Today’s Readings: Psalm 38; Joshua 2:1-14; John 4:43-54; 1 Corinthians 5:6-13; Psalm 64
As someone who spent the bulk of his early vocational life working outside the church, I realize that I often have a very different perspective on how an institutional body should act. When it comes to dealing with those currently outside the church, for instance, many church folk think of them in one of two ways. Either they think of them as recipients of their mission work, or they think of them as potential new members of their church. So what other ways are there to view those outside one’s faith community? Well, today’s reading from Joshua gives us a glimpse of another possibility. In that passage, we hear the story of two spies whom Joshua sent to Jericho to scout the land. Who did they encounter when they first got to Jericho? Rahab. A “harlot”. And how did they deal with Rahab when the encountered her - did they try to turn her into a mission project, or get her to follow them back and become a part of their faith community? No. They simply took her at face value. So what became of Rahab as a result of the spies’ approach? Well, we know from the genealogy put forth in the first chapter of Matthew that Rahab became an ancestor of Jesus’. So what should we make of this – should we assume this was a tacit endorsement of Rahab’s vocation? I don’t think so. The lesson I draw from it is that amazing things happen when we engage someone for who they are rather than for whom we would like them to become. Such an act of radical hospitality allows room for God’s transformative grace to enter into the other’s life and accomplish things that we would otherwise think impossible. Today, I would ask you to watch yourself in one of your interacts with someone who you have very specific plans for (i.e. a loved one who you want to quit smoking, start attending church, lose weight, etc). See if you can move beyond your narrow agenda and simply connect with that individual for whom they are – and let God take care of the rest. Til next time…
As someone who spent the bulk of his early vocational life working outside the church, I realize that I often have a very different perspective on how an institutional body should act. When it comes to dealing with those currently outside the church, for instance, many church folk think of them in one of two ways. Either they think of them as recipients of their mission work, or they think of them as potential new members of their church. So what other ways are there to view those outside one’s faith community? Well, today’s reading from Joshua gives us a glimpse of another possibility. In that passage, we hear the story of two spies whom Joshua sent to Jericho to scout the land. Who did they encounter when they first got to Jericho? Rahab. A “harlot”. And how did they deal with Rahab when the encountered her - did they try to turn her into a mission project, or get her to follow them back and become a part of their faith community? No. They simply took her at face value. So what became of Rahab as a result of the spies’ approach? Well, we know from the genealogy put forth in the first chapter of Matthew that Rahab became an ancestor of Jesus’. So what should we make of this – should we assume this was a tacit endorsement of Rahab’s vocation? I don’t think so. The lesson I draw from it is that amazing things happen when we engage someone for who they are rather than for whom we would like them to become. Such an act of radical hospitality allows room for God’s transformative grace to enter into the other’s life and accomplish things that we would otherwise think impossible. Today, I would ask you to watch yourself in one of your interacts with someone who you have very specific plans for (i.e. a loved one who you want to quit smoking, start attending church, lose weight, etc). See if you can move beyond your narrow agenda and simply connect with that individual for whom they are – and let God take care of the rest. Til next time…
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