Excerpt, The Sin of Spiritual Plagiarism
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Whether you’re surfing the web about goings-on in the church today or casually engaging in conversations with experienced leaders in the body of Christ, the mere search on the Internet or mention of the term “plagiarism” in connection with the congregation initiates a string of editorials online and long, in-depth discussions concerning the state of the congregation today.
On one side of the discussion, leaders talk about how the Internet has made today’s ministers lazy and trapped them in cycles of what some call “borrowing sermon ideas from others” instead of searching the Spirit through their relationship with God for their own unique messages. On the other hand there is this belief that in the present day church, a number of leaders just don’t care – and want the easy way out in their bible studies and Sunday morning services. Then there’s this group of broken believers, those whose lives have been disrupted, and in some instances devastated by the effects of plagiarism among the congregation, who write or record their experiences or share testimonies about how they’ve been affected by the sin of plagiarism.
Regardless of the conversations, we cannot deny that the moral and ethical climate of the church today is at an all-time low. The news media and the web have made it increasingly difficult for anyone to hide their bad or even questionable behavior as it occurs. It has also provided a blindingly bright platform for the congregation to take center-stage amid increasing accusations – some valid and divisive, and others fictitious. It forces us to confront ourselves in the mirror and take a close look at who we view as leaders, truly considering whether or not our motives for ministry are centered upon God’s heart – reconciliation; or an increased man-made focus in hot pursuit of prestige, entitlement and ease in a celebrity driven man-made-ministry environment.
