Today’s Readings: Psalm 43; Malachi 4:1-5; Matthew 25:1-13; 1 Corinthians 2:1-6; Psalm 44
There is definitely a shift in people’s consciousness when it comes to living out their faith these days. This shift seems to have caught individuals who live their faith lives on each of the extremes a bit off guard. Folks on the far right, for instance, were used to presenting their faith as something contained primarily in their mind – a set of doctrines to believe in and a set of rules to profess. “That’s all you needed in order to live a life of faith,” they would say. Folks on the far left were also use to presenting their faith as something contained primarily in their mind - a willingness to question authority and a willingness to profess the sacred worth of all of God’s creatures. “That’s all you needed in order to live a life of faith,” they would say. Over the course of the twentieth century, folks from each of the extremes started to increase their bickering with each other about whose approach to living out their faith was right. Much of the bickering involving everything from abortion to homosexuality to the role of Scripture was the result of people living out their commitment to what I would call “conceptualized” faith: faith tailor made for one’s head. Folks outside these two camps started longing for a different way of engaging one’s faith: a way of translating one’s faith from thoughts into actions - a way that involved both head and heart. I am one of these folks who developed such a longing. Folks like myself who long for this different way of engaging one’s faith would draw much encouragement from Paul’s words to the Corinthians in today’s reading for here Paul wrote: “You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple” (1 Corinthians 2:2 from The Message). My question for your consideration today is this: if folks who knew you were asked to characterize your faith, what words would they use: words like plain and simple or some other words? Til next time…
There is definitely a shift in people’s consciousness when it comes to living out their faith these days. This shift seems to have caught individuals who live their faith lives on each of the extremes a bit off guard. Folks on the far right, for instance, were used to presenting their faith as something contained primarily in their mind – a set of doctrines to believe in and a set of rules to profess. “That’s all you needed in order to live a life of faith,” they would say. Folks on the far left were also use to presenting their faith as something contained primarily in their mind - a willingness to question authority and a willingness to profess the sacred worth of all of God’s creatures. “That’s all you needed in order to live a life of faith,” they would say. Over the course of the twentieth century, folks from each of the extremes started to increase their bickering with each other about whose approach to living out their faith was right. Much of the bickering involving everything from abortion to homosexuality to the role of Scripture was the result of people living out their commitment to what I would call “conceptualized” faith: faith tailor made for one’s head. Folks outside these two camps started longing for a different way of engaging one’s faith: a way of translating one’s faith from thoughts into actions - a way that involved both head and heart. I am one of these folks who developed such a longing. Folks like myself who long for this different way of engaging one’s faith would draw much encouragement from Paul’s words to the Corinthians in today’s reading for here Paul wrote: “You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple” (1 Corinthians 2:2 from The Message). My question for your consideration today is this: if folks who knew you were asked to characterize your faith, what words would they use: words like plain and simple or some other words? Til next time…
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