THE  SHUNNING

November 24, 2003

By Rene V. Parault

Having just come back from ministry in Penna. and NY and observing a religious sect up there in that part of the country, I have come across a word, not used much by most of us, but the word is "shunning".  The word means, "to keep clear of", "to avoid".  Some of these religious groups use that behavior of avoidance when their own do not meet their set standard, or break their set rules. They don't speak to them, write them, notice them, in other words, they ignore them as though they were not around.

I have never thought of that word in that way or in the Christian realm, except when I recently saw such behavior towards some Christians who were shunned by church people; those that were close to them and are now distant and apart.  Some have not realized as the Body of Christ, that we are all members in particular. Eph. 4:25 "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another."   We have been bought with a price, the price of the blood of Jesus, and have been baptized into the family of God.  This means we are now united by faith and grace in Jesus and are part of this immense family, which is worldwide.  Only when you travel extensively can you see the Body of Christ in many locations with different languages and colors of skin. The Lord gave me a song once, in part it said, "We see no color, race, nor creed, we only see our unity."  We see this word "shunning" in reality is much of the behavior in the Body of Christ today, it is called rejection.

According to the Word of God, we are to be in the ministry of reconciliation, the ministry of forgiveness and looking for our brethren to be reconciled to us, always through the blood of Jesus Christ. II Cor. 5:18, 19.  "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;" I Cor. 12:13,14, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.  For the body is not one member, but many."  But we have all experienced the fragmentation of the church, the splits, the departures of brethren, and we have all! experience the word, "shunning."  Maybe we have been a part of that kind of behavior, and maybe we have been on the receiving end of that kind of behavior.  If we have been a part of that behavior towards a brother or sister or pastor, we need to repent and go to that one and make restitution

When one leaves a fellowship, have you noticed that few pay any attention to them afterwards? And sometimes the one leaving departs and never picks up the phone to call the ones that they called "their brother or sister."  This they would not do to their own flesh and blood, but to the Body of Christ there is not even remorse.  When some depart, no one calls and asks why?  But their departure is sealed in the minds of those left- they are no longer part of us, so we have the right to "Shun." And as I stated, many times the ones leaving for another place to then sit on some other pew, never call back to give an explanation of why, but when they meet those from the first fellowship, they "shun" them. The sad thing is that these all have eaten at the fellowship table with one another, broken bread with one another, sung Christian songs with one another, prayed for one another, gave words of encouragement to one another, blessed one another, and called each other brother. 

The only times you are to avoid a brother is when he or she is in fornication, adultery, theft, evil deeds and in that you always go to them with witnesses to confront them with the evidence. Then you are to depart from them until they repent and can be reconciled back to the Body of Christ.  Paul spoke this in II Cor. 2:6-10.  In this church, the man who committed fornication with his mother-in-law was to eventually be restored.  Reconciliation is keeping the bond of unity. When there are issues between the brethren, you go and let the brethren know what the problem is so that you can pray with each other to keep the bond of unity. Eph. 4:3, "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." 

I firmly believe in the church at large, that when one departs from the local assembly to go to another, they should have a letter of recommendation from the elders or pastors to bless them onward to their new location.  This would put an end to the church hopping, and also the shunning.  They would depart in gladness of heart.  Many times in the shunning are attitudes in the heart that those who are doing this cannot see or will not let the Holy Spirit deal with them.  They exalt themselves above all, and feel they are justified in shunning the previous brethren.  How sad, for their accountability will be to God! .  Remember, these are the same ones who praise the Lord and raise their hands and holler the loudest in the church meetings.  These are those who want to hold positions, but their hearts are declared in their attitude of "shunning."  We are in the day that everything in the darkness will be brought to the light.

One last thing:  When the shunning takes place, and those that have been shunned try to make restitution to their brother and sister, and come in meekness of spirit, and are still not received.  All they can then do is pray and go on.  God will deal with the stubborn heart that has rejected the ways of reconciliation. 

The scripture is very clear on how to behave in the House of God.  It is not many houses, but one house worldwide. You don't behave one way in one fellowship, and then another way in another.   God sees us as one body, one church, and one people.  Is there a need for repentance on your part for partaking of such bad behavior on behalf of the brethren?  Are there those that you prayed with and called your sister or brother and now you don't even think of them let alone talk with them?  You "shun" them?  Will this behavior place you in God's kingdom to do His work, or will ! you pretend to be someone you are not, and your work will be as wood, hay and stubble?  This is your choice, and your most prominent ministry is the ministry of reconciliation.  Thank about it!

There is more that could be said about "The Shunning" but this will do for now.

 Rene V. Parault

Son Rise Ministries

E-mail:  sonrise08@hotmail.com