Frenemies?

The term “Frenemy” is a combination of the words friend and enemy used to describe a person with whom one is friendly, despite a fundamental dislike or rivalry. It may also refer to a person who combines the characteristics of both a friend and an enemy. Frenemy applies to relationships among individuals, groups, or institutions, and unfortunately, the church and its members are no exception.

A pastor was having coffee with a friend when he was asked about his Church membership. “We have eight hundred members,” he said. “How many active members?” the friend asked. “All of them,” the pastor replied. “Half are working with me, the other half are working against me.” He then spelled it out in what he calls a “washbasin theology.”

“In the story of Jesus’ Passion,” he says, “Jesus showed the disciples by His example what to do about His Presence in their lives. He called for a basin and proceeded to wash their feet. When Pontius Pilate had…