I AM NOT BEING FED

I have never understood why some people leave a congregation declaring, “I’m not being fed.” What does that mean? Are things too challenging and the preaching and teaching over their heads? Are the preaching and teaching so simplistic that they do not challenge enough?

How does one understand being fed? What is the responsibility of the person for their own feeding? Is being fed a passive or active experience? One can be fed by a feeding tube. If a person is having ongoing and serious trouble swallowing and can't get enough food or liquids by mouth, a feeding tube may be put directly into the stomach through the abdominal skin. This procedure is called a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). (http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/feeding-tube-placement) A feeding tube is totally passive. The person, except for the processes in the digestive track, is not actively involved in the process of being fed.

For John Calvin, the first mark by which we may know the true church is Whenever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard” (Institutes, 4.1.9), this is where the true visible church is found. The preacher has the responsibility of presenting the Word in the most honest and faithful way possible. It is a task not to be taken lightly. On the other hand, hearing the preached Word is an awesome responsibility. As the preacher has to spend effort in preparing to preach, the congregation has a responsibility to spend effort in preparation to hear the proclaimed word.

Have the people prepared their hearts, minds and souls to hear the proclamation of the Word? I have seen, and experienced, the mad rush of Sunday mornings of trying to get the children up, dressed, fed, and out the door in time to gather for Sunday school and worship. By the time some folks get to church their morning has been a whirlwind of activity. There has been no time to read the Scriptures for the day, if they are known ahead of arriving, or to center oneself in prayer. When I was a pastor, I was glad to see the fellowship among folks before worship began. My preference was to have the prelude after the call to worship. This was an intentional time for them to quieten and to center themselves for worship.

Preaching and hearing the proclamation of the Word is a two-way communication loop. There is the broadcast (speaking) and there is the receiving (hearing). The preacher is responsible for the quality and content of the broadcast. It has to be in a form appropriate to the congregation. The Apostle faced that struggle. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready, 1^st Corinthians 3:2. Sometimes it is necessary to “bottle feed,” or “spoon feed” the congregation.

In order to properly receive the broadcast, the ears, heart and soul of the hears, like a radio, need to be tuned to the proper sending station. Do they arrive in a spirit of expectation of tuning into God? Do they expect the preacher to be the instrument through which God speaks? As the Apostle asks, How then can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? (Romans 10:14)

If one declares, “I am not being fed,” could it be they are refusing to eat?