Wednesday, July 15

Today’s Readings: Psalm 58; 2 Samuel 1:1-16; Mark 4:10-20; Ephesians 4:7-16; Psalm 68

If I were to ask you, “What would you think of a person who tried to function in the world with a 6th or 7th grade level of math?”, you would probably say that person is in serious need of additional math skills in order to fully function in our society. If I followed that question up by asking, “What would you think of a person who tried to function with a 6th or 7th grade level of English?”; once again you would probably say that person is in serious need of additional English skills. And yet one of the ironies is that many Christians in the pews of our local churches haven’t regularly participated in Christian Education/Spiritual Formation programs since they were confirmed in the church in the 6th or 7th grade. Even worse, some have justified their lack of participation by saying, “It’s a good thing I don’t fill my head with those high faluting (sp?) ideas. I am content to hold on to the faith I have from my childhood.” Many folks who would say this equate being faithful with believing what you were taught in Sunday school as a child. That’s too bad. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Roughly two thousand years ago the author of today’s passage from Ephesians wrote: "No prolonged infancies among us, please… God wants us to grow up, the know the whole truth and tell it in love” (Ephesians 4:14 from The Message). So today I wonder where you are at with this notion of becoming “fully mature adults, fully developed within and without” (Ephesians 4:13 from The Message). Are you actively engaged in efforts to grow and expand your faith – the seeds of which may have been planted in your childhood; or would you rather hold on to the faith of your childhood and ignore your potential for spiritual growth and development? Til next time…