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Originally Posted by Neogillist  Quote:
Originally Posted by Neogillist Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad I have only witnessed excommunication once, and that very recently. It was announced in the midst of the sermon. Isn't excommunication both an act of love for the offending member AND a warning to the congregation? And since when should we design our worship to not 'scare' visiting non-believers? If that were true we'd never mention blood or sacrifice, either. | To announce an excommunication in the midst of the sermon is both silly, and inappropriate in my opinion; probably the icing that an angry preacher would want to add to his sermon when it was designed specifically for that intent. Infact, I have heard something a lot worse being done with even more melodrama in a Vineyard church here in Edmonton, when an impudent attendee rose on his chair during the sermon and started denouncing the preaching. The pastor responded by telling him to leave the church and never to return. This type of informal and immediate excommunication is not surprising to observe in heretical Pentecostalist churches, where every professor, and especially the pastor will think himself to possess the gift of prophecy and tell truth apart from falsehood, or even to "deliver someone to Satan" as the apostle Paul did. | Brad, I just noticed that you attend a PCA church, and so I trust that your pastor probably did the excommunication in the most orderly and loving way. I believe the PCA is a good denomination. Sorry about my presuppositions. |
This being the first I'd ever witnessed, it did come as a surprise, but it was done in the midst of an expository sermon to which the situation was applicable. And the sermon was part of a continuing exposition of the book of Judges. I believe it was likely something agreed upon and planned by the entire Session. The excommunication was apparently something that had taken, as it ought, a great deal of time and consideration, since the person was unknown to me, and I've been attending this Church for a couple of years.
I was just impressed that a PCA Session would have the courage to actually excommunicate someone, rather than hide behind the feeble chapters of the BCO and break out their eraser. Your esteem of the PCA is appreciated, if not completely shared, by this member. I believe there are faithful pockets, but for the most part the denom seems to be slouching towards compromise and syncretism, and very weak and cowardly leadership. What a sorrow, but fodder for another thread.