Does it bother you, as it bothers me, when people criticize the church?

To take one example, how many times have you heard, "The church is the only army in the world that shoots its wounded"?

That's nonsense. Most congregations I know care for people through disease, divorce, and sexual sin. And even if the accusation is partly true, is the church the only army to shoot its wounded? People who say that must have no contact with business "restructurings," family feuds, lawsuits, and coaches of losing sports teams. In every arena of life people shoot the wounded. The church stands out as one place that doesn't do it as often.

Sometimes people lob shots at individual congregations-usually a megachurch or a church in town of a different theology. Theological differences are worth discussing, but let's have the courage to express our position face to face or in a signed letter, not behind another pastor's back.

Once I was studying Ephesians 5, which compares the relationship ...