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Please explain:
How is church discipline a loving practice of the church?
“They kicked me out of the church.”
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The man in his mid-40s was sincere as he told his story. He had once been active in his congregation, but after his divorce he had moved in with another woman. The pastor and the elders of the congregation met with him several times—until he stopped returning their phone calls. One day he received a letter indicating he had been removed from communicant membership. He was convinced the congregation had “given him the boot.”
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Sadly, many perceive church discipline this way—as a harsh, loveless process that separates the unworthy outside the church from the holier-than-thou on the inside.
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The reality is very different.
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One woman’s gratitude for being excommunicated
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If you had told Cherry Simpson 40 years ago that she’d eventually be back at the WELS congregation from which she was excommunicated—she probably wouldn’t have believed it. But now she is back, and she says the discipline she received from the church saved her life.
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I often struggle with my season of singleness. As a college student, I see many of my friends dating and marrying these wonderful and loving men who give them everything. I’m thrilled that they are happy and loved and get to enjoy the blessings of a relationship. But . . .
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To be a good listener, it’s good to practice reflective listening. You listen intently to another person’s words to understand their meaning. You then respond by paraphrasing the message in your own words. Now imagine that the person in conversation with you . . .
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Learn more about WELS' 67th biennial convention through pictures capturing key moments of the convention.
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