Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 119:56-104; Ezekiel 31:1-11; John 6:41-51; 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17
If you were to ask me which group of Christians I have the hardest time getting along with, you might be surprised by my answer. Some who know me well, for instance, might expect me to say those who are self-righteous. And yes, those who are humility-impaired do bring me an inordinate amount of grief. Others might expect me to say those who are judgmental. Once again, this response would have to rank right up there. But you would still be missing the group that most challenges me. So who’s left? Let me tell you. The group that most pushes my buttons are those who try to take credit for initiating their relationship with God. Those, for example, who throw around the phrase “born again” as if it were a badge of honor they could claim credit for; or those who would restrict the sacrament of baptism only to those who can give intellectual assent. So if we aren’t responsible for our initiating our relationship with God, then who does initiate the relationship? Get ready for a radical response (drum roll, please): God!!! You get a taste of that in a couple places in today’s readings. In today’s passage from 2 Corinthians we heard words like “God had opened the door; all I had to do was walk through it” (2 Corinthians 2:12 – The Message) and “In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade” (2 Corinthians 2:14 – The Message). Of course the notion that our relationship is built on God’s initiative and not ours isn’t limited just to our reading from 2 Corinthians. The author of John’s Gospel quotes Jesus as saying, “You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me – that’s the only way you’ll ever come” (John 6:44 – The Message). So what’s your take on the issue? Do you feel as if you are the initiator in your relationship with God, or do you feel as if God is the initiator? My question might seem like just a play on words to some, but I’ve found over the years that how you answer that simple question goes a long way in determining the character and nature of your faith. Til next time…
If you were to ask me which group of Christians I have the hardest time getting along with, you might be surprised by my answer. Some who know me well, for instance, might expect me to say those who are self-righteous. And yes, those who are humility-impaired do bring me an inordinate amount of grief. Others might expect me to say those who are judgmental. Once again, this response would have to rank right up there. But you would still be missing the group that most challenges me. So who’s left? Let me tell you. The group that most pushes my buttons are those who try to take credit for initiating their relationship with God. Those, for example, who throw around the phrase “born again” as if it were a badge of honor they could claim credit for; or those who would restrict the sacrament of baptism only to those who can give intellectual assent. So if we aren’t responsible for our initiating our relationship with God, then who does initiate the relationship? Get ready for a radical response (drum roll, please): God!!! You get a taste of that in a couple places in today’s readings. In today’s passage from 2 Corinthians we heard words like “God had opened the door; all I had to do was walk through it” (2 Corinthians 2:12 – The Message) and “In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade” (2 Corinthians 2:14 – The Message). Of course the notion that our relationship is built on God’s initiative and not ours isn’t limited just to our reading from 2 Corinthians. The author of John’s Gospel quotes Jesus as saying, “You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me – that’s the only way you’ll ever come” (John 6:44 – The Message). So what’s your take on the issue? Do you feel as if you are the initiator in your relationship with God, or do you feel as if God is the initiator? My question might seem like just a play on words to some, but I’ve found over the years that how you answer that simple question goes a long way in determining the character and nature of your faith. Til next time…
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