If you don't like it - leave.

Jesus came to bind up the broken hearted and heal the sick - to set the captives free.

What are we doing personally to do this? Anything?

The churches are filled with people who do not pay attention to their own teachings about service to the world. Put the money in the plate and let someone else do that. "You can't expect me to quite my job, do you?"

Well, no. But that's an excuse, not a reason.

There is a lot that can be done to help one another. Hold the door for someone. Help out at a homeless shelter - once, at least. Collect necessities for the homeless. Recruit people to work at a habitat build (if you can't swing a hammer you can recruit). Spend a day visiting others from your church who may be in the hospital or home-bound. Donate clothes to a group like Dressed for Success or the Salvation Army. Buy some groceries for a family who is having a hard time right now. Or (given today's situation) buy gas for someone who needs to get to work or visit a family member.

God did much, much more. And there is much more than we can do. But if all we do as Christians is sit in pews once a week to listen to someone tell us how to make our lives feel better then we're only getting half the message. Salvation is not just about being saved from. It is about being saved to. What are you saved to do?

If this makes you feel uncomfortable - good. If you feel like you need to close this line of thinking, OK. And if you don't like it, leave.

Jesus told the goats that they messed up because they didn't "do" anything. Just knowing who Jesus is, is not enough. We have to live and act what it means to be a disciple of the man who fed thousands, soothed the hurts of many and raised up people who were doers of wrong to recognize that and turn from that way toward a path of doing good and paying back what they took. You can't do that by feel-good messages and how-to sermons.

So, what do you want to say? "Bah!" or "Baa!"
Don't be wondering who the l"east of these" was when the time comes to account for what you've done.

And if you don't like the fact that God is calling us to action instead of pew warming - leave! You're taking up space that someone else can use. Someone who wants to do what God would have him do - live the way God wants her to live.

Who will go?

I did not write the following. However, it bears my sentiments exactly. So, by use of cut and paste, I give you today's devotion from another source. It you are curious, please email me and I'll give you the address of the source. Otherwise, read and think.


"Then I heard the Lord asking, `Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?' And I said, `Lord, I'll go! Send me.' -Isaiah 6:8 (NLT)

God has called you by name. God has chosen you before you were born. God is sending you out into a world that desperately needs him. He is has a mission for you that is a matter of life and death. Will you go?

Here is a young girl whose father beats her, and there is a young man confused by the sexual messages of the world. There is a woman who has no purpose in life. There is a man in the hospital at age 35, stressed out because of the pressures of his job. There is a baby abandoned in an alley. There is an old man sleeping in the streets. There is a young mother struggling to make ends meet. There is a couple who have just lost a child. There is a newlywed couple trying to figure out how to be married. There is a daughter whose only hope of her father's love is to be a soccer player, but her soul craves music. There is a son whose parents are too busy for him. There is a policeman who wonders if God really cares about anything. There is a `cutter' who simply longs to feel accepted and loved.

There is a church whose soul needs to sing the praises of God. There is a community of faith which needs to be the hands and feet of God. There is a small group who needs to know the love of God. There is a committee which needs to catch a passion for the Lord. There is a Sunday School teacher who needs to know "Yes, I can!"

There is a bus driver who needs to know he matters. There is a college student who needs to know God is there. There is a drifter, who needs to know someone knows he's alive. There's a social worker who believes help can really be there. There is a 5 year old who just loves Jesus! There is a coach who wonders if kids will ever learn respect. There is a dance teacher who wishes she had a life she found joy in. There is a person here and here…and there…and there…and there…and they all need to know the love of God and his purpose for them.

There is a world dying of thirst and you have God's life-giving, everlasting water. Will they perish because you did not share the Good News with them? Will those missing from the banquet table of God be lost forever because I thought it's not my job to invite them?The mission is clear. It's only possible if I answer the call, if I say with serious commitment the words – Send me! I'll go! Yes, LORD, I will do it?

A Cup of Cocoa

An oldie but a goodie . . .


A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests cocoa, the professor set out a large pot of cocoa and an assortment of cups (porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite) telling them to help themselves to the cocoa.

When all the students had a cup of cocoa in hand, the professor said, "If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the cocoa. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was cocoa, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups...and then you began eyeing each other's cup.

Now consider this: Life is the cocoa; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the cocoa God has provided us. God brews the cocoa, not the cups....Enjoy your cocoa!

And remember, "The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."

Signposts

My class at church has been reviewing a book and reading various passages of the Bible. During the past weeks we’ve been discussing community. What does it mean to be a Christian Community? How did we get to where we are today – alone or in contact with others? What were some significant benchmarks on the road of your Christian walk that lead to where you are today?

