Archive for category #benotafraid
Galatians 3:27-29 Mortar is to Bricks as Christ is to Us
Posted by myoikos in #2020, #benotafraid, #redemption, #sacrifice, #saveus, Church, government on October 25, 2020

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 and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. [NRSA: Galatians 3:27-29]
It is important for us to know some context of this area. More of a recognized state or region of the people who have Greek and Roman heritage. Thus, making it a place of blended culture and religions.
The region in what we now know as central and southern Turkey was in Paul’s time known as the region of Galatia. Historically a Greek formation, the Celts, were later occupied by the Roman empire in our period of the Apostle Paul and his missionary work in this area. It was more than a city, but rather an area with thirteen divisions. It is from the accounts in both Paul’s letter to the Galatians and in Luke’s recording in the Book of Acts, that we learn about this region.
Paul was extraordinarily successful in connecting the know cultures and religions and using those as entry points to show the inadequacies of the local gods with the One, universal God by belief in His Son. Paul is likely to have been building upon some missionary work from Peter and Sillas as his typical approach was to start with the Jewish communities at local synagogues, which were rare in the region of Galatia.
But what of any of this speaks to us?
Paul offers Christ to a diverse and divided culture that has been bouncing through generations of sweeping religious, political, and cultural changes. It is in this context that we see Paul being particularly helpful in transforming devotion into discipleship, and loyalty into faith and belief.
What if the world, the nation? Georgia? North Georgia? Our communities? Or our fellowship was so clothed in Christ, that the first thing we see in one another is Christ.
When you introduce yourself through writing, what is the first detail you would share about yourself?
- Would it be career?
- In some type of relationship?
- Having kids or grands?
- Would it be gender, or some other physical descriptor?
- Would it be your hobbies or talents?
- Most would say it differs by the context.
- Facebook: “Human, husband, father, pastor, writer, #humorinlife #foodie #techie #zippermerging #zoomevangelist”
- Twitter: “a sinful child saved by Christ, pastor, husband, father, writer, techie, foodie, neighbor, voter looking for humor, and humor in life. clergy.pro
- Business Card: “Sharing Christ and the Journey”
And how would you describe Rock Spring in 100 words?
Is their any church that would not consider starting with the words, “We are a friendly church” no matter if we were or were not.
Many times we are, Sometimes we are not, and sometimes most are friends, but always a handful on any give Sunday are distracted with something else in lives or on their heart.
- Would we share our missions because we are proud of our accomplishments or how much Christ has done for and through us?
- Would we list our activities we like or think others would like or how Christ shapes, guides, and challenges us?
- Would we describe what we enjoy about our worship, or how God is blessed by our praise and fellowship?
- Would we tell about how easy it is to visit and join, or how much work and devotion it takes to continue growing, serving, and following Christ?
Paul starts reminding the church: You are the baptized in Christ. You are clothed in Christ.
- Baptism is the sign of our adoption as sons and daughters of God, through and with Christ.
- Baptism is the moment we celebrate our life being more than our own.
- Baptism is our joining the family as heirs of the witness, work, and reward that God would bestow.
- Baptism is our spiritual birth into our heavenly citizenship.
- Baptism is not just something we hope people have done before they die, it is the belonging-relationship that we celebrate while we are living.
Paul is reminding the church that we are first responders to the fires burning in peoples hearts and minds, we have something better than Kevlar and Nomex, we are clothed with Christ who has died for us and lives for us to be in God, forever.
Paul encourages the church painting the warm quilt of love, faith, and prayer that surrounds us in the cold world, and the from the emptiness of being lost or alone. We are clothes with Jesus Christ who renews and restores and walks with us in all of life and death.
Paul is teaching the church to put on the arm, put on the baptism, put on the quilt, put on the strength, wisdom, and faithfulness of Christ because without it we are wearing the [Emperor’s New Clothes/ ‘naked’] instead that the world is selling as truth, safety, and meaning.
Once we wear the team uniform of Christ we are no longer divided; we become united in Christ.
