Posted on 07/06/2013 8:46:42 AM PDT by don-o
Fun times at the Immanuel Baptist Church of Skiatook, Oklahoma.
Recent video shows pastor Jim Standridge throwing what can only be described as an uncomfortably epic hissy-fit upon discovering one of his younger churchgoers had fallen asleep during his sermon.
“Don’t you go to sleep while I’m talking?” Standridge said from his pulpit, looking directly at the snoozing churchgoer. “Hey! Hey! Don’t you lay your head back!”
“I’m important. I’m somebody,” the pastor continued as he stepped down from the pulpit and walked directly over to the unidentified sleepy male. “You may do your English teacher that way, but I’m not here teaching English. I’m teaching eternal life.” Standridge walked over to the man, stood over him, and sternly told him: “You stay awake and you listen to me.”
Instead of returning to his pulpit to continue the sermon, however, Standridge then took the opportunity to berate other churchgoers who’ve run afoul of him lately.
(Excerpt) Read more at mediaite.com ...
This. I know folks who pull a double and walk into church in the morning on the way to pulling another double. Done it myself.
I was tired, and exhausted, but I was there. I’ve fallen asleep during sermons before.
But I love how the drop out generation says its gotta be ‘xbox’.
” ... he wasn’t hurting anyone.”
Except the Pastor’s ego. IMHO, the Holy Spirit was at work here.
Bingo!
I mean if you can't go to church and stay awake... then just stay home. That's just me.
At one point he said: “And I noticed on the calendar I’m supposed to marry y’all.
What makes you think I would marry you? You’re one of the sorriest church members I have.”
Your concern, Screecher, is that that 'carnal world' is where those who need dragging out of the fire, and into the Kingdom dwell; your concern should b to bring them in, not drive them farther away in the 'carnal world.
As a matter of fact, you should be preaching salvation and forgiveness to THEM, as it is a sin to continue preaching that "milk" message to the saved, instead of feeding them meat, according to Paul.
“You can’t get this in any other church in town,” he told the crowd, explaining that if they don’t “want” him as pastor, he and his assistant can sell off the place of worship and move on down the road to some “podunk church.”
“Stay with me! Don’t quit me!” he shouted at individual attendees.
It isn't "your" church, Screecher; it is supposed to be Christ's church, no matter who holds an earthly deed to the land it sits on.
In a day and age where preachers are afraid to offend anyone because their more concerned about the churches income than they are peoples relationship with God.... this was pretty refreshing.
I watched the first ten minutes of the sermon, and will go back to see the balance when I get some time later...as you say; refreshing.
The Apostle Paul’s sermon actually killed one young man!
(Acts 20:9)
The problem is that the pastor thinks he is important, when it is the word of God that is.
A symptom of pastoral burn-out. He needs a vacation.
Let’s all meet up next Sunday, sit in the front and pretend to fall asleep.
I’ll be the guy in PJs and carrying a teddy bear...
He needs a vacation from all of the Tares in his church. From the fake hypocrites who are there with an agenda. I’m speaking as someone who has spent his entire life in church. I know where he’s coming from.
in one congregation I used to attend
the elements of the service had an opening song, opening comments by the minister, a prayer, a song sung by the whole congregation which remained standing at the end, another prayer, and then everyone greeting their neighbors in the pews
then some annoucements, if needed
then the small children and their teachers left for their sunday school classes
then sunday’s talk began, with no children below teenage present
you have to respect small children’s immaturity
telling them to “behave like little adults” in some situations is neither always productive or the right thing to do
a structured class environment is more conducive to their religious education than listening to an adult’s sermon, which is quite often filled with a lot of adult terms and understanding that is simply, often, over little kids heads
something, in addition to his ego, is wrong with that pastor
I would have gotten to my feet and walked out, leaving him to backstab yet another person, only this time behind someone’s back. This man has some serious personality issues!!! (i.e. narcissism??)
You’re not “under the law” until you break God’s law, then the penalty for sin is death (unless and until you repent of it)
* The preacher is lucky the sleeper didn’t respond by saying, “It’s your job to keep us awake.” *
” Right, aimhigh
Even the apostles fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane ... and Jesus did not rant at them “
______
Actually, Jesus kind of did...
40And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter,
“So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?41“Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.”43Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.44And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.45Then He came to the disciples and said to them,
“Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.46“Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”
I would say Jesus certainly expressed His disappointment. May not have gotten “personal” like the pastor in question did, but certainly gave the disciples correction.
As a pastor myself, I both sympathize with and cringe at what this pastor did. Not to say I’ve had many fall asleep, but kids playing on their cell phones, cell phones ringing, or even one time someone answering the call and walking out of their seat to the hallway to take the call.
People really should hold that time as precious and sacred. They give everything and everyone else all the time in the world the rest of the week, but can’t give a preacher offering the Word of God just 40 mins./more-less of their time once a week.
I have asked politely or made passing jokes whenever a cell phone has ringed, but it can be frustrating though. I really can’t imagine anyone doing this when I was growing up to my home church’s pastor. Today however, clergy are becoming less and less respected.
The pastor was wrong in calling out the groom-to-be, as it just seemed like it was tacked on to a raging rant rather than being mere “Biblical accountability”.
In our church the Elders watch for signs of pastoral stress and take steps to de-fuse them before they lead to burn-out. Our pastor has been minister of our church since 1987.
No, the Bible itself says this is not the way to do it. We’re not arrogant, hypocritical or smugly self-righteous because we object to his self centered public rantings.
Cool! I like that.
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