-out human boundary-crashing. Heaven cannot approve those broken-down, self-centered goals wherein others worship us or are used by us as tools to meet some need to exercise power.

The Bible said that God's house was to be a house of prayer for all peoples (Matthew 21:13). This marks an important concept. The worship of God is central in places devoted to such. This means that any and all distractions to that worship are out of order. Worshipers rightly expect that when they go into a house of worship or associate with the members of that congregation, they will not be accosted or have their personal boundaries pressed by others thrusting upon them the baggage of agendas of distraction. Nevertheless, some come who've not been sent by God. They've not been asked to run, but they run anyway. Unless the overseers of the house of worship are spiritual and diligent in protecting its sanctity, worshipers will be hindered, sense of sanctuary lost, and the purpose of the house of worship defeated.

This sense of sanctuary, quietly expected, an unspoken but intrinsic expectation of church and worship, is profound. The house of prayer for all peoples must not be turned into a meat-market by those pursuing, (even if unawares), their own pathologies. A congregation expects its leadership to protect these boundary-lines so that all the children of the kingdom -- trying to seek and find -- may pursue that seeking and finding unhindered.

If there is any place on planet earth where personal boundaries should be expected to be respected, it is a church. The heart-weary, battle-worn, and experience-scarred do not come to church to close-out the week with a last blasting dose of psychological pressure and stress. We come together to worship as a church family. We come together to express our common convictions as a people -- not to have fanatics impose their distractions upon us.

And what must we say of the guest, the visitor, the new-to-Adventism curious, the tentative explorer? He's been forewarned by numerous persons that churches are places of exploitation, where they want your money, where the psychologically imbalanced come together. What of the important impressions they form in their first halting steps through our doors? We are responsible that the tenderest lambs or even those engaging in but their first timid steps toward Christ be treated with respect and care; that they hear the truth drawing them to Jesus without compromise, but also that they will have a chance to form their impressions without being pigeon-holed by the most unrepresentative among us.

No healthy congregation can agree to stand by indifferently while psychological predators graze on the unaware. Occasions will arise where churches must evaluate the facts and determine whether they can endorse (for such is exactly what one's continued membership actually includes) the behavior of predators. May God grant us resolve to honor the experience of members and guests of our congregations, that His worship may continue and increase to His glory. May we resolve never to blur-down true respect for God with entertainment-oriented "worship" services or music, never to let the worship hour erode into a time for sentimental slush-balls rather than Holy Spirit-guided arrows of conviction. But may we guard also against fanaticism and its distracting blear. Adventists need to know who they are and the work they've been charged with, come forward, step up to battle and stand for truth thought the heavens fall. God grant us an awareness of boundaries, a clear-minded approach to God's agenda, and a boldness to be like Jesus.

Next week: On Detecting Fanatics and False Prophets . . .

Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick is an ordained minister of the gospel. Since 1994 he has served in the American Southwest as pastor to several churches. He received his BA in Religion from Southern Adventist University in 1994 and a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in 1999 with a specialization in Adventist Studies. While in Michigan he was employed by the General Conference at the White Estate Berrien Springs branch office. More important than his scholastic preparation has been his immersion in the biblical and Spirit of Prophecy materials. He is author of the 2003 book Real Grace for Real People. Presently he serves as Pastor of the Mentone Church of Seventh-day Adventists, located near Loma Linda, California. Larry is married to Pamela. The couple presently live in Highland, California along with their two children, Etienne and Melinda.