Clergy love to complain that the Gospel is becoming irrelevant in the lives of their parishioners.
Some life-long church members will tell you that the Gospel does not inform their day to day lives.
Many people in the United States claim Jesus as Savior, and some of them claim Jesus is the Lord of their lives. From the tweets, Facebook posts, comments and actions we can easily see that the Good News of Jesus is not at the center of what they mean by those claims.
Instead of living what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us, as we have that in the Gospels, folk seem to justify how they live by a different set of values, while claiming Jesus' name.
Instead of saying and doing the right thing according to Jesus as the priority of many, their political, economic, philosophical and ideological perspectives seem to be fiercely embraced, even when they conflict with what is right according to Jesus, so they re-create Jesus in their own image.
For some, PRIVATIZED faith or a "me and Jesus" allows people to Worship, Praise and Tithe and believe that they have satisfied a Lord who commands us to love His body and the world, and whose teachings are almost always about community. Privatized faith leads to Spiritual Escapism in the face of social issues, which is NOT what Jesus taught.
For some, PURITY AND HOLINESS faith drives them to seek "self-righteousness", rather than seeing their righteousness in the Christ, who suffered and died to give it by Grace. An adherence of the Old Covenant Law replaces Jesus' Law of Agape Love in how we live with one another, so "loving neighbor as self" is disregarded. Purity and Holiness faith leads us to Supernatural Rescuism in the face of social issues, rather than living the Agape Love that Jesus taught us to live in the lives of others.
For others, PROSPERITY faith centers people squarely on themselves, doing what they must do to be more blessed and highly favored than others around them and treat Jesus like a cosmic ATM bank for monetary gain, rather than the Lord of every aspect of their lives who taught that ENOUGH is enough, and being thankful for having enough is an act of faith and faithfulness to God.
For some, especially clergy and church "achievers", CHURCH GROWTH faith is where it is at. It is all about "growing a church" to greater numbers and money. This often leads to the indoctrination of others, rather than living the love of the Gospel, which is the definition of evangelism.
For all of these, it is idolatry of self that is at the center. The Kingdom of God Values of Agape Love and Grace have their examples of Jesus for living in concern for the "other." Humility, self-denial, kindness and graciousness with others are valued in the Kingdom of God. Having and getting more for self, even striving for personal salvation reflects the values of the empire, against which Jesus taught.
All of these, and others reflect empire values, just as in the time of Jesus and the time in which the Gospels of witness to Jesus were written. God's Kingdom Values were shared by Jesus, centered on Agape Love (active commitment on behalf of the OTHER, even stranger and enemy, and especially the most vulnerable) and Grace (undeserved loving mercy, given freely). The were shared in the face of the empire values being lived around Him, centered on Greed, Lust for Power and Desire for Status. They do not allow folk to become Radical Christianists who can justify their intolerance of others who are not like them or do not believe like them. Today, some claim the name of Jesus, but reject His Gospel of Agape and Grace, because it would mean not getting the monetary wealth, the control over others and status in the world that the above twisted faith expressions promise to deliver. Following Jesus' Way, which is a better, more sustainable and just way, will not get individuals what they want in empire values. It will transform the world in love and grace.
I have seen this for many years, especially after 1981 and the Desolating Sacrilege of which Jesus spoke, when the Religious "Right" under Jerry Falwell and the Political "right" under Ronald Reagan got together and launched us into 37 years of growing in American Civil Religion instead of Christianity, many expressions of which are shared above. Parishioners have been given mixed messages or worse, non-mixed messages by "pastors" and "bishops" who claim to be people of God and who preach from everywhere but the Gospels and twist the Word of God to satisfy their personal gains in empire values, at the expense of those they are called to lead. I am not surprised by ANYTHING I hear from these false, guides, prophets and teachers anymore.
What surprises me and disappoints me most is the silence of clergy who know better. Some with whom I was trained and others I know were taught better have at best remained silent in the face of social phenomena that scream for Gospel enlightenment. Afraid that they my lose members if they preach and teach what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled as a better way and a way to resist the values of empire, they skirt issues that might be "controversial" in order not to offend their "constituents." Being pulpit politicians, rather than pastors of the Gospel, they also choose to collude with those who push twisted theologies that feed empire values. If they offend members, they might lose some of their money. If there are fewer folk in church for a while, they will lose some control in community and position in it, and lose status among other clergy, so any hope of the status of moving up in the "church" could be lost. Fear of being unpopular, a Junior High School concern, is straight out of the Quid Pro Quo empire values playbook. Allowing that to dictate what one preaches and teaches, over the Gospel teachings of Jesus, is a much more serious matter for a called servant of God.
The answer to faith is very simple. What did Jesus teach, command and model for how His followers, those who go where Jesus went, should live in THIS PART of God's Kingdom, here and now? What does "doing the right thing" mean for followers of Jesus?
If we want the Gospel to be relevant in our lives, in the church and in the world around us, we need but LIVE the Good News teachings, commands and examples of Jesus in every aspect of life in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now.
How relevant is the Gospel of Jesus - what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for His followers on how to live in this part of God's Kingdom - in how you live YOUR life?
Pastor Jamie
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