Michael Guglielmucci - his or the church’s fault?
I was deeply disappointed with the waves of news I have been hearing. Not that there is anything new under the sun. But first I read that Paul Cain, a greatly gifted modern-day prophet, had admitted to alcoholism and homosexual liaisons, and is now under restoration, though he resisted it initially. That was hard to digest. It was old news but I only got drift of it two months back. Then next I heard Todd Bentley, the main preacher in the current Lakeland Revival in Florida, had separated from his wife. Worse of all, now out of the blue, this incredible news broke in south Australia. Russell Evans, Planetshakers Church pastor, made a statement a few days ago about Michael Guglielmucci, renowned Aussie pastor and songwriter, whose struggle with cancer has been widely publicised, and whose song Healer is featured on the latest Hillsong DVD & CD.
“Michael Guglielmucci has informed us that he does not suffer from cancer, was never diagnosed with cancer, and has never suffered from the disease. This admission has come as a great shock to everyone including his wife and family who had no knowledge of the matter.”
I am concerned because a lot of young people look up to Michael, the pastor, the worship leader, the singer, the composer, the musician. This will be a big test of faith for many. In addition, in Australia, Christianity will be ripped apart by a cynical Australian press and I would feel embarrassed to be a Christian in the hearing of folks conversing about this over beer. As a pastor, I feel sad, bad, frustrated, angry. My job is tough enough as it is - I don’t need more cynicism, disillusionment, scepticism, and disrespect.
Yet why should the church be shocked? Christians, pastors included, are fallen beings. We are people saved by the sheer grace of God and are works in progress. We do fall into temptation and the more public a figure you are, the greater shame the fall causes. Have we all not stretched our statistics and stories, covered up our tracks by witholding information, and told lies intentionally and inadvertently. We hold the stones in our hands, but our own sins keep us from throwing them at Michael Guglielmucci.
Yet discernment, repentance, restitution and discipline is the order of the day for to whom much has been given, much is required. Just this afternoon, someone mentioned to me a verse in Matthew 18 where Jesus warned about not stumbling children for it is better to put a millstone around the neck and throw it into the sea. The same chapter talks about discipline and restoration. We forgive; we pray but we also love through restorative measures.
Sure each man is responsible for his own sin, but I do think the problem is also systemic. The Pentecostal and Charismatic movement have always valued the gifts of the Spirit, especially the spectacular and the glittering. The gifts that astound and the gifts that attract the thousands. We do not celebrate the gifts of mercy and helps but if you have great faith, healing or leadership gifts, or musical-worship talent, you are highly valued and put on a pedestal next to the Godhead. We value gifts over character; the spectacular over substance; and glitter over solid gold. We are so often blinded temporarily by the glitter and shine of great abilities, charisma and anointings that we just simply cannot discern that its just gold plated and what’s inside a man could be just plastic, made in China.
Maybe we are getting what we deserve for we all worship and dance around the Golden Calf of Success. We have baptized Fu Lu Shu and now worship an unholy trinity of Health, Wealth and Success. And it is a success as the world defines it: big budgets, bombastic buildings; great excitement and crowds; stratospheric worship. All this while the Cinderella of holiness, godliness and integrity sits somewhere in the grimy world of day by day living and working and serving, dishevelled and forgotten in a dark attic, waiting for the fairy godmother to restore her centrality in the royal ball. Such a worship inevitably cause leaders to turn a blind eye, rationalized with grace, and partner with highly gifted ministers in huge events, because they can bring the SUCCESS that God’s people crave. Like Aaron of old, we give in to what the people want, even when we know it is not the REAL THING.
Like the people living in Samuel’s time, we plead with God to give us a king when God would rather we bow and look to and depend on the ONLY TRUE KING: LORD JESUS. So we have made our own human kings, put them on pedestals, and when they fall from the giddiness of the heights we have lifted them to, and they fall with a great fall, we fail to see that we had set him up for the fall. We know we have raised another king when instead of saying the Bible says this, or Jesus says this, we say, Pastor so and so says this, or Prophet or Apostle So and so says this……therefore it is true.
Churches must be taking off Michael’s songs off the worship list for Sunday, and will ponder whether to use the other Planetshakers’ songs, at least as a temporary measure. We need to get behind him and pray for him 
and the thousands of young people whose faith will be tested. Satan is working overtime. We hope he has truly repented, and will go through counselling and restoration. We trust the money raised as a result of his illness will be returned to the givers where possible and those impossible to trace could be donated to charity, which was what the church had announced it would do. But whatever else is done, the church must fix her eyes on JESUS the author and finisher of our faith, and like the cherubim above the ark of the covenant, fix her gaze down towards the atonement cover where she sees nothing but the Blood of Jesus, the crimson love.
More information about this can be read, and his bestselling song Healer heard HERE:
32 comments August 22nd, 2008