In addition to the individual answers that can be added, my question here is what these mean in a broader community sense. What does it mean to be a Christian Community in the world today (i.e. what sort of example do we as Christians show the world?); How did we get to where we are (i.e. what other communities influenced our own Christian congregations, and the Church as a whole?); who were the significant Christian examples in the past that shaped the Church as it is today; and what are the significant benchmarks in the past years that formed the various congregations, schisms and conglomerates to which we associate?

Christianity has much to be thankful for. There have been great men and women in history who showed us our conscience, shook up our assumptions and lead us forward through controversy. Who are these people today? Do you know them?

Christianity have much to ask forgiveness for. Inquisitions, Crusades, pogroms, and community purity campaigns have shown the intolerance and viciousness of some who think that their actions express/protect their faith. Gamaliel said it best, 2000 years ago; “[I]f this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing, but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God.” Why do we seem to be so concerned about protecting our own rights when we should be preaching the Gospel and protecting the rights of those who cannot protect themselves?

And, Christianity has much to be aspiring to. There is a plan that God has for His people. We need to determine what that is and work to be within that plan. It isn’t our plan – it’s His. If we spend too much time defending ourselves we don’t have time to defend the Gospel. It isn’t about one’s right to practice our faith; it’s about our faith being the right one to practice.

So, how did we get to this point? Did we miss the signposts or ignore them? Or, have we forgotten the signposts that got us here? And then, come to think of it, are we signposts? And if so, to what are we pointing?

The Rich Young Country/Man

I agree that we need to do the "heal the sick, feed the poor" effort. But we cannot ignore the other side of it. I'm not espousing that we get on the street corner with a bull horn but we need to be able to not only meet needs but also provide meaningful worship opportunities as well. There's an outreach to people's basic needs - food and shelter. And yes there is a need for that too. But just as Jesus gave to the poor He also preached the word to the people and gave them the Good News. Paul did the same.

The right-wing Christian groups will not give unless they get the people to commit to a time with them in worship or Bible Study or listening to the soup kitchen songs. They expect to be God's voice to the people. The left-wing Christian groups give it away expecting that God's peace will be implanted and any longing for the word will be through the Holy Spirit's urging. But they tend to forget to be available to be that voice. And, unfortunately, "the rest does not always follow." We cannot expect people to simply give and not be willing to share the Gospel at the same time. And the big question is, if we do one without the other, aren't we "cropping" the Gospel to fit our wants and desires? Yes, we need to work on serving those in the community around us. How big is that community? Where are its borders? There is nothing wrong with helping people in the surrounding community. We need people to do that.

Are we only in the business of providing physical needs and not spiritual needs? If so, then we have no business going to any place where there's money because those people don't need God. But isn't that reverse discrimination? Being willing to help those that are poor but unwilling to provide help to those who have money? And what is it that they both need. It's not physical goods - its spiritual food. That's where evangelism comes in. The Gospel is needed in all corners of the world. This is why it is so hard to get Christianity spread in America. People assume that they don't need it because all it does is help the poor. Once they are no longer poor, they no longer need Christianity.

There is a terrible mindset in place in the western society and it is rooted deeply in the "I have what I need so I don't need God. God is for the poor and those who need a crutch." This is true in the Scripture verse from last Sunday about the rich man. The rich man would not sell what he had because what he had took care of him and comforted him. What Jesus offered was the chance to be a part of his close associates - the few disciples who were his closest friends. The rich man turned away from the spiritual so he could continue to focus on the physical. He was a good man and did good works with what he had but when Jesus offered him more, the rich man turned him down. In too many ways, the American church is like that rich man.

A Fable

There once was a small snail who tried to cross the road. The going was very difficult and, after a few inches decided that it was too dangerous and turned back. Now, on the other side of the road was a pond with water and food and everything that the snail could ever want or need. Still, the snail could not see any way to get across. Slowly, the snail wandered back to the mud puddle from which it came and waited there for the water to dry up. That would surely be the end of the snail.

Then, a duck came along and flew down to the mud puddle. It was a small duck and was interested only in what the mud puddle could offer in the way of a bath and maybe a quick drink.

At first the snail was offended. “What are you doing?” said the snail. “This is my home and this is all that is left to me. If you use this water there will be less for me and I will surely die.”

The duck looked puzzled. It had come for the water. It was only a small spit of water in all the water in the land. Why did this snail want to keep it all for itself? There was so much water after all. The duck replied, “Do not be so stingy. I will share this with you and you will still have water. If you do not let me have the water, I might just eat you!”

