Breaking the Chains that Bind Posts

Yesterday I read a post about the continuing trend of people leaving the church. In particular, this dealt with mainline churches, but can be applied across the board, with some exceptions in Africa, South America and, maybe some areas of Asia. These concerns have been voiced as long as I can remember. They have sparked worship wars and all sorts of new programs to meet people’s apparent wants and needs. From the seeker sensitive to the high liturgical, church leaders have scratched their collective heads looking for ways to keep people in the pews.
One more, Bishop Timothy Whitaker, a United Methodist from Florida has waded into the discussion. He wrote that what these churches may be experiencing is a resounding “No” from God regarding present paths of ecclesiastic practice. Rather than looking for new methods, they should be looking for fresh direction from God. Ok. But, the hoped for outcome is the same. If these churches find God’s path, then membership should grow and stabilize.
But, just for the sake of discussion, I think that’s still not the answer. I mean, so what? Do we have another committee to discuss the correct way to seek and discern God’s will and motivation? And, if they could possibly come to consensus, which is unrealistic, what then? Tear it down and start over? I am reminded about a particular baby and some bathwater. What if we are, actually, already within the will of God? What if we were to take seriously the statement, “many are called, but few are chosen”? Church decline would not be the source of so much anxiety. (Except, maybe for those whose livelihoods are tied to it.) This should in no way stifle our zeal to be ‘gospellers.’ We are still called to bring Yahweh’s reign to bear in this hurting world. But, our focus and concern would be on that rather than maintaining a church roster.

For a long time I have been wrestling with the lack of social awareness among professed Christians. There is an imbalance between the words spoken as “evangelistic” and the actions of justice and righteousness. This morning I was again reminded about this. And, I was rebuked by Yahweh. As I go to my meaningless job and realize that people have none; I am rebuked. As I sit in my comfortable, warm home and know that thousands sleep on the streets; I am rebuked. As I complain about not having something to eat while millions are starving; I am rebuked.
Yes, I give money to organizations that do the work. But, what am I doing? I, who have been blessed with the education, experience and training to actually make a difference in the lives of those who are in need. I am rebuked.

Well, the road-trip is over. 2,412 miles pulling a U-Haul trailer with a Toyota Corolla. That car is definitely not meant for that application, but it made it. I would like to offer cudos to the U-Haul folks. The original installer left the safety chains a bit low so they dragged on the ground. By the end of day 2 both were broken. I called the roadside assistance folks from a hotel in Amarillo, TX. The person I spoke with was very helpful. Within an hour a local U-Haul tech showed up in the parking lot and replaced both chains. Thanx, folks.
During my time away I had a lot of time for reading and reflection. One thing that came my way was another chapter of Spiritual Classics. This one was by Alan Paton, a South African clergyman. He wrote of the liberating reassurances in the Gospel. He noted that Jesus said that we are salt and light. “Things  might be dark but they were to  be the light of the world.” I started to think about this and realized that there have been many words spoken and ink spilled on the topic of ‘being light.’ How does light work? What are the characteristics of someone who is light? Christ is the light of the world, and we are called to be partner luminaries. But, what of the dark? Not too many people discuss this. The darkness is the place that we all live. Yes, we bring light so that the darkness can be pushed back. But, the world is a dark and hostile place. We try to make it more comfortable, but, let’s face it, we can’t tame it. It is wild and foreboding. There is danger. There are all sorts of nasties: weather, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, etc. There is hatred, intolerance, war, poverty, violence of all kinds, greed, murders…you get my point. So, we ask, what has God done about it? God, the omnipotent? God, the omniscient? God, the omnipresent? Has God tamed the seemingly untameable? Is God capable? No. God has made us salt and light. When we ask, “God, when will you do something”? The Divine response is, “I was wondering the same of you.” Paton wrote, “God moves in his own mysterious ways, but a great deal of the time he moves through us.” We are light. But it is God who directs the beam. And, let’s not forget that the light is the foreign element in this world. Darkness is the natural condition. But, the reign of God will overcome it.