NAVIGATIONAL INFORMATION THAT IS USEFUL ...OR JUST USELESS....

Navigating Some STRANGE rather than just interesting Life-Seas .... in sailing, like life, to obtain a periodic and accurate weather reports is an important or valuable tool of navigating the seas! Having facts available for making decisions is important for all of us. In the "life-seas" that surrounds our own spiritual leadership ... we can often confuse what information is really needed. 

Take a look....

http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/insidetrack/31291_Inside-Track-Leg-2-Episode-7.html

COMPLICIT ... With what or WHO?  What do you mean ...COMPLICIT? WHO ? ME ? .... 

by drMSBsr

Matthew 18:15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother."

We can listen to the concerns and complaints or even worse ... "information" - of a sort ...YES! But not about the "weather" or the "equipment" or the "team's" responsibilities and plans, but 'information' about the personal and even the 'private' --- information about matters that are related to one or two of the crew! Yes, the 'crew!' Of course, and ... obviously, this is all meant to be shared in "the utmost confidence" -- right? -- "RIGHT?" --?

Are we "Catholic priests - with some sort of sacerdotal power?" Do we believe that we can "absolve" others of their sin?  Even in the "roll" of so-called "counsellors" or mentors - do we have Biblical authority above others or can we ethically claim to have a right to information that was not first clearly dealt with on a personal and private basis between offended parties? If we are following the Matthew 18 teaching of Jesus on resolving the unresolved disagreements between two others ... are we remaining objective and are we restricting our involvement to those within our own congregation? To ignore these questions could be costly!

GOSSIP... Unconfirmed reports? Unconstrained or casual information about others? Even, allowing some to ask for prayer while they divulge the personal information and details of family and friends can lead to our complicity in gossip. Can any of us claim not to have made this serious mistake? Is this not a sin and should we not ask for forgiveness? We can change our future - and find forgiveness for our past if, first - we recognise that we have been complicit. 

We who are pastors and Christian workers may well be "complicit" ... by not teaching and encouraging an alternate way of thinking. We could become 'complicit' just by "harmlessly listening" ... or taking-in the information of some of those who "confide" in us. Complicit ... by accepting the information rather than stopping this 'traffic.'

Complicit .. by not calling on our friends and 'informers' to rather approach the person that is offending them, but to do so privately. Complicit ... in the error of 'gossip' ... when we do not make every effort to lead others to resolve their issues and matters of disagreement privately.

Mt 18:16 "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church." (nkjv).