CHURCH DISCIPLINE

What is your first reaction when you hear the phrase "church discipline?" I would really like to know.

I usually grit my teeth when I hear it mentioned. The image my mind dredges up is one of a hyper-conservative group of men in black suits, frowning with disapproval on the mis-steps of an erring member. The erring member, in my mind, is really not all that bad. I don' t like to think about church discipline.

My mom came across an interesting article on the subject tonight. The writer, Albert Mohler, is president of the Southern Baptist Seminary and is deeply concerned about the abscence of discipline in mainline Protestant and Evangelical churches. Good food for thought.