Sunday, October 21

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 26 & 6; Jeremiah 31:27-34; Luke 18:1-8; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

After spending most of the month reading Minor Prophets like Micah and Habbakuk, today we get to return to Jeremiah. And today’s passage from Jeremiah was especially meaningful to me. You see the reading from Jeremiah picks up what was one of my major learning during my sabbatical experience this past summer. My learning was this. Many mainline churches these days have adopted a second-hand approach toward the spiritual disciples. For instance, instead of reading the Bible for ourselves, we read books written about the Bible by others. Instead of praying or meditating, we settle for listening to others talk about their experiences of prayer and meditation. And instead of helping others face-to-face, we donate resources to help those who help others. Little by little, we have exchanged first-hand experiences of God for second-hand experiences. While we may think this trend is recent, today’s passage from Jeremiah reminds us this inclination has been around for centuries. How do I know this? Jeremiah’s words to his peers. The Message translates Jeremiah 31:33 to read: “They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They’ll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow.” In light of these words, I ask you to consider your own spiritual life. Is your spiritual life constructed on first-hand experiences of God or second-hand experiences? I invite you to take those second-hand experiences, and transform them into first hand experiences wherever possible; and see what happens to your spiritual life. Til next time…