Today’s Readings: Psalm 52; Hosea 13:4-9; Matthew 23:29-39; 1 Thessalonians 5:8-15; Psalm 10
Several years ago my parents joined the local chapter of a weight-loss group called TOPS. The acronym stands for: Take Off Pounds Sensibly. Right away they fell in love with the group and started getting immediate results. One day I was visiting with my Mom and she was raving about the group. “I’ve never been in a group that’s friendlier and more genuinely supportive of one another,” she said. “You really feel like every one is rooting for you!” “Really,” I paused before adding, “not even in church?” There was a moment of quiet. You see my Mom is one of the most devoted people I’ve ever met in my life when it comes to her participation in her local church. In fact she’s belonged to the same one for each and every one of her 73 years! “Nope, not even church.” As someone who is deeply committed to the life of our local churches, I asked, “Why not? Why don’t our local churches provide the kind of support that this weight-loss group can provide?” And my question started a long discussion on the current state of our local churches. The highlights of that conversation sounded a lot like the words that Paul wrote in today’s passage from 1 Thessalonians – for that passage spells out the things my mom valued in her weight-loss group – things that were missing from her local church. The members of the weight-loss group honor the lay leaders in their community - unlike many of our local churches who constantly criticize their lay leadership. They overwhelm their lay leaders in their community with appreciation and love - unlike many of our local churches that shower their leaders with angry phone calls and rigid demands. The weight-loss group also encouraged stragglers and reached out for those who were exhausted rather than expecting the new people or visitors fit in and simply pretend to be “our kind of people”. And finally, the members of the weight-loss group regularly looked for the best in each other and not the worst. As I listened to Mom’s words, I told her, “It sounds like you have found a real church. One that meets on Thursdays rather than Sundays: one that meets in a gymnasium rather than a sanctuary.” She smiled. “Now, I have a homework assignment for you,” I added. “What’s that?” “Take those values and those ways of being from your TOPS group and bring them back into the life of your local church.” Today, I would give you a similar assignment. If you are involved in a local church or faith community that isn’t living up to the words Paul gave us today in the passage from 1 Thessalonians, embody those words yourselves and take them to church with you. Whatever you do DO NOT sit back and wait for others to do that first - or you might find yourself waiting a long time for Paul’s values to show up in your faith community! You might be surprised when the entire dynamics of your faith community begin to shift simply because of your new way of being. It won’t take long before your local church ceases to settle for simply being an institution and allows itself to be transformed into something much better: the body of Christ. Til next time…
Several years ago my parents joined the local chapter of a weight-loss group called TOPS. The acronym stands for: Take Off Pounds Sensibly. Right away they fell in love with the group and started getting immediate results. One day I was visiting with my Mom and she was raving about the group. “I’ve never been in a group that’s friendlier and more genuinely supportive of one another,” she said. “You really feel like every one is rooting for you!” “Really,” I paused before adding, “not even in church?” There was a moment of quiet. You see my Mom is one of the most devoted people I’ve ever met in my life when it comes to her participation in her local church. In fact she’s belonged to the same one for each and every one of her 73 years! “Nope, not even church.” As someone who is deeply committed to the life of our local churches, I asked, “Why not? Why don’t our local churches provide the kind of support that this weight-loss group can provide?” And my question started a long discussion on the current state of our local churches. The highlights of that conversation sounded a lot like the words that Paul wrote in today’s passage from 1 Thessalonians – for that passage spells out the things my mom valued in her weight-loss group – things that were missing from her local church. The members of the weight-loss group honor the lay leaders in their community - unlike many of our local churches who constantly criticize their lay leadership. They overwhelm their lay leaders in their community with appreciation and love - unlike many of our local churches that shower their leaders with angry phone calls and rigid demands. The weight-loss group also encouraged stragglers and reached out for those who were exhausted rather than expecting the new people or visitors fit in and simply pretend to be “our kind of people”. And finally, the members of the weight-loss group regularly looked for the best in each other and not the worst. As I listened to Mom’s words, I told her, “It sounds like you have found a real church. One that meets on Thursdays rather than Sundays: one that meets in a gymnasium rather than a sanctuary.” She smiled. “Now, I have a homework assignment for you,” I added. “What’s that?” “Take those values and those ways of being from your TOPS group and bring them back into the life of your local church.” Today, I would give you a similar assignment. If you are involved in a local church or faith community that isn’t living up to the words Paul gave us today in the passage from 1 Thessalonians, embody those words yourselves and take them to church with you. Whatever you do DO NOT sit back and wait for others to do that first - or you might find yourself waiting a long time for Paul’s values to show up in your faith community! You might be surprised when the entire dynamics of your faith community begin to shift simply because of your new way of being. It won’t take long before your local church ceases to settle for simply being an institution and allows itself to be transformed into something much better: the body of Christ. Til next time…
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