Be Still And Know

READ: 2 Corinthians 7: 8-9 NLT I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. Early on in my ministry one of the most spiritual and sensitive members of the congregation said to me, “Very little truth is spoken in this church.” I was quite shocked by this statement and thought a great deal about it. As I did so I came to realise that she was absolutely right. It was a very happy church and it was growing strongly but our relationships were mainly very superficial. We were all extremely friendly with one another but to be honest we didn’t talk much about the challenges and tensions that we were facing. We carefully avoided the sharp edges of truth. However, if we are truly to grow as churches there needs to be a great deal of honesty and a willingness to speak the truth in love. Paul had shared a lot of truth w