How can anyone ever know whether their behavior approaches the expectations of God? When you have consulted the explicit statements of Scripture (“adultery”), the tradition of the Church (women’s ordination is debatable, although I accept it), and godly admonition from Christian leaders, you are left with your personal judgments in the presence of God. This is the shaky ground where we often rationalize and self-deceive. Tricky business.

My “Ichabod” has some anger attached to it because I’m convinced by being present at General Convention the whole time that my church has been hijacked. It won’t be coming back. I’m angry about that.

Is there ever a time when anger is not appropriate just because we would like to be angry?

In other words, how do we discern when anger is appropriate, and ensure that we are not just using the moneychanger story for our own shortcomings?

j

I completely recognize that there are two (and more) versions of Christianity around. There always have been. They are not “the the same Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Yours is an ancient one–Jesus was a moral prophet who did good; we are Christian if we emulate him. The other, that you call “evangelist,” is the moral/service view *based* on the message of the whole NT that Jesus came to do for the world what only God could do–to make all things right in the plan of God, including our reconciliation to God through his death and resurrection. We are Christian when we accept that new life through Christ. We serve on that basis.

I hope you find the true peace of God also.

As for “vitriol,” read again the story (in *all* four gospels) of Jesus overturning the tables of the moneychangers and driving them out of “his Father’s house” with a whip. There is a time for anger. The highjacking of a church is one of those times.