saving souls? discipleship?

I was not brought up in, nor live in a religious culture of saving souls. The Church of the Brethren is a simple living, earthy, common sense discipleship sort of denomination. I think back over my life, and see so many hands involved in my faith development.........some very wise of mind persons, and some very wise of living persons. Deep in my core, my discipleship has bloomed and affects the outer parts of my being. There is nothing shallow there. That is not to say that I am not shallow. I can be as shallow as the next person.

As I read and meditate upon Matthew 25:30ff (the parable that Jesus tells that puts himself as the main character, sitting high on a throne separating sheep from goats, the doers from the ignorant) I am more and more drawn to the theological understanding that the confusion of those for whom Christ lavishes praise is based on the fact that they didn't know they were serving Christ, didn't know they were meeting some need, didn't know that they were accomplishing anything.

This 'not knowing' is key to the parable. When was the last time that someone you cared about was ill, was in financial trouble, had a relational crisis? Your response would be to support, see them through it, provide a few meals, maybe pay a couple of bills.........with no thought as to your own reward. Then months or years later that person sits with you and says "I just wanted to let you know that I wouldn't have been able to get through that bad patch without you. Thank you." We are often stunned by such commentary......we don't know what they are talking about. We simple did what was part of the relationship to do.

And that is the other key.

Christ calls us into relationships.......not to simply support and care for our friends, but to engage with all of God's children who are brought into our lives, in deep relationship. Those in the parable who are cast out are the ones who didn't get the connection between themselves and Christ, themselves and their neighbor, themselves and God's wide creation. They didn't get beyond their own nose.

Truly, it is in the relationships and the connection that we find God, Christ, one another. In that finding, we save our souls. Here and now. Yes, sure in the eternal to come as well. But right now we can live a life of abundance and connectedness. Ah, how glorious.

amsgr

striving after strivings

I seek to build a family of good people who desire to lift the veil of life's frustration and fear through the experience of poetic living and creative spiritualities. Old Guard and Gatekeepers need not apply.

~Travis Poling's blog Radical Pie

I read this a few weeks ago, and I keep finding myself returning to it. How do we know when we've become the gatekeeper or old guard? I want to know when I've arrived at being one who lifts the veil and lets down the guard. What happens if we just stumble into this new land, new family, and are not aware of it?

After I graduated from seminary and was in the pastorate, I began to recognize the community and education that was granted to me during my masters program. Was I just too in the middle to notice it while it was happening?

How do we know when we are just self satisfied, and when we've actually arrived at a place that we sought to create? Is there anything wrong with staying there for a little while? Taking deep breathes of the clear air, resting our muscles, shifting our gear.............in order to head out in a new way?

I think so. I think it is a beautiful thing to be in a place we thought we could only imagine. I would want that created place for others, too (their created place, not my created place...unless mine is theirs).........not just simply striving after strivings.....with no thought of arriving.

asgr

CommonSense EveryDay Church

I was just reading Brian McLaren's website Deep Shift, with info about his EverythingMustChange tour.

Good stuff. Well, good stuff if you like change. If you like considering things deeply.

I do.

Our church is about to head into a deep shift. Here are a few of my untested, early articulated thoughts on church.........feel free to challenge or take me further along the road........

I dream of a church that comes together to worship and to be inspired........and then heads out into the community to "be". Not so much "do". There is doing in the being, but the primary work is to seize the who of who we are and then live it. Called to be a computer geek? Then do it with high standards, integrity, fairness. Called to work at a seminary? Then do it with high standards, integrity, sacred space. Called to teach? Teach well, grow your students. Called to do acupuncture? Then do it with a heart for the poor, the sick and not the bottom line. Called to work somewhere? Work well, be on time, demonstrate honesty and trustworthiness. Called to be a high school student who lives differently than your peers? Do it with style. Let others take note.

Our evangelism then comes when those we work with, impact and encounter say "Wow, you're different". Then we can explain why. We can then explain that we live another way, peacefully simply and together. That we are not into the behaviors of gossip, slander and hate..........that we revel in forgiving and being forgiven.....that while imperfect, we strive to be more attuned to the Holy.......that God is our center and reason for all things.

A church can have a soup kitchen, can have youth clubs, can women's fellowships: but if it isn't a common sense everyday church, it is nothing. Each one of us can evaluate the church programming to see if it is what the church needs to be. New paradigm, old paradigm......doesn't matter. As long as the church (local) is what God has called into being.

asgr