If we are clothed by opinions, ideologies, data-points, peer-reviewed conclusions: all these change for day to day and as the context and balance of power shifts in the world. We are clothed in the life of Christ, don’t forget, don’t let go, don’t exchange it.
Think of all the descriptors in our lives: We rally around being in different camps: bulldogs, hound dogs, elephants, eagles, tigers, lookouts, Biscuits, owls, gophers, moccasin shoe, pickles, and our family favorite: Mighty, Fighting Okra from Delta State in Cleveland, Mississippi.
We divide up by age groups: Gen Z, Millennials or Gen Y, Gen X, Boomer, WW2ers, Depressists. They all sound terrible. But we try to make generation distinctions to hopefully better understand when we actually labeling and dividing people with names.
The is one race. We are humans. We have different cultures, pigments of skin color, and varieties of traditions and assessments of our identities as individuals and groups. We are all creations of God’s handiwork, created, loved, and saved by God.
- We have some shared features, but all have different fingerprints, and DNA markers that show God creates, not simply to mass produce, but value us one at a time, here is our weakness and strength.
- We are free to choose to love God or run from God. But living and seeking God acknowledges our questions, failures and fears and ability, through the grace in Christ, we have a way together, in Christ.
- We are valued by God both 1) the unique person we are and 2) the whole fellowship we become in Christ.
This week’s realization: The following is not politically bias: In the most recent weeks, I have had more occasions to speak with people who are anti-church, anti-religion, religious in practice-but not thriving in spiritual fruitfulness. I offer a both/and observation. There are flaws in our country, but we continue to be the nation that immigrants desire to leave their home to live. There are divided opinions and bias news surrounding us from every side, but other nations continue to turn to us for support, technology, and protection. There laws that need to be added and improved, but our system of government has built a nation that can welcome, respond, and adapt because it is a both/and relationship: Holding fast to our roots AND continues to amend our flaws.
Paul is telling a region of none Jewish people to believe in a God who is working through the Jew’s messiah, Jesus, God’s Son, to bring hope, meaning, salvation, love, power, grace, and is continuing this work through ALL who are baptized and clothed with Christ. Not destroying the framework but building upon it the work of the church, that whole world may know God through us.
Whether is to church OR state, the foundations have provided the framework, that without it we would not have the opportunities we enjoy today.
- The State will never love us, only use or appease us.
- The state will never be our salvation.
- The State will never die that we might live, rather calling us to suffer for its life.
- Remember who’s uniform you have been saved to wear?
- Remember which team that has died for you?
- Remember it Christ that truly unites us and not common law, identity, or opinion.
- Be Not afraid, God is with us. Repeat these words of assurance with me: “Be Not Afraid, God is With us!”
- Don’t let the worldly division sum up your identity or communities. Be those clothed in Christ.
- Let the world see Christ, just as they have seen your sport team colors and generational style
- Let the world look to those who are clothed in Christ, as sinners who are made who by Christ.
- Let the world see God’s presence in the living our faith and sacrifice to follow and grow.
- Let the world see in this context, this time in history, the eternal love and power of Christ today!
- Be Not afraid, God is with us. Repeat these words of assurance with me: “Be Not Afraid, God is With us!”
—
In his letter to the Galatians, he appeals directly to their well-known love of freedom and independence (5:1) and repeatedly contrasts freedom of the spirit through Christ with the slavery offered by pursuing worldly pleasures. He even specifically cites behavior and sins long associated with the Galatians such as jealousy, drunkenness, liberal sexuality, and idolatry (5:19-20) and contrasts these with the freedom from vice and corruption offered by Christianity (5:22-24). His appeals worked well, and the Galatians were converted, exchanging Sabiazos’ and Cybele’s protection for that of Jesus Christ. Herm notes that “the Christian communities under the jurisdiction of the Drunemeton were among the oldest founded” by Paul and Galatia grew into one of the most vital Christian centers of the region (43).
