For your people are like those who contend with the priest. Therefore you shall stumble in the day; the prophet also shall stumble with you in the night.
(Hosea 4:4-5 NKJV)
- - - - - - - - - -
I make a great armchair quarterback. On a Sunday afternoon from the comfort of my lazyboy (or a booth at Tully's), before the snap I can see the reads and I know the mismatches. I can spot that open receiver long before the quarterback throws it to the wrong guy. Beyond that, I can see why every bad call is a bad call long before that third instant replay. Just don't ask me why I didn't start Ronnie Brown this week. It is still painful. And certainly don't ask me to suit up.
Sunday afternoon football, in this way, is tapping into a noble and cherished tradition. OK maybe it isn't cherished and it certainly isn't noble, but at least it is a longstanding tradition. For centuries, probably going back to the protestant reformation if not beyond, parishioners (or congregants) have assumed the responsibility of critiquing the priest's (or pastor's) homily (or sermon). The armchair theologian says, "He should have used this verse instead of that to defend his point." The armchair homiletician says, "He is so dry. He really should listen to that guy on the radio to spruce things up a little." The armchair parent will say, "I can't believe he preached on that after the way his little Billy acted in Sunday School class." And the armchair social programmer says, "It figures that he would wait for so and so to be out of town before giving that sermon." From LA to Leningrad, from Portland to Perth and all points between, Sunday afternoons seem to be made for armchair preachers. Just don't ask them to suit up.
- - - - - - - - - -
Now I know that there is a role for the prophetic. Hosea himself includes the priests in this indictment just a few verses down. Beyond that, some of the harshest words Jesus spoke were directed against the spiritual leaders of Israel. So there is a time and a way to speak out against those in leadership who are wrong. But before doing so I must consider two things:
1) Do I have a mandate from God? I love First Assembly. There are many advantages I have from my Bible School education, my Bible reading and memorization, and my other reading. One disadvantage is that I've developed a bad habit of mentally playing the armchair theologian. Pastor Brandon makes this a very difficult habit to maintain. However, when I am out of town or for some reason visiting another church, it is almost a given that at least once or twice I'm going to mentally cringe at something said or the way a verse is misused. But it is not my place. So I plaster a smile to my face, keep my thoughts to myself, and go on my merry way. After all, until we all get to heaven and know the truth fully, we're all heretics to one degree or another.
2) Am I seeking to correct or to criticize? What are my motivations? So, I see or hear something that is wrong and I feel the need to speak out. Why? The need to correct is born from a love of truth. The need to criticize is born from a love of self. Correcting seeks to bring the one erring to a higher understanding. Criticizing merely wishes to tear him down. Correcting is taking from my knowledge for others benefit. Criticizing is taking for my glory others well wishes. Correcting is getting in the game. Criticizing is playing armchair quarterback.
Here's the hard part. I'd rather try to do neither. In fact, as I suppress my desire to criticize, it becomes easy to avoid correcting anyone, too. So in moving from one extreme, I end up in another. So, my fellow armchair quarterback, what shall we do to avoid the other extreme? (smile)
