Tear Down the High Places
The Bible talks about the “high places” throughout Israel’s monarchical history. These were locations outside of the Jerusalem Temple where Israelites went to offer sacrifices and worship, often intermingling Canaanite idolatry with the worship of the Lord. They were originally built by Solomon during his latter reign, as he grew more and more pluralistic.
An interesting thing about these high places is the way even some good kings leave them be. Kings as good as Asa, whose heart was “wholly true to the Lord all his days,” did not remove the high places (1 Kings 15:14). Jehoshaphat and Jotham did “what was right in the sight of the Lord,” and, “Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places” (1 Kings 22:43; 2 Kings 15:34-35). These stubborn centers of idolatry were a perpetual stain in Israelite worship.
Overall, high places plagued Israel off-and-on right up until the exile. The list of those who had the courage and wisdom to remove them for a generation is short. Only kings Hezekiah and Josiah tore them down (2 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 23:19).
What are the high places in your church?
Could we say we have our own “high places,” stubborn corporate sins that remain for generations with no one willing to remove them, in our local churches? Dare we say, many faithful pastors even serve out their entire tenure, preaching the Word and ministering faithfully, yet keeping at arms-length these ecclesiastical high places?
What are they? It depends on the church. For some, it might be subtle racism or classism among the members, perhaps so subtle it is not said out loud but merely understood that their church is not for “those types of people.” Perhaps it is a program or ministry that has become an untouchable clique and a kingdom unto itself.
It could be a theological issue, a constitutional tradition or a worship custom that has gotten in the way of biblical ministry and mission and none are willing to give it up. For example, I recently heard a church with a bylaw clause that forbade non-members from using the church facility, even for a funeral mercy meal, which hindered outreach to neighbors.
It may be a financial practice, a budgetary line item or inflated account, that is unhealthy and self-serving rather than kingdom-minded. Could it be pastors are unwilling to preach on giving and generosity, knowing that the congregation is not tithing and don’t want to hear about it? It might be kowtowing to big donors who no longer attend, but no one holds them to account. It is often related to the facility: a room that must remain a museum, while the teenagers have no place to meet, or unhelpful sanctuary décor that is a sacred cow no one will slaughter.
How do we tear them down?
To identify the high places takes wisdom. To rightly diagnose these issues will likely take some time. You don’t want to wrongly assume something is sickly, when in reality there is a healthy reason why a practice or a custom exists. Tactical patience in ministry is a real thing. If you are a new pastor, it is likely wise to give it a few years (or ten) before you start tackling these issues.
To be willing to tear them down also takes courage. Some problems are easy to fix, others are stubborn and hard to uproot. It will take perseverance and boldness to clear the soil. There is a time when a pastor needs to say, “Come what may, consequences be what they will be, I am going to fix this issue even if it costs me my position here.”
What are your church’s “high places?” You may be a good pastor and never touch them, as good of a pastor as Asa was a king. But the Josiah-like pastor will do what is needed to tear these temples down.
Rick Harrington is a pastor at First Baptist Church - Haverhill in Massachusetts and the Provost of the (upcoming) BCNE Multiplication Center. He is the author of the books "How to Find a Church: Seven Steps to Becoming Part of a Spiritual Family" and "The Weight of Preaching: Heralding the Gospel of Grace".
