3/22/23
Well, I’m having the Lentiest Lent I’ve ever Lented! The closest to it was when I voluntarily became a vegan during Lent (the “Daniel Fast”), eating an insipid diet of veggies, with crude imitations of real food . . . fake meats making empty promises . . . 6 years later, it still makes me mad!
This Lent, I didn’t have a choice! Since March 1, I’ve given up red meat, caffeine, carbonation, etc. - anything that could cause irritation and inflammation (in other words, anything FUN). And my birthday is next Tuesday (did you see how I slipped that in?), and I would surely like to celebrate with something good to eat!
But the good news is I met with my gastroenterologist yesterday, and he thinks my problem is with the muscle just below my vocal cords, and he thinks it will be an easy fix. I go for a test in the morning. . . I would appreciate your prayers! Holy Week is coming and I have to get my voice back!
But one thing I have been able to do, and one that has kept me from going crazy, is read and reflect and plan upcoming sermons. Usually in the summer, during our “Camp Meeting Days,” I preach from one of Paul’s letters. This summer I’m feeling led to preach from the book of Romans.
Over these last weeks, I’ve been preaching on “Loving the Other,” focusing on outsiders who came to Jesus – the Centurion, the Samaritan woman, the Canaanite woman and, this week, a notorious, sinful woman. We’ve also talked about reconciliation, and how God chose to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of the cross” (Colossians 1:20), and how reconciliation touches every relationship in our life. Then, in today’s Bible reading from John 17, where Jesus prays for his disciples, we read:
“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe [that’s us!] in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
“That they all may be one . . . so that the world may believe.” Christian unity points toward Christ. Why? Because it is only in Christ that true unity is possible! (“Waitaminute,” you’re probably asking, “what does this have to do with Romans?” Just stick with me) . Unity across all the traditional divides is something a secular society may dream of, but will never achieve on its own, because there are a lot of people who get a lot of power and make a lot of money by keeping us focused on our divisions.
Sin divides. Christ unites. Ageism, sexism, racism, schism of any sort . . . the only “ism” in the church should be evangelism, because from a Christian perspective there are only two categories of people: those who are in Christ and those who are not. According to II Corinthians 5, God has entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation, so our goal is to eliminate the second category and make sure that everyone is in Christ!
And once we’re in Christ, Christian unity is important because it shows the world a way of living peacefully together they cannot know on their own.
You can’t legislate it. You can pass laws to do away with discrimination but that won’t solve the problem. It won’t change a person’s heart. I grew up in Alabama in the 60’s – I speak from experience! It’s like the old Dennis the Menace cartoon: Dennis has been spanked and is sitting in the corner. He tells his mother, “I may be sitting down on the outside but on the inside I’m standing up!” The problem lies deeper than any law can reach.
You can legislate fairness but that won’t achieve love. You can’t even legislate an anemic substitution like tolerance, much less love.
You might bring about union, but unity and union are not the same. As my pastor in Houston, Texas, used to point out, you can take two cats, tie their tails together and throw them over a clothesline. You’ll have union, but you will not have unity.
Jesus called us to love one another. And the only thing that will bring about true Christian unity is keeping our hearts and minds focused on why God has brought us into existence to begin with: “Loving God . . . Loving Others.”
As I said earlier, I’ve felt led to preach on the closing chapters of the book of Romans this summer. Why the closing chapters? All of Paul’s letters fall into two parts: doctrine and practice. In Romans, doctrine takes up chapters 1-11 and practice is the focus of chapters 12-16, and in these last 4 chapters we find out why Paul has written the first part of the book. For me, the key is found in Paul’s prayer for the church in Rome. It will be the main theme for the summer (and beyond):
“May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5-6).
“Harmony . . . together . . . with one voice.” Unity. As Jesus prayed, “that they all may be one, that the world may believe.” I’m looking forward to exploring this together, with one strong, healthy voice.
Blessings,
Pastor Terry