"In the Neighborhood"

Mark 12:13-17, 28-34

Based on the book The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon

I am just finishing a good book recommended by Biff Warren (see above).  This book is about how we can transform the world by just getting to know our actual neighbors. That we should stop focusing so much on our metaphorical neighbors around the world (although they, too, are important to us) and spend a lot of time and energy cultivating the relationships in our own backyards.

I have talked to some of you about this and fortunately many of you do know your actual neighbors, but I'm not sure that we collectively do. Does NUMC know who our neighbors are?  And if we don't, what can we do to change that?

We will spend the next month exploring some of the concepts of  becoming good neighbors found in this book.  Finding ways to live into Jesus' greatest commandment.  It might truly help us to actual live into our motto "Embrace the community; transform the world."  Maybe a better word or phrase than embrace might be "Know" or "Become Friends with"

What if we said, "Know the community; transform the world," or "Become friends with the community; transform the world?"

Dave Runyon in this book suggests that if everyone who believes in Jesus actually did love their neighbor as themselves, then it really would change the world.  He says if everyone simply got to know their neighbors, it would change everything.

In Mark 12, legal experts are carefully scrutinizing Jesus' words and actions, hoping to trip him up somewhere. They ask him if people should pay taxes because isn't that pledging allegiance to Caesar. Jesus says, "give Caesar what is Caesar's and give God what is God's."  They then ask him what commandment is most important and he says "love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself," saying there is no greater commandment than this.

So Jesus tells those who are scrutinizing him most that the laws and rules of order in life are there for a reason, but that they are trivial in the end, because what truly matters is that we love one another.

When I've been frustrated lately with the concerns of the world, I have been saying to myself, "Love first."  How might our neighborhood look different if we said "Love first." or "A friend loves at all times" as we as a church body seek to engage our actual neighbors.

It is challenging and exciting to think about church outside the walls.  What do you think?

Email me at peverhart@niwotumc.org or click on the link below to comment.