The snail was much, much smaller than the duck and knew that it could never win in such a struggle. But it thought and thought while the duck stood and waited to see what the snail might say. Finally an idea came to the small snail.

“I will let you have my water,” said the snail. “In fact, you may have all the water,” the snail continued, “if you will take me with you to the pond on the other side of the road.”

The duck thought about it for a minute and said, “Alright, if you crawl up into my beak I will take you to the pond.”

The snail did not like this idea. Once inside the duck’s beak, it could be easily eaten. “No,” replied the snail. “I will help you and ride on your feet.”

“How will you, a small snail, help me?” asked the duck.

“Your feet stay in the water all day,” said the snail. “And there is algae growing on your legs and feet. If you let me climb onto your legs, I will clean the algae from your legs and feet and then you can take me to the pond.”

The duck thought for a moment and then said, “Alright. Climb on and clean the algae. Then I will fly you to the pond.” The duck knew that once it got what it wanted, it could still decide not to fulfill the second part of the bargain.

So, the snail crawled slowly over to the duck’s feet, began cleaning the algae and proceeded to move up the duck’s legs until done.

“I changed my mind,” the duck said. But now it was too late. The snail had climbed up onto the back of the duck’s legs and with the suction in its foot held on tight. No amount of trying could get the snail loose.

And so, the duck stood on the side of the road, near the mud puddle and thought. If I wait, the snail will eventually dry up and die. Then I can go wherever I want. So the duck stood there for a day and a night and another day.

“Are you still there?” asked the duck because it could not see where the snail was and by now could not tell that the snail was holding on. It had gotten used to it.

“Yes,” replied the snail. “I’m still here.”

On the third day a fox came down the road, saw the duck and decided that it would make a good dinner. The fox chased after the duck and tried to catch it. Finally the duck ran fast enough and flew away. Knowing that the snail wanted to go to the pond, the duck flew instead to a tall stand of grass where it might hide from the fox. I’ll just wait here instead of by the side of the road.

Another day passed and then another. Finally, the duck could stand it no longer and had to go to the pond for food and water. So, it took off from the tall grass stand, making sure that there was no fox close by. Up into the air, then over the road to where the pond was. The duck decided to land close by but not in the pond, next to some other ducks.

“Come over here,” cried the duck. “Get this snail off me.” The other ducks came over and looked where the snail should be. But there was no snail. It was gone.

“Look at how clean those feet are!” exclaimed one of the other ducks. “Yes,” replied the other ducks for their feet still had algae on them from being in the water.

Then the duck thought about what it had done and how it had tried to trick the snail. It was sad that the snail was gone and that it must had fallen off after it dried up. Still, it had clean feet and was now very hungry and thirsty. Soon it had eaten and drank until it was satisfied. It was sad, but not as much.

Meanwhile, the snail was in another pond, happy to be alive and happy to be in water again. You see, when the duck was standing in the tall grass, it never noticed that there was a small stream in the middle of the grass. During one night, the snail released itself from the duck, fell on the ground (its shell protected it) and then crawled away while the duck was sleeping.

THE END

So what is the moral of the story?

Are you like the snail – too small to make your own way and resorting to clever tactics to find your way; or, are you like the duck – able to eat those creatures lesser than you but realizing that there is benefit to the small too? Too often we choose one over the other, acting like the duck. Other times we try to see what “game” we can play to advance ourselves from a bad situation.

Or, maybe you are simply like the fox, looking for an easy meal.

The moral is: that regardless of how we try to get things done on our own, whether it is through direct appeal or by subterfuge, it is only in cooperation that the best effects can be realized for all parties involved. Christ said that we are to love one another. And, that what we do to the least of these, we do to Him. Rather than "duck" the issue, we need to evaluate our motives, plan our steps, and let God lead us. After all, the snail didn't end up where it planned, did it?

Who knows the direction of things? Not me.

So who does know?

I read a devotion today that talked about the uncertainty of our lives and the certainty that we are not in control of it. That starts out as a contradiction but is reconciled in the fact that God is in control and we don’t have to worry then.

The devotion when ton to discuss the story of Joseph and his brothers. How he was favored by his father; beaten by his brothers and sold into slavery; favored by his master; thrown into prison; favored by the pharaoh; and finally reunited with his brothers where we see him favored by God. Yes, life is uncertain. We just need to wait on God to lead us.

But then I started thinking about this simplistic answer. It’s one thing to say “wait in the Lord” but its an entirely different thing to figure out how to do that and what to do until the time comes when you see “where all this is going.” I mean, really! Wait on the Lord when the mortgage is late, taxes are due, bill collectors are calling and a court summons is waiting for you? Really? And where might all this be leading me, God? In the midst of all the conflicts and strife it is easy to loose hope and loose sight of the goal we have out there – regardless of whether it’s faith based or not. All this storminess is getting in the way of the view!

