Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 131; Isaiah 49:13-23; Luke 4:38-44; 1 Corinthians 5:1-15; Psalm 56
If I asked most folks what the greatest threat facing the church today is, I’m sure I would get a wide variety of answers. After 5-½ years of parish ministry, I can guarantee that few – if any - of their answers would shock me. Many of the folks I asked, however, might be shocked if I were to share with them my answer to that question. The greatest threat to the integrity and well-being of the church that I would identify is a short two-word phrase: being nice. “Being nice is the greatest threat to the church?!” they might ask incredulously upon hearing my answer. Absolutely! Let me tell you why I say that. Over the first 40 years of my life, I have seen a wide variety of behaviors in churches. Some of that behavior has been loving, grace-filled, and merciful; other behavior has not. Not only has some of the behavior I have seen in church not been loving, grace-filled, and merciful – some of that behavior has been downright mean, cruel, and self-centered. And how do many folks in church communities deal with these hurtful behaviors when they stumble upon them? They ignore them. And why do they ignore these behaviors – this “dis-ease” and let people get away with it? Because somewhere along the way many Christians thought that if we were to be loving and Christ-like, that meant that we needed to adopt an “anything goes” approach toward others and their behaviors. Paul challenges that conclusion in his writing from today’s passage from 1 Corinthians. Eugene Peterson paraphrases Paul’s message to the community regarding destructive behaviors as follows: “You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master” (1 Corinthians 5:3-4 – The Message). The passage reminds us that there can be a HUGE difference between being loving and being nice. The next time you are confronted with seriously unhealthy behavior (gossip, misrepresentation, lying, cheating, etc.), fight what might be your first instinct to “be nice” and try following Paul’s admonition. See what happens when you expose the dis-ease by bringing it into the open. With the Spirit’s help, one of the most loving things possible might just happen: God might just heal the dis-ease. Til next time…
If I asked most folks what the greatest threat facing the church today is, I’m sure I would get a wide variety of answers. After 5-½ years of parish ministry, I can guarantee that few – if any - of their answers would shock me. Many of the folks I asked, however, might be shocked if I were to share with them my answer to that question. The greatest threat to the integrity and well-being of the church that I would identify is a short two-word phrase: being nice. “Being nice is the greatest threat to the church?!” they might ask incredulously upon hearing my answer. Absolutely! Let me tell you why I say that. Over the first 40 years of my life, I have seen a wide variety of behaviors in churches. Some of that behavior has been loving, grace-filled, and merciful; other behavior has not. Not only has some of the behavior I have seen in church not been loving, grace-filled, and merciful – some of that behavior has been downright mean, cruel, and self-centered. And how do many folks in church communities deal with these hurtful behaviors when they stumble upon them? They ignore them. And why do they ignore these behaviors – this “dis-ease” and let people get away with it? Because somewhere along the way many Christians thought that if we were to be loving and Christ-like, that meant that we needed to adopt an “anything goes” approach toward others and their behaviors. Paul challenges that conclusion in his writing from today’s passage from 1 Corinthians. Eugene Peterson paraphrases Paul’s message to the community regarding destructive behaviors as follows: “You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master” (1 Corinthians 5:3-4 – The Message). The passage reminds us that there can be a HUGE difference between being loving and being nice. The next time you are confronted with seriously unhealthy behavior (gossip, misrepresentation, lying, cheating, etc.), fight what might be your first instinct to “be nice” and try following Paul’s admonition. See what happens when you expose the dis-ease by bringing it into the open. With the Spirit’s help, one of the most loving things possible might just happen: God might just heal the dis-ease. Til next time…
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