A theme I often use in sermons is that it’s a great time to be the church. That puzzles some people because they see many congregations struggling, but sight is different from faith. Our living Lord is leading His church, so how can we not have confidence for the future?
Today’s church has unprecedented opportunities. Take a look at some newspaper headlines. From the New York Times: “President Stews and Aids Cringe as Inquiry Builds; Fuming over Mueller; Trump is Said to View Special Counsel as Partisan Foe.” From the Wall Street Journal: “Sessions Calls Allegations of Russia Collusion a Lie.” Those are only a few. You want to be an informed citizen but what does this do to your blood pressure?
There are two dynamics in Scripture and in life, the law and Gospel. The law, thou shalt this or thou shalt not that, promises good things and so we try to make things better through more Senate hearings, more legislation, and even more rules in church. Law is good but inevitably shows how corrupted we are by sin. That’s demonstrated by today’s headlines.
Your congregation should be different because the Gospel dominates. “Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not” are vital to the life of the Church, but not as the way to make things better. The futility of being dominated by law points us to the forgiving grace of God that is practiced in forgiving and loving congregational life. “The truth of the good news is entirely lost if it is not enacted in creative social relations that are apt to challenge central features of their cultural environment” (John Barclay, “Paul and the Gift,” 439). It’s a great time to be the church because our life together is a welcome contrast to so much else. Or should be.
Comments