Judgment
Worship
Old Wine In New Skins
Calls To Worship And Other Worship Resources
In our pluralistic society, we're told not to judge one
another. We say, "My God is not your God; my moral values are not
yours. You have no right to judge my moral activities by your
value system." And yet, we cannot live in community, even as
spiritual pluralists, without making judgments about one
another's social and moral activities and either restraining
them, or responding with help. The bigger problem with judgment
than that activity itself is that we often link judgment with
angry censure. Creative judging is done with a broken heart
rather than with anger. It acknowledges the damage that sin has
done to the sinner, even as it seeks to redress the injury done
to others. The father yearned for the prodigal's return with a
broken heart, not with anger. So, though judgment was required,
restoration was assured.
another. We say, "My God is not your God; my moral values are not
yours. You have no right to judge my moral activities by your
value system." And yet, we cannot live in community, even as
spiritual pluralists, without making judgments about one
another's social and moral activities and either restraining
them, or responding with help. The bigger problem with judgment
than that activity itself is that we often link judgment with
angry censure. Creative judging is done with a broken heart
rather than with anger. It acknowledges the damage that sin has
done to the sinner, even as it seeks to redress the injury done
to others. The father yearned for the prodigal's return with a
broken heart, not with anger. So, though judgment was required,
restoration was assured.