The Galatians by this time were almost thoroughly Hellenized and had further substituted their Celtic-Greco customs with Roman beliefs and attitudes. Christianity replaced their old religion, and the temples were turned into churches. This same paradigm was repeated, with the addition of military force, following the Muslim Invasion of Anatolia in 830 CE when the populace was converted to Islam and churches became mosques. By this time, there was little left of the original Celtic-Greco culture of Galatia. Its name survives today primarily through the biblical epistle of St. Paul and, possibly, the suburb of Galata outside of Istanbul, Turkey. [Mark, J. J. (2019, October 24). Galatia. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/galatia/%5D
Psalm 146: 1- 10 “Put No Trust in Princes”
Posted by myoikos in #2018, #benotafraid, #bethesong, #costofdiscipleship, #trustGod, Extravagant Generosity on November 10, 2018
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD! [NRSV]
It is one thing to complain about division in the world; it is another to offer the solution.
Praise the Lord! Is the solution.
Serve the Lord! Is the solution.
Share the Lord! Is the solution.
Our culture and intellect has pressed diligently from every direction to belittle, dis-empower, and reject God and our faith in God, all the while replacing God’s purpose for creation and humanity with a chaos of something “other”, “non-” or “the anti/pro” or some lowest common denominator of the strongest voice or wealthiest player.
It is actually not a new behavior: Look at Psalm 53:1 NIV
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.
The fruit of cultivating a culture without God returns us to chaos, destruction, and emptiness.
- When the world is in chaos, turn to the one who orders life and light out of chaos.
- Praise the Lord instead.
- When the political boxing area calls for title fights,
- Praise the Lord instead.
- When we think about placing hope OR blaming trust in someone who is one breath away from their last breath,
- Praise the Lord instead!
- When God is the one breathes that breath of life into us all.
- Praise the Lord!!
Happiness is found by those who have faith in the Lord. The Lord who gives structure to life, and good – justice and faith. Vs 6
Happy, joyful and at-peace are the who find God’s purpose as our purpose.. it is the puzzle piece finding its part in the wholeness when it finds its place in the puzzle’s place and not in its own empty box.
We hear Jesus’s words from the New Testament in the verses 7-8. The core of what we know as the Great Commission for disciples: Giving Justice to the oppressed, food the hungry, freedom for those in prison, vision/insight to the blind. In verse 9 we hear Jesus’s word from the Sermon on the Mount calling for the humble to be lifted up and to care for the stranger, the orphan and the widow.
Political Talk / Silence
First, we talk too much about politics. Don’t let this be an excuse to avoid politics, but think of it this way, for every hour you spend reading and listening to news and editorials about politics, spend two hours in prayer, bible study and serving others in the name of Jesus Christ.
For those who want to avoid the reality of conflict and controversy but not listening to any news, time trying to ignore the conversations, spend twice that time reading the bible, praying and serving others in Jesus name.
For those who think this invitation is speaking to someone more than yourself, then its time for a wakeup call and spend three times as much effort praying, studying and serving others for the purposes of Jesus Christ.
Exercise for Healing
- Turn off the TV, social media and get face to face with the people of God and study the word
- Turn off the worry and fear and model for the world what it means to have faith in the chaos.
- Turn off the excuses and silence and let your service and worship clearly point to Christ in the world.
Jesus said he was the Way and the Truth. Following Jesus and you bring light to what is dark and evil. Follow the way of princes and political parties and their way leads to a cliff, not a wall.
Hear the core of this Psalm: Our hope is in the Lord, Praise the Lord.
Bottom line: praise the Lord who is
- strong enough,
- gracious enough and is
- the salvation of all generations.
The world is telling us today that, our voice and our place, we are not only wrong, but they are also bold enough to say we are oppressive, abusive and wrong.
The Struggle:
- If the world does not trust prayer, we must intercede until they do.
- If the world does not trust scripture, we must read, listen and follow until they do.
- If the world does not listen to our songs of praise, sing until they do.
- If the world does not love as Christ loves, then love until they do.
- If the world does not follow and find its pieces fitting into God’s puzzle and plan, then find your place and invited the pieces next to you to find their hearts true home and fit.
Be the praise, Be the voice, Be the Word, Be the presence. Be the witness. Be the song. Be the church.
