… having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. – 2 Timothy 3:5

Today's Scripture Reading (May 3, 2021): 2 Timothy 3

John Nelson Canning was a Pentecostal Minister in Maine. He was accused of embezzlement in Maine and decided to move to Florida, where he once again took up a position as a pastor in a small, interdenominational church. At his church in Florida in 1988, he had the opportunity to perform the wedding of two octogenarians who attended his church, Leo and Hazel Gleese. In 1988,  the couple was in relatively good health, but by 1994, now in their 90s, both Leo and Hazel were experiencing significant health struggles.

At this time, Canning promised to care for the couple, and they gave him their "Power of Attorney" over their affairs. Soon after Canning took over the couple's finances, Hazel noticed that thousands of dollars were missing from their accounts. The couple then confronted Rev. Canning with their accusations. As a result of that confrontation, on January 2, 1995, Rev. Canning entered the couple's home and proceeded to beat and choke Leo and Hazel Gleese to death.

At the couple's funeral, Canning gave the eulogy, saying that the Gleese's were like parents to him. Soon after the funeral, Rev. John Canning was arrested and then convicted for the murder of the Gleese's. Phil Ramer, a Law Enforcement agent in Florida, remarked, "it's the most despicable thing I've ever heard of. Of all people in the world you should be able to trust, it's your pastor. They couldn't do it in this case, and he wound up killing them."

Paul warns that "in the last days" that there will be people who have the form of godliness, but not the power. It seems like Paul was describing people like John Nelson Canning. He held a position of trust and was clothed with the faith, but it was all just window dressing. He went through the motions, pretending to be "in Christ" and a teacher of Christian values, but the reality was that his faith had made no difference in his life. His sinful inclinations still gripped him, and the power of Christ was not in him.

The story of John Nelson Canning is a cautionary tale. His is an extreme form of a condition that exists in many churches in our world. People often come into our churches dressed in their "Sunday best" and spouting Christian belief, but it is still just window-dressing. They maintain the form of Christianity, but not the power of God in their lives.

Paul cautions Timothy to have nothing to do with these people. And the reason is two-fold. First, as the Gleese's discovered, these people can gain our trust only to cause significant harm to both us and our ministries. But association with these people can also often produce the idea that all we have to do is pretend to be Christian to be saved. This pretense is the danger of a theology that purports that we should "fake it until we make it." In the end, we come to believe that faking it is all that we need to do, and in fact, is all that everyone else around us in the Christian community is doing.  In the aftermath of our pretending, authentic Christianity dies.

Our world does not need more pretend Christians. They need the real thing. And real Christians have both the form and the power of Christ in their lives. And as a result, they are world changers.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 4

Personal Note: Today is my Grandmother's birthday. She is an extraordinary lady who turns 106 on this day.