choosing the better part

Luke 10:38-42 from the lectionary for July 21st

It was not because she was a woman.
The rich young man "lack(ed) one thing."
We lose sight of what is important, often.  All of us do it.  We fail just to BE.
We get all caught up in the activities of the day and forget to just BE with God, to just learn from Jesus, to just experience the love of God and give our love to God.

We are human doings.  No.  We are human beings.
We are to be in relationship with God.  Sometimes that means not DOING at all, but just BEING.
We need to take the time to BE with God in prayer, worship, the word and meditation.
It helps us with the DOING of Agape Love in the world.  It prepares us, inspires us and moves us.

Lots of folk in the church are about the doing.
Followers of Jesus are about the being.  We ARE Agape Love in time, as what we do is an expression of it, but also is our very BEING.
Sometimes, the better part is just being.
There is a time to do and a time to be.  We need both.

To quote the apostle Sinatra - "do be do be do"
OK, sorry.

We need only one thing - to listen to Jesus.  It is the better part of everything.
Then we can DO as Jesus commanded - live Agape Love - active commitment on behalf of other.

Just for the record, I am a strong critic of those who worship, praise and tithe and think that is an end to their requirement for their only real concern - their personal salvation.

I believe that Jesus commands those who would follow Him to live Agape Love in the world, actively committed to committed action on behalf of even the stranger, enemy and most vulnerable in the world. (see last week's blog)

We are commanded to DO.
But first we must sit at Jesus' feet and BE his followers, especially to learn what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us.
Then, at times we must just BE with Jesus and one another in the body to lift up ourselves and each other, and BE lifted up by God.

BE DO BE DO BE DO...

Pastor Jamie