Christian Courage in Church Life

"Be strong and courageous," says the LORD to Joshua. This is easier said than done, though--especially in church life.

During his days as a pastor, well-known American ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr once wrote that faithful church attendance reveals more the virture of patience than of courage. In nearly two decades of pastoral experience and a lifetime of being involved in church life, I have to concur with the late Professor Niebuhr. It is often moral courage--the courage to do the right thing, even if it is unpopular with a particular peer group or power base--that is most lacking in churches today.

I am not talking about the courage to stand against extreme examples of immorality in our culture, including abortion and euthanasia. I mean the courage to stand up to the peer pressure and financial manipulation that has become prevalent in church politics. Where is the courage to speak against actions or attitudes that are more representative of political parties than of Scripture or of Jesus? It's one thing to get "amens" by saying that homosexual behavior is immoral. It's quite another to stand and say that hating or fearing those who are homosexuals is a sin! Unfortunately, the former is far more present in Evangelical churches than the latter.

Again, it is easy for many Christians to support the addition of a church program that benefits their own group of friends. But where are the mature believers who support programs that are going to have the most impact for Christ upon the community, regardless of how it directly impacts their peer group or themselves? In short, country-club Christianity does not require nearly the moral courage that actually following Jesus consistently requires.

Maybe this is why God is always reminding us not to be afraid, and why courage in church life is becoming as rare as hymnals....

Charles