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A couple of weeks ago, a Minnesota Church service was interupted by a mob of people protesting the presence and activity of ICE in the community, targeting the church because they had become aware that one of the lay or paid pastors or elders (it is unclear what the status was) was currently employed as the assistant direct of the ICE Field office.  

There are all kinds of legal and constitutional questions about the nature of the prortest, location of the protest and the actions of some of the protestors.  Grown men and women were shouting down worshippers in the pews, frightening children, preventing parents and the elderly from leaving the building.  It is only by God's grace that this action did not become violent.  

In watching numerous videos from the events that day I was so thankful for the calm, gracious and measured response of the lead pastor of this church.  While I am no legal expert, it seems to me that the protestors, in their attempt to exercise their first ammendment right to protest, over stepped and violated the first amendment rights of others to worship freely.  While they were present at a service open to anyone, they also appeared to be tresspassing when they were asked to leave and refused to do so.  I am thankful that the department of Justice has pursued legal action against some of the protestors.  Regardless of one's opinion about the work of ICE currently, a decision to interupt a religious gathering of any kind is overstepping. 

There are many who have rightly observed that if this had happened to a mosque or in a predominantly black or minority church the outcry for justice would have been overwhelming.  As it should be.  It is also true that if this had happened in Texas, it is very likely that a church security team or a conceal and carry soccer mom might have might have erupted in gun fire.  

The leaders of Missio Church have had a long standing security policy to help address anyone, for any reason, who might come into our building that could pose a physical threat to our men, women and children. While we had not specifically considered angry protestors entering our serivce, we believe our policy would have appropraitely addressed the problem in much the same way that the church in Minnesota did.  

We take the safety, security and well being of eveyrone in our church very seriously.  At the same time our church is open to anyone who would want to come, sit, listen, learn, ask questions, worship & dialogue withe us about the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it truly changes everything not just for us but the whole world.   While such an interuption would not be ideal, it would still provide us with an opporutnity to share the love of Jesus, the message of Jesus, the hope of Jesus with those who need to hear it. 

As a church it is apropriate for us to want to show mercy and grace to those who offend or harm us - Jesus commands us to turn the other cheek and to know that because he was persecuted and hated, we too will be persecuted and hated.  It is also appropriate to ask the legal authorities to pursue justice when laws have been violated.  But remember, there may come a time, like the first 300 years of church history, when the legal system is not our friend and is not interested in standing for justice of any kind.  There may be a time when interuptions to our worship may be celebrated.  But that is ok - we don't need to be angry - Jesus said it would happen - so we take up our cross, we follow in his sufferings and keep our hope fixed the one who died and rose again.  The world can shout us down, they can interupt our gatherings, they can even try to take our lives - but they can not seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord - no matter how hard they try!