Removed from the Body

Subversive Church (Mike) said...
"...Interesting. Fair enough on the weeds and wheat parable. But, how does Paul's idea of removing someone from a body fit into this idea?"

In a discussion on my previous post (Spectator Sport) Mike brought up the question about removing people from the body. I have been giving that some thought.

Paul talks a lot about the body. I was thinking particularly about all one body with many parts. And the importance of the eye and the ear, the honorable parts and the less honorable parts. And he wanted to keep them all, as they all have a function.

The conversation between Mike and I was regarding a sort of ex-communication. Maybe there are some in the body that are tearing the body down. Should we get rid of them?

What if they are cancerous? Is that still part of the body or is that a mutation of something that used to be part of the body. Cancer, left unchecked, will kill the body.

On the other hand, I was studying Matthew 18:15-20 tonight in preparation for tomorrow. In this selection of scripture, it discusses what the church should do with those who will not follow the churches prescription/advice. Jesus, in the writing of Matt., says to let them be to us like the gentile and the tax collector. Now knowing about the culture, these two groups were unpopular and unimportant. They were outsiders and were despised. So, on first reading, that would imply excommunication; no longer part of the church, amputation; no longer part of the body.

However, what about Jesus. You know, the guy saying this. How did he treat the tax collector and gentile? Wasn't Matthew, the disciple, a tax-collector? Wasn't Zaccheaus the chief tax-collector? Did people give Jesus grief for dining with sinners and tax collectors? Didn't Jesus heal the Centurion's (a Gentile) servant and the Canaanite (aka Syro-Phoenician, aka Gentile) woman's daughter?

How does that mean we treat those who disagree with the body?

flat tire

This evening, when I meant to be home preparing my sermon, I was instead laying on the ground across the road from home of John and Regina Witt. Now, I wasn’t laying down the whole time, some of the time I was stooped over. You see, I was attempting to change a tire. Cooper had spent the day with my parents. Laurie was driving out hwy 499 towards Berea to pick him up but that’s as far as she got (just less than an 1/8 of a mile) when she realized the tire was completely flat. She walked Ainsley and Elan back home, called me, and I went to change the tire.

Now I’ve driven a lot of cars in my short life and many of them have been less than pristine. And inevitably, some have had thread barren tires or otherwise poor tires, others have been tragically punctured by either road debris or poor driving. So, I’m somewhat accustomed to changing tires. Consequently, today should be no problem.

I tried first one jack and couldn’t make it work. I have never seen such an odd jack as came with Laurie’s Volvo. So, I switched to another. The second jack I used was in the compartment in the car where the manufacturers had installed it. I feel like I must have used it before but none-the less, it was firmly attached to the car. I pulled, tugged, and jerked and finally released it from the car with the assistance of two pry bars. So, with the second jack in hand, I attempted lifting the car once again. No luck, the jack worked fine, I just wasn’t strong enough to turn the handle. I re-situated the jack, strained and struggled and tried again which resulted in the car raising ever so slightly and then sliding off the jack.

So, frustrated, I went back to the first jack. And finally on this attempt, having sweated and rolled all over the parking spot and having finally paused to read the directions on the strange, unfamiliar style of jack, I was able to get the car lifted up high enough to change the tire. And that, well, that’s when the challenge began.

I have also never seen lug bolts so stubbornly resistant to removal. Actually, most cars I have driven have had lug nuts rather than lug bolts, but the principle is the same. At any rate, they were stuck pretty well. I couldn’t have gotten those lugs bolts off if you’d promised me a brand new car in exchange.

About the time I was pondering turning the bolts the wrong way to snap them off or to possibly give up and call a tow truck, John Witt crossed the street to help.

He actually made several trips back and forth across the street retrieving tools and a tank of air, but ultimately, he and I got the bolts off, even the last one which was particularly challenging. All-in-all, excluding John’s company, it was a pretty miserable experience. I’m sure glad John showed up to help.

Tight-rope of Faith

So, my brother-in-law, Mike says that I need to post more often. So, I thought heck, why not.

Today I met with Gene Strange, my mentor and the Pastor of 1st UMC in Richmond. We were discussing belief as compared to trust. He maintains that belief could mean only subscribing to or espousing certain beliefs, that it does not necessary imply action. He suggests that trust is different. To believe in someone or something is one thing but to put your trust in them is another.

The great Houdini did a routine where he walked a tight rope across Niagara Falls. He then asked the audience who believed that he could place a person in a barrel and place the barrel on the wire and walk the barrel across the falls on the wire. The vast majority of the audience believed that he could. However, when he asked for a volunteer, only a very few were found. Again, I state there is a difference between believing and placing trust.

