DON C. SCHNEIDER

'M SORRY; REALLY SORRY!

I hope you'll accept this apology. I'm not just speaking for myself; I'm speaking for the entire Adventist family here in North America--all of us. We're sorry that we hurt you. Just now I'm not even sure how it happened; but I know that it did happen, because we haven't seen you in church lately--and we feel terrible about it.

On many Sabbaths only a half to two thirds of us are in church. There must be a reason that so many aren't there; often it's because they've been hurt in some way. Are you one of them?

Was it something we said? We are truly sorry that our words hurt you, and we'd love for you to give us another chance.

Or was it the way we said it? We were wrong if we said things in an unkind way, or if we weren't Christlike when we spoke. Please forgive us.

Were our worship services less than interesting or lacking in meaning? Is it that we didn't let Jesus' true beauty shine through our services? Did you not sense God's presence? You have a point. Sometimes we haven't put enough effort into giving God our best in worship. Sometimes we've just hurriedly pulled together a program without a lot of thought. Sometimes we, as worship leaders, have not entered into the spirit of worship ourselves. Won't you come back and help us honor God with a true spirit of worship?

Was it a sermon presented by the pastor (or a church leader)? I'm a pastor; I try to make my sermons helpful, worshipful, and interesting. However, I have to confess that with a little more effort, just a closer walk with God each day, my sermons, and those of my colleagues, could present God's Word more effectively, with deeper, more heartfelt passion. We'd like another chance to speak when you're present among the other worshipers.

Did something go wrong during your academy or college years? I know from experience that can happen; I've felt that pain myself. I'm not going to defend what happened; I'm simply telling you that I'm sorry. You see, as one of the leaders of the church in North America, I'm responsible for what happens in our churches and schools. And since it is my responsibility to see that things are done right before God, and make them valuable for you, it falls to me to apologize when we don't live up to people's expectations. I wish I could guarantee that mistakes and misunderstandings would never happen again, but I don't know how to do that. But this I can say: None of us deliberately do anything that would hurt you and keep you from being in church with us every Sabbath.

Did you feel unaccepted--maybe because of the way you were dressed? Perhaps you caught us with a condemning look on our face, condemning words on our tongue. Did one of us speak to you in a condescending, self-righteous attitude? True, we need to help each other grow in Jesus, but sometimes we've been so busy looking at the flaws in each other that we haven't been focusing on Jesus. I wish I could say we never take our eyes off Christ, but I know it isn't true. We are so sorry.

Yes, we are sorry we have brought you distress. And we want to change our own ways. I'm making a renewed commitment to look to Jesus, to invite others to focus on Him. And I'm inviting my fellow members to make that same commitment. Come be a part of this family that is growing in Jesus. Come help us focus on Him. This time we'll try to take care of the two-by-four in our own eyes before we try to help you with the splinter that may be in yours. Won't you come back?

And when you come, bring this issue of the Adventist Review with you. Tell us that our apology touched your heart, and help us do better. We'd love to greet you at church this Sabbath.

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Don C. Schneider is president of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.