Choose your master, slave
Why are we obsessed with what we get out of church? Why do I hear complaints of "I'm not being fed, I need to find another church." Why do we not instead just be the church wherever God has called us and make it a place of community, and depth and richness. If our needs are not being met, then perhaps we are being asked instead to serve. Discipleship is a call to service after all.
If it is harder for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven, then how much harder is it for an American or a Western Christian to get in? Is this why our churches are overall so tepid and consumeristic? Is this why the gospel is a commodity to be marketed instead of a truth to be lived? Is this why persecuted churches in Asia, Africa and other developing areas are growing with no resources but the Spirit and sometimes not even the word of God in everyone's hands?
How do we avoid being Pharisees and instead become true disciples? We are already slaves but we are able to choose our master. Help us to choose wisely.
Micah Girl
If it is harder for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven, then how much harder is it for an American or a Western Christian to get in? Is this why our churches are overall so tepid and consumeristic? Is this why the gospel is a commodity to be marketed instead of a truth to be lived? Is this why persecuted churches in Asia, Africa and other developing areas are growing with no resources but the Spirit and sometimes not even the word of God in everyone's hands?
"Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him. So he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God." Luke 16:10-15
How do we avoid being Pharisees and instead become true disciples? We are already slaves but we are able to choose our master. Help us to choose wisely.
Micah Girl
posted by MicahGirl at 10:10 AM
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One of the matriarchs of my church is a very vigorous 80-something who has lived and worked all her life in the little hamlet where our congregation is located; was baptized, confirmed and married in our church; has served our church in a multitude of ways for decades, and until recently did most of the janitorial work there. She stayed faithful to our congregation even when, a decade or so ago, it was hard to find 20 people in the pews on a Sunday, and when its demise seemed inevitable, and she is faith today, when we are growing to the point where we need to expand our worship space -- the first major building renovation since the church was built during WW I.
Not too long ago during some congregational function involving food (they usually do), I was sitting next to her, and the conversation got around to So-and-So's quitting our church because she was angry with something the pastor had said. My octogenarian friend responded firmly, "Pastors come and pastors go, but this is my church."
How many people my age have this kind of commitment to our faith community?
How true it is!
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