A Discordant String in God's Harp: A Compassionate Approach to Mental Illness in The Church

By Donald Standeford

'A Discordant String in God's Harp' is a book of informative poetic essays, each essay dealing with a different aspect of Poverty or Mental Illness in the Body of Christ. Also discussed are those flatterers, who push their own selves to the top at the expense of weaker Christians who don't possess the social skills to compete with them.When the rich, influential, mentally strong climb up into leadership of the church most people praise them for taking the time and effort to get involved. But this is the beginning of the end. At the beginning of the Christian church the valued members were those who sought the Gifts of the Spirit, 'especially to prophesy.' Today preferred leaders for churches are those who are adept at running successful businesses or famous singers that take over the church choir, or dynamic speakers who look good on television and entertain rather than lead. The church cannot without much effort force their parishioners to put sackcloth on and fast for revival and pray without ceasing. More comfortable is to replace the powerful Gifts of the Holy Spirit with other powers easier to get, understand, and maintain. So the Power Gifts are exchanged for the more visible and practical gifts of huge choirs with flawless entertainers, Christian comedians, Christmas plays that might rival Broadway, all with the added note that Christ will be the center of their gathering together.Since these programs - choirs, entertainers, theatrical performances, and other social events designed to stir up curiosity are more society ordered than God ordered, it logically follows that the prime representatives of society, the business tycoons, toastmaster speakers, smooth talking lawyers, and so many other worldly success story dynamos, would be chosen to run them.Which I suppose is only natural. But if God is in His Heaven, and I am ruling His church here below - Is all right in this world?Donald Standeford

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 179687793X
• ISBN13: 9781796877939
• Release Date: February 2019
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 210 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"