Acts 5:27-32
We must obey God rather than any human authority.
We reach the point as Christians sometimes when we do nothing but complain about each other. We decide that we are right and every other view is wrong and we know what God wants us to believe and who are you to challenge us?
One of the pastors of an area church this week said publicly he was against gay marriage because Jesus says marriage is between a man and a woman. People are furious because this church has put on the persona of being more inclusive. My reading of the words of Jesus do not align with this pastor; I actually don't read that into what Jesus says at all, as he quotes from Genesis, but I refuse to be angry or lash out at this pastor for taking a stand. I do not have the sole authority to decide what Jesus means in any text. All of us are merely interpreters of scripture, based on our own traditions, reasoning, and life experiences.
We have got to quit 'lording our theological views' over one another. We have got to begin to see the world as Jesus saw it. We have got to let go of the idea that there is one way to think about God and it is my way. Liberals and conservatives are equally at fault for creating an atmosphere of in-fighting, and I don't mean just politically. Progressive thinking Christians often belittle or bemoan their conservative Christian brothers and sisters and vice versa. It is one of the many reasons our denomination seems to struggle so much. We fail to listen to one another, or at the very least just let one another be.
In the end, it is God we obey. God that lives within each of our hearts, souls, and minds. God that loves each of us, unconditionally. Until we are willing to obey what God is calling us to do, rather than what some 'human authority' might be calling us to do, we will never be able to fully claim the title Christian.
This month's sermon series is all about breaking free from things that keep us from being who God wants us to be. Imagine ice frozen solid on a lake. Then it warms a bit, and begins to thaw. But there are still ice particles stuck between the free flowing water and the ice bank. We are in that place. Needing to be free from the bondage of the ice bank, but unable to fully let go or commit to a new way of seeing life.
God's way is the one we follow. That's what Jesus did. They nailed him to a tree for it, but that's what he did. God created resurrection out of a situation that was based on intolerance. I challenge each of us to break free of the conventional wisdoms that hold us back and create resurrections in places we have barely tolerated before.
Who is it hard for you to love? What is hard for you to accept? What do you need to break free from to live abundantly? You are not alone. Remember, we are all caught somewhere between the frozen ice bank and the free flowing water.
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I feel that I need to step back and evaluate what I believe. I am no longer my parent's child, I am my own person. There were many things we did not discuss at my home when I was growing up. Homosexuality was one topic that my parents whispered about and we did not discuss. As an adult in this world, I am confronted by the topic more times than I can count. I have formed opinions based on today's world and believe that Jesus taught love and acceptance. That is what I hope I demonstrate in my daily living.
ReplyDeleteCan't help but reflect back on this great statement from a Hopi Elder:
ReplyDeleteThere is a river flowing very fast. It is so swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel that they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know that the river has a destination. The Elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river.
Keep our eyes open and our heads above the waters. And I say, see who is in there with you and Celebrate! At this time in history we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves. For the moment we do, our spiritual growth comes to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather your self’s together. Banish the word Struggle from your attitude and vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in Celebration!
I just love that!