Who's reputation are we talking about here?

I just spoke to someone from my church and they told me the sermon Sunday was all about "being of good reputation." It was basically a "I'm going to beat the congregation up because they don't measure up" sermon. From what I was told, he kept telling people that if they get angry, if they complain, if they are upset, if someone doesn't like them, then they aren't measuring up to God's standard. Christians are supposed to have such a wonderful reputation that people can't find any fault in them.

Funny, my bible says that Jesus was a man of "no reputation." From what I understand he got angry, he complained, he got upset, people didn't like him, and yet he was the only one who "measured up."

Of course, because I never did fit the foremost requirement of having money or status, I never had a "good" reputation with this "pastor." And then, when I gave my "professional" opinion and it didn't whole-heartedly and without reservation support a specific staff person, I sealed my fate. I, of course, believed the bible and that because we are all part of the Body, it would all "work together for good." Instead, the staff spent the following three years watching me and warning anyone that I served with to watch out for me and to report back to them anything that appeared remotely negative. So, I couldn't even have an expression of concentration on my face without being told "You looked at me wrong!"

So, I have a "bad" reputation. Never mind that I am well respected in my field, in my job at another church, in my family and community. Years were spent making sure my "reputation" would never be good in my own church. And I kept believing that "all things work together for good." I'm not so sure that's true in this life anymore.

Florence