Perils of the Professionally Holy
Bill Hallsted
We who ought to hate sin more than anyone because we so constantly see its devastating effect can become the most blasé toward it.
Bill D. Hallsted Her face was convulsed with emotion as tears ran down her cheeks, her hands twisting a forgotten handkerchief into a tight knot. She finally choked out the reason she wouldn't go near church: "I was baptized almost seven years ago. The preacher had called and convinced me that's what I needed to do. We went right to the church, just the two of us, and he baptized me. Then he came into my dressing room and made a pass at me!" As she told me her story, I was shocked. An extreme event? Yes. Appalling? Yes. Atypical? Yes, but sadly not a unique or isolated occurrence. Even some of the churches I've been associated with have had to ask for a preacher's resignation because of sexual misconduct. So why the sexual failings, especially among ministers? A lack of Christian devotion or sincerity is rarely to blame. I suspect something more insidious is behind the problem. I've noticed three subtle but powerful dangers that cause extra temptation for the "professionally religious": • Overfamiliarity with God. It's hardly possible to be too close to God. But it is possible to become so accustomed to the reality of God that we no longer stand in awe of him. As preachers, our times of worship are easily identified with work. Our recreation, much of it, is wrapped up in church activities. Our career is the church; our homes are often the property of the church. Our amusement, our jokes, our funny anecdotes and ironic remembrances, our comic relief — all center on the church. We handle the things of God day in and day out. Because of this, we may begin to lose the awe that keeps us in profound respect ...
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