The
Parable of Amazing Grace
Once upon a time, in a medium sized town,
in a medium sized state there was a medium sized church called Amazing Grace
Fellowship. The church was about 110 years old and had seen many ups and downs
over the years. It had also seen its share of remodel projects. It is not easy
keeping an old church looking and feeling new.
Like most Baptist churches, Amazing Grace
Fellowship had a baptistery. Although it did not get used very often, at least
they had one. It was located at the back of the platform with a window looking
out toward the congregation. At the back of the baptistery there was a painting
on the wall. The wife of the church’s fifth pastor, Rev. Thompson, had painted
it 75 years before. His wife, Ruby, was an amateur artist who dabbled in oils
and water colours. What she lacked in artistic talent she more than made up for
with enthusiasm and a willingness to pitch in and lend a hand at anything that
needed doing. After about 15 days of work she came up with a painting she
entitled, “He leadeth me beside still
waters.” It was not anything to write home about, even when it was new. In
fact, a lot of people thought it was just awful. From the very beginning, upon
seeing it for the first time, people would often point out that they thought
that the flock of sheep in the foreground looked more like coyotes, or maybe
white Pomeranians. Their last pastor had disliked the painting so much that he
always kept the curtains pulled in front of the baptistery when it was not
actually in use, just so he would not have to look at it.
Over the years at the annual business
meeting the congregation had several times in the past discussed doing
something about the painting but nothing was ever decided. So, they just kicked
the can down the road from year to year. This year, however, something did get
done, and boy-howdy, did it cause a firestorm.
Here is what happened. About a year ago a nice
young couple moved to town and started attending Amazing Grace. Soon Brian and
Bonnie Smith joined the church and got busy serving. Turns out that Brian was a
professional artist and he opened an art gallery in the centre of town. He was exceptionally
talented, and he specialized in mountain scenery and still life paintings.
After a few months of suffering through having to look at that ugly baptistery
painting every Sunday he told Chuck Robinson, the Chairman of the Deacons, that
he would be happy to paint them a new picture if the church would give him
permission. The Deacon Chairman was thrilled and said he would follow up with
the idea.
Three weeks later it was time for the church’s
Annual Business Meeting. The elder board had sent out the necessary notices and
it was advertised in the church bulletin for the required two Sundays. All the
ducks were lined up. The meeting was held on Sunday night in Fellowship Hall after
a wonderful potluck dinner. For some reason there were a few less people at the
meeting than usually attended but they still had a quorum and set out to do
business.
When it came time for New Business, the
Church Moderator, Brother Bill Johnson led them through several items, all of
which were dealt with quickly. Then Chuck Robinson stood up and made a
recommendation from the Deacon Board that the church authorize Brian Smith to paint
a new picture for the baptistery. Justine Bevis seconded the motion and the
moderator opened it up for discussion. Most of the folks had seen some of Brian’s
paintings before and knew that he was an excellent artist. When it was
explained that he would do it for free that seemed to move the process along.
Oh, there were a few of the older people who expressed some doubts, and a
couple of them said that they kind of liked the old painting, but in the end
the motion carried by a huge majority. But that is when the trouble started.
Brian got to work on the painting that very
week. When Sunday rolled around some of the people who had not been at the
business meeting saw that half of the old painting had been painted over. Well
they were not happy. In between Sunday School and the morning service a small
group could be seen in the narthex with their heads together talking in a very
animated way. They pulled Bill Johnson aside and asked him what in the world
was going on. When he explained about the vote taken at the meeting last Sunday
night they began to complain that they had not been given a chance to weigh in
with their opinions on the matter and were upset, feeling that this thing had
been railroaded through.
Brother Bill calmly explained that they
should have been at the meeting if they felt so strongly about it. He pulled
last week’s bulletin out of his Bible and showed them the agenda of the Annual
Business Meeting. Sure enough, right there under “New Business” it said,
“Recommendation from the Deacons to replace baptistery painting.”
Sister Bertha McGraw piped up in her raspy
voice and said, “But I did not know you
meant that beautiful painting that Ruby did years ago. How could you even think
of replacing that lovely thing?” Brother Bill was speechless. But a minute
later he said, “I am really sorry folks,
but this is how we always do official business. No one was pulling a fast one. The
meeting was legitimately called according to our bylaws. We had a quorum
present. The motion was moved, seconded, and voted on and it passed with a
majority and it is just that simple.”
Brother Jim Butler, a long-standing member of
40-years shouted, “Well I never! We’ll
see about this.” And sure enough, the matter quickly went from bad to
worse. A petition was put together that very day to stop work on the new
painting. The elders were not sure what to do, never having crossed this bridge
before. Finally, against their better judgment, they decided to buckle to the
pressure and hold a second business meeting, two weeks from that Sunday.
Well I can tell you the phone lines were
busy over the next two weeks. People lined up on both sides of the question.
