I don't know how inspired I am right now, but I also know that I don't want what happened tonight at Emmaus to pass by without some thought, some reflection. So, here goes...
Sermon-in-the-round is what we do for a teaching moment within Emmaus Houses' worship experience. Our focus tonight was on Psalm 15, which is a short 5 verse song/prayer about who is worthy to enter into God's presence; to enter into God's holy sanctuary? What follows is a six phrases or qualifications for holy living that will get you access to God and God's house/place of worship. What followed was a lively discussion, filled with laughter, frustration, exasperation, and giggles over who and how one lives a holy life that grants them such access to God and God's blessings.
Bottom line: Is the list of six qualities of holy living in this psalm prescriptive or is the psalmist providing pictures or snapshots for the community of what holy living looks like and what the community should strive to be about in their living and sharing of life together?
Why do we within the church turn such lists into rules? Why do we say, if you really are a follower of Jesus and the living God, then you will do everything on this list. And if you don't, then you're not really a part of what we are about. Why do we use lists to exclude each other from God's circle instead of using them as pictures to guide our living together and encourage one another toward lives of "holy" living in loving and constructive ways? Why?
Before we ended our time together around bread and cup, I asked my community of faith to think about what they consider to be "holy" living. I asked them to think of such qualities as pictures instead of lists. I want to be able to visualize through their eyes what constitutes "holy" living as Jesus guides our lives together out into the real world where we live and breath and find ourselves day, after day, after day.
Is it easier for you to make a list or follow a list of do's and don'ts or are you a picture person, who finds comfort and encouragement in snapshots of faith and faithful living? Ponder that this week and let us know what you've discovered.
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I think we like to do lists. Keeps us from really thinking through stuff and making decisions for ourselves. I want them from my wife regarding stuff around the house. She says she is my wife not my mother. Maybe we want the church to be our mommy sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI think about the presecriptive/descriptive question in relationship to the pastoral epistles, and the offices and the role of leaders.
Thanks for the thoughts Friar! I don't want the church to be my mommy or my daddy. I want the church to act like a mature grownup and treat me the same. Maybe I treat the church more like a petulant teenager...o my goodness. Hmmm, something to ponder! Thanks for your perspective
ReplyDelete-m-