Mrs Jenkins Goes to the Presbyterian Church
If you’re like me, there will be times when you’re praying that you find your mind wandering.
I’ve asked the Lord to help me when this happens and to quickly pull my attention back to the issues at hand. As a result, I definitely spend less time being distracted than I used to.
I have also gotten into the habit of having a piece of paper near me when I’m praying for the sole purpose of writing down all those things that need doing and which pop into my mind. If I don’t write them down I can’t give my full attention to praying and seeking God as I try to hold those things in my mind at the same time. If I do write them down I can forget about them for the time being and my time alone with God can proceed unhindered.
However, I have also discovered that there are times when I think my mind is ‘wandering’ but in fact it’s the Lord trying to get my attention about something.
As I was praying this morning, I found myself remembering an incident that occurred 19 years ago. At first I ignored it, but it persisted to the point that I realised it was God, and not my wandering mind, that was at work here.
One day, my nine year old son arrived home from school and told me that his class had watched a video called ‘Hospitals Don’t Burn’. I happened to know of a video of the same name, and knew it to be unsuitable for children, so I questioned him in order to ascertain whether or not it was the same video.
Once I had established that it was indeed the same video, I spoke with my husband about it as it so happened that he had been heavily involved in its production.
“That video is completely unsuitable for children!” my husband exclaimed. “The whole reason it was made was to frighten hospital staff into being alert for fire dangers within a hospital. Most people live with a false security about that, and are therefore not as aware or as attentive as they should be.”
“So”, I said, “you’re telling me that it was never made for nine year olds to view”. I already knew he was saying that, but I wanted to make sure I had all my facts absolutely clear as I was intending to go and speak to the headmaster about this.
“It was made for people of working age to view. Sixteen, maybe fifteen, but definitely no younger,” replied my husband.
He then went on to tell me some of the scenes from the video. They were rather graphic, so I thought no-one with an open mind should have any problem in accepting that the video was unsuitable for nine year olds.
It was a few days before I could get to the school to see the headmaster. I will say that I was rather nervous. It wasn’t my style to register my disapproval or lodge complaints about things. But every so often, I knew that I needed to do so. I had learned that I needed to go well armed with facts. I had also learned that I needed to be non-confrontational and go with a heart ready for quiet and open discussion.
As I entered the headmaster’s office I said a polite ‘good morning’. If I had expected an equally polite response, I was bound to be disappointed. His eyes met mine and in cold tones he asked, ‘Yes?”
Even as I was entering, an invisible brick wall seemed to rise between the headmaster and me. I had by then only walked half the distance into the office that I needed to and I found it very difficult to walk the rest of the way. I sensed that I was on immovable ground and that it wouldn’t matter what facts I gave the headmaster, he wouldn’t have ears to hear me.
I have never been able to understand why he had such a coldness toward me. Over several years, I had demonstrated support of various school programmes and had only twice expressed concerns - once to the headmaster and once to a teacher - so I didn’t think I should be seen as an habitual complainer.
I was somewhat shocked by the reception I was given. However, I pulled myself together and calmly began to tell the headmaster about the video my son’s class had just seen.
The headmaster was in no mood for discussion, and fairly quickly cut me short saying, “Mrs Jenkins is our school librarian. She chose that video and I have full confidence in her.”
I then began to explain that my husband was involved in the making of the video from start to finish and that it was made to frighten adults out of their apathy.
The headmaster stone walled me and tried another tactic.
“Mrs Jenkins goes to the Presbyterian Church and I’m sure she wouldn’t show the 4th grade children something that is unsuitable for them.”
The headmaster wasn’t a Christian, but he knew I was. He also knew that my husband was the Pastor of a local church fellowship. He seemed to think that this was his trump card. That if I knew Mrs Jenkins attends church it would somehow prove to me her utter wisdom in the choices she makes.
