Church problems

Yesterday, there was like one of the worst sermons I have ever heard. The whole sermon was about Buddhism rather than Christianity. A friend of mine suggested writing a letter to complain about the preacher. He was a retired pastor from another church. I told her I think the sermon is bad, but I doubt if that's a useful or wise gesture.

Last night, I talked to another friend. Apparently, there was an attempt to complain our church's chief pastor to the deacon's board. It failed because the letter was written anonymously. The person who told me about this said she'll sign the letter if I write one. Honestly, I wanted to write one too.

We have ALL been very ANGRY about the state of our church and its problems for a long time. Last night, I was seriously considering doing that.

Today, I listened to a sermon given by one of the preachers who had left earlier this year. He preached this particular Bible passage to us last year in our fellowship.

This time, when I heard it, (of course there're lots of new examples, some bad ones from our church, though he did not mention the name of our church...) it's been enlightening to me.

It's about Joshua 5:13-15. Just before Joshua went ahead to Jericho.

The Fall of Jericho (NIV)

13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?"

14 "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"

15 The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

When we serve God, we're serving God, not ourselves. We do things in God's way.

"Are you for us or for our enemies?"
"Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come."

We all worked for God. No one is God's enemy. We should seek God's way in doing this.

And we have to take off our sandals. When we took off our shoes at home, we stayed there, and do not planned to go off in our own way. The same thing when we submit to God. We submit to God and do things His way.

The problem now is whether he's doing things his own way (the pastor I mean), or is it God's way (however unfathomable that is)? And whether if complaining is the best way? Or is it just us doing things in our own way again? What if God is planning something behind all these?