Our Very Present Help Psalm 46:1-7
Posted by myoikos in #2018, #benotafraid, #donotbeafraid, #encouragement, #ourverypresenthelp, Authority, Patriotism, Politics on September 8, 2018
Psalm 46:1-7
“1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (Selah) 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. [NRSV]
- God is our safe-place, is our rest, is our retreat. Is our home.
- God is our very present help in trouble.
- Therefore, we have a way through the fear,
- Even if the earth [and climate] should change
- Even if the mountain quake and erupt and crumble into the sea
Stand by Me
When the night has come, And the land is dark And the moon is the only light we'll see No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid Just as long as you stand, stand by me So darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me Oh stand by me, stand by me If the sky that we look upon Should tumble and fall Or the mountains should crumble to the sea I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear Just as long as you stand, stand by me And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me Oh stand now by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me Oh, stand now by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me, oh now now stand by me Oh stand by me, stand by me Oh stand by me, stand by me
Songwriters: Ben King / Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
Stand by Me lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Belinda Aberbach Stevenson Agar Revocable Trust
Hear the Good News of what it means to know God is with us:
- God is our safe-place, is our rest, is our retreat. Is our home.
- God is our very present help in trouble.
- Therefore, we have a way through the fear,
- Even if the earth [and climate] should change
- Even if the mountain quake and erupt and crumble into the sea
The Psalmist prays and pleads for God to show up: The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; [GOD] utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
We have no time to waste blaming and attacking one another about the troubles in the world!
- There are Children in our community are in homes filled with violence, fear, poverty, and want.
- There are Youth in our neighborhoods are bullying and picking each other apart stoved for approval
- There are Young adults in our community are at best frustrated with the church if not giving up on God and us
- There are young adults lost in drugs and living day to day.
- There are middle-aged and older age folks lost in drugs and poverty
- There are families working every hour to give the best for their kids living no time and energy
- There are older neighbors who want to be on the receiving end of the labor they have invested
- There are people who are alone even on the busiest day at Walmart or a football game.
- There are people losing their jobs and homes and cars, some their own doing and some no fault of their own.
- There are some who are simply tired of hearing about the troubles of others and the world and want to ignore or escape.
Somewhere in the mix you and know what it is to have times in our lives that are “in an uproar”
Folks turn to the government as the lowest common denominator asking our rules of law to show grace and love for everyone. That is not the role and function of government.
Stop blaming leaders and laws and courts and judges and media, and know that
- NONE of these are as strong as God
- none are as compassionate as God
- none are as dependable as God
- none provide our PRESENT help when all the world is turned upside down and shaken.
- The next time you hear someone say: The President… The Media… The Congress… someone on FB said… stop them right there and ask them:
Where is your strength with your government fails you?
Where is your “Good News” when the media fails you?
Where is your safety net when systems fail you?
Where are your relationships renewed and made whole?
God, who, even when the earth is unrecognizable, God is where we need to stand. Stand by God. Darlin, won’t you please stand my God.
We don’t have time to solve the world’s problems by making those things that will always be corruptible and shakable and will crumble under press ion, we need God who is with us
God is very present when we stand up with him, and for him. For when we call on God’s name and call the shaken world to seek God, we are on the most solid of ground.
When we place God in charge of poverty and corruption then our pride and fears no longer lead us.
When we place God in charge of our bodies then no drug will every satisfy
When we place ourselves in the word of God, in the people of God, in the songs of God, in the service of God, in the witness of God, right in those moments GOD IS VERY PRESENT
Christmas Sunday Luke 2:1-21 20161225
Posted by myoikos in #2016, #benotafraid, #Christmas2016, #gotell, #jesus, #linkChrist2Christmas, #rsumc, belief, Church, Extravagant Generosity, Faith, Fellowship, God, Goodness, grace, greatness, heaven, Intentional Spiritual Growth, Marriage, Passionate Worship, Relationship, Salvation, Spiritual Growth, Truth, Worship on December 24, 2016
The Appropriate Response
Shock and Awe
The Shepherds Go
Who is Christmas Intended?
Christmas on Sunday
Our Responses?