I stood there a bit stunned, lost for words. He wasn’t interested in the facts of the matter. He didn’t care that I happened to personally know the people who produced the video - including my husband - and therefore knew firsthand WHY the video was produced and who, in the words of the producers, it was definitely NOT suitable for. He had no intention of checking the truth of my claims and making sure that any videos shown at the school in future were first thoroughly screened for suitability. His only interest was in defending Mrs Jenkins - and getting me out of the office.
I could see I was getting nowhere, so quickly wound things up and satisfied his desire to see the back of me. As I left his office, I felt the sting of failure. My hopes for a quiet and open discussion weren’t realised and the headmaster had no intention of ensuring the viewing safety of the children in his care. I also figured that I would be a topic of conversation and ridicule in the staff room - which an incident a week later confirmed.
It’s been years since I have thought of this event so I was a little surprised to find it surfacing this morning as I prayed. I found myself responding to the headmaster’s statement that “Mrs Jenkins goes to the Presbyterian Church”. This was the point at which I became lost for words nineteen years ago. But this morning, out of my mouth rolled, “Carrying a chisel doesn’t make someone a carpenter. Wearing a habit doesn’t make a person a nun. Going to church doesn’t make a person a Christian. So I’m not impressed. Being a church goer, or even a true Christian doesn’t guarantee the person will always make wise decisions.”
The tone of my voice betrayed the restrained emotion I still felt over the whole incident and I soon realised this was one of those ‘God moments’. He had put His finger on an area of vulnerability in my life and was now inviting me to deal with it.
It wasn’t hard, and it didn’t take long. In the scheme of things, the incident hadn’t been a ‘big deal’, but God was aware that I needed to be free of the emotional response that I still carried. If I wasn’t, I would be more vulnerable to inappropriate emotional responses in the future. I forgave the headmaster and called on God to heal my soul.
As I reflect on my little outburst this morning, I realise that it pains me that our society thinks that people who go to Church are automatically Christians. True Christians have had a heart change. They are ‘born again’ of the Spirit of God and this will be reflected in the way they live their lives. As non-Christians look on from a distance, all they usually sees is people who go to church. This, to them, is the main evidence that someone is a Christian. If the people who go to Church also turn out to be ‘good people’, that leaves no doubt that they must be Christians.
Sadly, there are many ‘good people’ who go to Church, but who have never repented of their sin and confessed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Many congregations act more as a social club than as a place where people encounter God and go out and impact the society.
Many years ago, I was in a Church fellowship where some controversy arose. A general meeting was called to try to resolve the problem and nearly all 100 members attended.
At one point, the wife of one of the elders rose to speak. “I don’t know what all this fuss is about being born again,” she began. All eyes were on her as she matter of factly continued. “I just believe that if I do enough good things I hope I will get into heaven.”
I was shocked. This woman’s husband had been an elder in the church for years. In all that time, she had certainly proven herself to be a thoughtful, helpful person. I knew too that in the six years I had been attending the fellowship, that the minister had clearly preached the gospel of salvation many times. How could she have missed it? How could she have been going to church for over 60 years and still hope that her good works will save her? At the point she stood and spoke in that meeting, I realised that her ‘good works’ were largely motivated out of the need to earn her salvation and even there, she could only ‘hope’ that she had done enough.
How sad for her to be living in the insecurity of not knowing whether she will be with the Lord when she dies.
How sad that she isn’t an isolated case.
How disastrous that people live believing they have to earn their salvation by good works. The result? The power of the gospel is diluted.
How devastating that people treat church as if it were just a club. The result? It brings disrepute on God.
The sin that separated mankind from God in Eden, is still at work in these people and keeps them separated from God. Their lives are generally as messed up as the non Church goer’s lives, so ‘Church’ presents no hope of something better for those people outside the church. God is consequently seen as irrelevant, impotent and the like.
What do we do about it?
Don’t be a ‘Church goer’. Work on your own relationship with God to bring it to the place where it is alive, dynamic and personal.
Pray for the Church family that everyone would have a revelation of who Jesus Christ is, and that they cannot earn their salvation. There is a place for good works but they will not bring forgiveness.
Pray for ways to impact your community so that the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ would become evident to them and that the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ would impact them.