Hmh! And now, they tell me we are in the beginning stages of a real shift in religious consciousness. That’s a funny way of saying that the foundations are moving too. So, it I can’t hold on to what is in my sight; and, if I can’t hold fast to the foundations; then I guess I simply need to trust and keep my eyes heavenward.

I read a wonderful statement in a book years ago and it rings so true (although the book was fiction, the statement wasn’t): “History allows us to see things as they really are. Unfortunately is usually arrives a little late.” I guess I’ll wait to read the history books . . . .

“Who is my Brother?”

This question was asked to Jesus just before the telling of the Good Samaritan story. The story seems to be well known to many people. In fact many state legislatures have passed laws with that name; indicating that there should be no blame placed on a person who attempts to help another. Unfortunately, that isn’t the story.

The story goes that a man, walking on the road was attacked by gang of outlaws, robbed, beaten and left for dead. Over the course of the next few story lines, the man was summarily passed over by a significant religious leader and then by a fine upstanding role model citizen. The Samaritan (a person who was looked down on by the Jews of the day) came along, bandaged up the man’s wounds as best he could and then took the man to safety where he could recover AND paid in advance for the man’s needs.


Who do you look down on? Are you like the people in the audience , listening to the story being told – feeling maybe a bit angry? A bit guilty? The story was told so that the people listening would know that they have a responsibility to help each person. Everyone is the neighbor. We shouldn’t be like the first two who walked around with noses in the air.

Who looks down on you? Have you been the subject of derision? Does your skin color or manner of speaking make you a target? The Samaritan had every reason to hold back and continue walking because that was exactly how his people were treated at that time. Yet, the Samaritan offered assistance, and more. Compassion was given to a person of the class that would put him down.

So, we have no cause to withhold doing good. It matters not who the other people are or what faith is a part of their life. That is not our responsibility. Our responsibility is to love God first and then to love our neighbor.

But, to have a neighbor, you have to live in a neighborhood. We cannot go it alone – either isolated in our own lives; or, even worse, isolated in a community that doesn’t touch the world.

Go. Be the neighbor.

Inclusivity

What does it mean to be inclusive? How do you determine the difference between “inclusiveness” and a lack of standards? Can you be inclusive and still have standards? What type? On what do you base those standards?

Well, I’m waiting. . . . . .

Oh, I guess you’re reading this so I best put something down. My thoughts:

The apostle Paul stated it best when he wrote to the Galatians and said that "In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."

There becomes no distinction between people when there is unity in Christ. This is the essence of the church. The essence of the faith is the forgiveness of sins through the acceptance of the sacrifice paid by another. The responsibility is to follow the teachings Jesus gave us. As Paul identified it to the church at Galatia, Jesus said it himself when, “One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these."

In this sense, the word “neighbor” is used to describe all people – humankind. So, how can we to spend our days fighting among ourselves and with others and still hope to express the faith as stated in these two simple verses?

But it goes back even further. The Torah states in the Levitical laws, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD”

I do not want to get into the political implications of this or its relationship to the letter from the President of Iran. I will let others talk about that. This is personal. This is real. It’s about where we live and what we do. My point is simply this – as long as we all stay focused on the differences between us how can we hope to make any progress together? There are over 6.6 billion people on the planet. If we allow, there is enough hate to go around the planet and poison it several times over. Faith is about society. It is how God wishes us to relate – to Him and to one another. And, it’s about love and compassion. There are enough laws and rules for us to throw at each other. How about some warmth, compassion and understanding?

Welcome to the new Blog

In a perfect world, we’d have a perfect blog. Well, neither exists so you get this instead. This blog is dedicated to the idea that there are many faces and many peoples but one flesh, one heartbeat that binds us all. In that light it is an ecumenical blog, inviting comment from other elements of the Christian identity. The hope is that this will be a format for conversation about faith and the common bonds that bind us together in the unity of Christ.

I am based in Saint Louis, Missouri; and so, the blog will represent that perspective. If you’ve read my other blog, you already know that I do not back down from a philosophical challenge. So it will be here.

In coming installments there will be comments and opinions from me on a number of subjects. I invite you to contribute and support the effort to discuss community in the Christian tradition – as it is, as it was, and as it could be. See my other blog for the lead-in to this one. Because I “own” this blog site, I’ll facilitate. Sometimes, I’ll write the blips, sometimes it may be your input and sometimes it may be a guest contributor.

So speak. I’m listening. So are others.