- Thank you Jesus
- Sharing the News
- Going to See, Show and Retell
- Pondering and Remembering in our hearts
Matthew 3.1-12 Reclaiming Christmas “Brood of Viper Cards”
Posted by myoikos in #2016, #benotafraid, #Christmas2016, #findingJesus, #reclaimingchristmas, Repentance on December 4, 2016
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ ” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree, therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” [NRSV]
I recall my parents making drawn and silk screened Christmas cards as part of the family tradition of preparing for Christmas. Part of the handmade effort was the personal and creative gift the other was for economical reasons. Each year mom would draw some variation of Mary and Jesus, occasionally including Joseph, an angel or a star. Dad would do the printing. My jobs waving the paper for the ink to dry, affixing stamps and sealing the envelopes. After the fourth or fifth church, it was necessary to use a bulk permit to cover nearly 800 hundred cards to church members, family, and friends. Somewhere along the way, a simple gift became a chore and the tradition change to about 100 written cards. The issue was the growing gap of ingenuousness between the original gift to the present.
What had been a creative chore, became a dreaded task not to forget or offend.
What is the appropriate message to share at Christmas?
- For some, it is the annual family letter. If I have one good thing to say about Facebook, is that it seem the longer FB is around, the fewer Christmas letters I receive.
- For some, mention every attribute of a Bing Crosby festival but offers wishes for happy tidings and warm companionship with everyone.
-
May You feel God’s presence in the candles, that softly spread their glow at Christmas and may you experience the wonder of His abiding love, as He guides you, through each day of the coming year.
- For others, the cards convey perfunctory words of acknowledging goodness and an unclear image of peace.
-
“Thinking warmly of each of you and wishing your family an extra measure of comfort, joy and hope.”
- We have tried to send Christmas cards, but we typically send them out during the Christmas season, rather during the weeks of Advents. [as late as St Patricks Day]
What about the Cards from the John the Baptist Card Collection?
- Front: May your camel’s hair coat be scratchy and you locust be toasty, may your voice be one crying out I the wilderness this year. Inside: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
- Front: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near! Inside: Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree, therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
- Cover: His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor. Inside: He will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
- Best Cover: You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Inside: Bear fruit worthy of repentance.
John the Baptist reminds us to ask each other: for what are we preparing? Christ, ourselves or something else.
Our response is to say, “80 percent may be for me, my family, my idea, my traditions, my memories, my warm fuzzy feeling, and 20 percent is for you Jesus.” You complete the percents for yourself.
I have shared by Christmas list with Santa, I have begun to buy gifts for others, I have begun to get out decorations, I have begun filling my calendar with events, I have begun singing along with Christmas favorites, but
Can anyone tell Jesus is the driving cause of my actions, or have I left that to chance and hope others will guess what leads my heart and life.
It’s not about “Merry Christmas” it is about Jesus.
- John the Baptist is not so worried about offending the Jewish leaders, as he is making certain everyone knows to be humbled before Christ.
- Jesus is the King whose roads need to be made ready, not the government
- Jesus is the is the one worthy to give himself for us
- Jesus is worth shouting boldly about to the world
So what?
Advent, Preparing, Reclaiming the task of preparing: The example is baptism.
REPENT: Turning around and Remembering we are claimed by God, made new in Christ, forgiven and made whole through water and the Spirit.
Matthew 5.20-30 Marriage, The Law and the Church RSUMC 20150628
Posted by myoikos in #benotafraid, #loveneverwins, #marriage, Church, government, grace, Holy Spirit, law, state on June 28, 2015
For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder’; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. “You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. [NRSV]
Q: So is marriage a matter for church and preaching?
Marriage is a relationship founded and grounded in God and has been a faith relationship before it ever was a legal conversation.
A: And for that alone, it is forever an appropriate conversation for worship, study and defending.
June 26, 2015, The Right to Marry
The recent court decision, made by the majority of non-elected-legislative-judiciary, have create a new right to marry that includes all adult persons to marry the adult of their mutual choice independent of genders. Five people have changed an institution they did not create.