Trust infers relationship. The lord did not create us so that we could believe in him. He didn't even create us merely so that we could be saved. Romans 10:9-10, because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Rather, he created us for relationship. Relationship requires love and commitment. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. It requires action on our part. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Having trust in someone is faith. You have faith in what they can do in you. You act out of faith towards others. I desire the tight-rope of faith.

How does your belief manifest itself? How is your love embodied?

Christianity, A Spectator Sport

This weekend, I heard a pastor friend say that Christianity is like football. You have 22 people out there doing all the work and 70,000 fans sitting on their butts watching. Of course, his point was that it is not supposed to be that way.

As I see it, at a football game, the 70,000 are ardently cheering one set of 11 of the 22. In the church, we rarely cheer one another on. At least not to the extent that we should. Even better, the Church should all be out playing the game, participating not watching. Christianity is not supposed to be a spectator sport. The church is called to be not hearers, but doers of the word. Rather than occupying a seat and watching it all happen, the church is supposed to be involved, making it happen.

In another blog (http://subversivechurch.wordpress.com/) I asked the question, Which is a greater love, to weep for those who suffer or to do something about it? Which is the greater good, to be the church or to go there? Think James 1:22-25. Also, Christ pronounced doom on the religious people who want to be mere bystanders (Matthew 7:26-27).

The Lord never meant for Christianity to be a spectator sport. Jesus told us to follow him, not to stand by and take it all in. Jesus was a mover and a shaker. He was a radical. He called us all to "do our share," and be a living, breathing, working part of His kingdom. How are we to go out and make disciples, fulfill the great commission if we are watching it all happen from the comfort of a pew or worse yet from the couch. Sure, it's good to listen to the word expounded upon, sure its great to praise the Lord with public song and prayer. But, we should not only be encouraging the few, the 11 or 22 on the field, we should be joining them. Why do Christians let other people do their work. Therefore we also won't have to wonder if what someone has and is imparting to us is of the Lord or not.

"Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He (Jesus) answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them." (Luke 17:20-23)

Christianity isn't for wimps; it takes lots of effort and hard work. Holiness must be pursued (Hebrews 12:14). John Wesley talks about works worthy of repentance. I interpret him to mean that if we are in deed repentant our lives will show it. I hope that I have the courage to live a Holy life, the faith and determination to be more than just a believer of a message but a disciple, an active participant in faith.

I read once that Christianity is not a Sunday affair. Its a daily love affair with Jesus. In fact, we are taught in Matthew that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind. What's left?

All Christians are expected to participate. We should all be athletes for Christ. Hebrews 12:1 says to lay asie every weight and the sin that besets us and to run the race set before us with endurance.

1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 talks about the spiritual training of discipleship. It likens the Christian to a runner to a fighter, not an observer. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

We are called to active engagement in Christian behavior, not as silent masses watching it happen and hoping our team wins.

A New Day

Well, I have now moved. We have three bedroom house, with an office. Not everything is set up yet, but we're getting there. The house is in great shape in is much larger than what we had been accustomed to over the past two years. We are very pleased.

I have already been able to do some visitation. Many of the people live very near my parsonage.

My two churches are about 2.5 miles apart. The people at both are wonderful. We have had two big church gathering in the two weeks we have been here. The first was a fifth Sunday potluck after the morning services. The second was a Independence day cookout. Both churches attended both events. It's great to see the cooperation. They are planning a combined VBS as well.

Laurie has begun planting vegetables and flowers in the yard. The kids are enjoying the outdoors. Things are certainly look up for us. Thanks to everybody that have helped us in this transition, especially those of you who helped with the actual moving of our stuff.

So, I'm moving

I am moving on June 24 from Bybee UMC in Waco, KY to both Cedar Grove and Wisemantown UMC in Irvine, KY.

The new parsonage has three, count them 1, 2, 3, bedrooms. All right!

I'm sad to leave the little community of Waco and my church family there, but am excited about moving to a larger home with a greater salary in my old hometown. Cedar Grove is my home church where my grandparents attend.

I don't like having to drive even farther to get to class in Wilmore, but am pleased that I will live in a town (a county seat) with a grocery store, library, video store, etc.

If anybody would like to help me move, I'd appreciate it.

More later.

license to preach school

why would they schedule it during Asbury Seminary finals week? I'd really like to close out my semester without cramming it (papers, tests, reading) all together in the last week or two.

why would they schedule it during the primary election for our state? I've been following the elections and want the opportunity to put my two cents in.

Rapidly approaching

There are less than two weeks left in the semester. I will miss one of those weeks for License to Preach School. I have to get the semester work completed a week early. I finish the semester and LTPS by May 25. One of my summer classes starts May 27. The other on June 3rd.

I need a nap.