Cyclical Church

An African pastor told me recently that a Church is like a fruit tree. Every now and then the tree shakes, and some of the fruit drops off -- then new fruit ripens. That is, there's a commotion of some sort in the Church, members drop away, and the cycle repeats. He said that it is a divine separating out. I myself have called it a revealing of hearts. OBSERVATION: In other words, it is a normal cycle in the Church, where some would think it abnormal.