If you are celebrating or if you are angry about the new definition of marriage, I ask you:
What are you doing strengthening marriage before June 26, 2015?
- 40% of children live in single parent household. What of marriage, independent of who can marry whom?
- 33% (Barna) of US marriages end in divorce. [The 50% includes people who have been divorced more than once, which skews the overall numbers.] But if one in three divorce, is that an acceptable number we live with as those who so highly value marriage?
- 1% of those who marry commit suicide
- 2% of those who never marry take their life.
- 9 % of married couples deal with alcoholism.
- 24% of married couples deal with mental illness
- 86% of unhappy couples deal with domestic violence
We don’t have a lot of room to talk about marriage, never the less, the court’s decision encroaches on our faith identity of marriage that is thousands of years in the making.
First know this: This is not the end of the church or our country or our society.
- We are people of God and God remains with us.
- Things might change, but God will not church.
- God’s love for us will not change.
- God’s presence with us is unchanging and
- God’s call for us to hear and follow Christ will not change.
Secondly, Remember marriage is not a requirement. [A big shift in the court’s action is to name marriage as a right.]
- 75% of adults do get married. 25% do not marry.
- It has been the responsibilities of each state to license those who get married.
- The government cannot force us to marry to nor force us to be single.
Where Are We, What’s Next?
These past two weeks have indeed been a challenge to our faith. And while I am disappointed at Friday’s Supreme Court’s decision to “legally” redefine what Christians, Jews and Muslims, have believed the covenant of marriage to be for millennia, remember that the court’s decision does not change our Biblical and theological worldview nor does it change our denomination’s stance on the issue of homosexuality and same-sex marriage as expressed in the church’s Discipline.
Only the General Conference speaks for the entire United Methodist Church. The General Conference of the United Methodist church will convene in May of next year in Portland, Oregon to discuss this and other issues that face the church. It has the potential to be divisive, but it also holds the opportunity to be a time of faith renewal.
How should we best respond to the court’s decision: Be Not Afraid.
God is Good, All the Time, RSUMC likes to affirm. Remember that God is still at work redeeming the world to Himself. Trust that even though we do not understand all of God’s ways, God is involved in the events of human history…even as hard and unclear as they may be.
Teach by Loving
Love your neighbor. Let our words, witness and response to all people be loving. A loving response will always be our strongest example of leadership. You will be drawn into conversations and discussions of “winners and losers.” Be respectful to those with whom you disagree. Be slow in anger and even slower to speak, email and post.
Its about God, People and Relationships not rules and laws
Know that you are always talking about someone’s child, grandchild or sibling. It is easy for us to objectify a conversation and forget the laws and commandments are for broken and sinful people in a broken and sin filled world.
Be Faithful in your intentional spiritual growth
This is a time for us to step up our faithfulness in the Christian life. Don’t let other people’s words or actions cause you to do harm to others or to compromise your Christian witness. We are accountable to Christ for what we do and say. We are not responsible for what other people do or say. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead you and do the best you can to express your hope in God’s redeeming grace for us all. (Romans 2.23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.)
The Government is not God
Remember: the Supreme Court, even it follows the constitution properly, does not speak for God and does not speak for the United Methodist Church. The General Conference Speaks for the church and the Discipline guides our practices. Our stance on these issues and our practices have not changed. The church only allows me to conduct and attend marriage of one man and one woman. The church values every person with equal value from God, who creates us all.
Trust and Follow the Holy Spirit
In conversation with our D.S. and Bishop I was reminded that as our United Methodist Church is a global body, a global church, and not simply a U. S. church, and it is not at all unusual for the legal, moral and spiritual to be in tension in our various countries. We continue to be the church even though we might be in contrast with the laws of many lands.
We are in this together
As your pastor, you are in my prayers, and as your pastor I ask for your prayers in this matter. We might be tempted to allow anger, fear or ignorance to rule the day, but I ask that we constantly seek to help each other live with current reality. Life is not easy at any time, but we must live trusting in the Holy Spirit’s guidance to enable us to minister to all people in the light of
God is with us.