Have you ever been in a situation where you have said something that got totally misunderstood? I remember once some years ago there was a horrible fire in a church in the community where I was serving. This fire burned the centuries old church to the ground. It was a beautiful example of older architecture and the people of the congregation loved the place. The truth, though, was that the congregation was in decline and it seemed like closure of the church was imminent. However, the fire did something. Suddenly, people emerged from everywhere, as the worship services moved across town to the high school gym. The choir grew, attendance surged and this church suddenly, inexplicably, took on a fresh spirit and new life.

One day a year or so after the fire, the chair of the church council wa…