With every passing day the emotions got more intense until by the time the
meeting rolled around the air in that room was so thick you could have cut it
with a knife.
The poor elders and deacons were a bundle
of nerves. They knew that this was not the way to do business since the
decision had already been legitimately made. However, the church happened to be
between pastors right then, and their elderly Interim Pastor, Rev. Saunders,
was in the hospital suffering from a broken hip, so he was no help.
Moderator Bill Johnson opened the meeting
with prayer then explained in a tremulous voice why they were there. He opened
the floor for discussion and that is when the sparks really started to fly.
Some were adamant that it just was not right to paint over that wonderful work
of art. Others argued that it was old, and faded, and was lousy artwork to
begin with and should have been replaced years ago. Poor Brian Smith felt
caught in the middle. He stood up and apologized and offered to do his best to repair
the old painting if that is what they wanted. He said that he could probably
take off the new paint and repair the damage he had done. He said that he had
not meant to create division in the church. It was obvious that he was sad and troubled
because several people had already unloaded on him on the phone, telling him
what they thought of his lack of sensitivity to the feelings of others.
Finally, Sister Emily Lightfoot, who at 87
years of age was one of the oldest members of the church and was known by all
to be a wise and godly woman, rose to her feet. She had heard enough. She
leaned heavily on her cane as she spoke in a voice so soft and low that people in
the back had to cup their ears to hear her. She said, “Friends, I have been a part of this congregation since I was a young
girl. I accepted Christ in this very room. I knew Ruby, the lady that painted
that picture in the baptistery. In fact, she was the one who led me to Jesus. I
have known most of you since you were born. Now it breaks my heart to see what
is happening here. Sister Ruby would be aghast if she were still alive to hear
us fighting over her picture. She painted that as a love-gift to the church and
to the Lord. But if she were here, she would tell you that none of this is
really about that old painting. The real question is whether we are going to
let something as stupid and insignificant as this drive a wedge between us and
rip our church apart. She would tell you that there are evil forces at work
here wanting to destroy this church.”
She paused for a moment to catch her
breath. Then she went on. “I know that
some of you feel very strongly one way or another about this issue, but what is
missing here is perspective. This is not about that old painting, or about the
new painting that Brother Brian has so kindly offered to do for us.”
Then she reached down into her big purse
and pulled out her Bible. It was not her big old King James Bible that she
loved so much. At her age that one was too heavy to carry in her purse anymore.
But her youngest daughter, Pauline, had given her a large-print NASV for her
last birthday and that was what she opened. She said, “I think this is what we need to hear right now. Ephesians 4:1-3 – ‘Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk
in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility
and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to
preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ Verse 27 says: ‘And do not give the devil an opportunity.’ Then
verses 31-32, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger
and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to
one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also
has forgiven you.” Then she shuffled through the pages and said, “This is Philippians 2:2-5” – ‘Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining
the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from
selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as
more important than yourselves; 4 do
not merely look out for your
own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude
in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.’ And just one more. Listen
to Romans 12:10-16 – ‘Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to
one another in honour; 11 not
lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope,
persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints,
practicing hospitality. 14 Bless
those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those
who weep. 16 Be
of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind but associate
with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.’”
The she gently closed her Bible. As she
looked up everyone in the room saw that she had tears in her eyes. It took a
moment for her to collect her emotions. Then with a quavering voice she said, “I love this church and I love you folks.
But I must tell you that this quarrel is not about paintings, old or new. It is
about power, and pride, and control, and getting our own way. It is a test…a
test of the glue that binds us together. Can’t you see that? Whether that old
painting stays or goes means nothing. What is important is whether we quit our
bickering and pull together so that the Lord wins the victory, or whether we
insist on having our own way and pulling the church apart, giving the devil the
very thing he wants most.”
After she looked around the room one more
time, with tears streaming down her face, Sister Emily slowly sat back down in
her chair, bowed her head, and began to pray silently. You could have heard a
pin drop in the room. Slowly, one by one, without saying a word people began to
stand and move silently toward the doors. Sister Emily just continued to sit
there praying.
When she looked up, Brian Smith was
standing by her. He said, “Mrs.
Lightfoot, can Bonnie and I give you a lift home? It is no trouble.” But
she said, “No Brian. I think I would
rather walk. I only live a block from here. But thank you for the offer. You are
truly kind.”
As they shut off the lights and locked the door,
they said a final “Good night” and headed for home. However, no one noticed a
lone figure in the darkest corner of the parking lot, leaning against a tree
with his long arms folded across his chest. He was cloaked in a long dark
overcoat and wearing a black fedora. He smiled to himself and mumbled under his
fetid breath, “Well, well! So, this will
be very interesting. Finally, I have them where I want them. I wonder what they
will do now.” With that, he disappeared into the night.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
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