Which brings me back to the story I read during our Meditation Time this morning. We see God, we see Christ, in other people. And they see God, they see Christ, in us, especially when we act, when we live, doing the kinds of things Jesus did…meeting the needs of people, whatever those needs may be.
Y’all, the answers to these questions, the direction of the choices you make – every SINGLE choice – they will determine the future of humanity, of this world, of creation? Because God doesn’t ALWAYS work but sometimes, lots of the time, chooses to rest, and God has given us, YOU, the power to participate in creation. What will your participation be?
I started the sermon by talking about the character Dug from the animated movie “Up”. And Dug had this way of stopping the important stuff to chase after squirrels. I’ll bet there are some Christians out there, maybe even in HERE, who think of taking the time and effort to share love with and be present with the seemingly most unworthy people is akin to chasing after squirrels. But in my reading of the scriptures, in my reading of the life and ministry of Jesus, it’s pretty much everything ELSE that is akin to chasing after squirrels. It’s pretty much everything ELSE that comprises the interruptions.
Which gets me wondering: how are we, FCCGJ, doing when it comes to seeing the rules of our faith through the lens of loving and helping other people? Do we spend more time telling other people what to believe and how to live or more time shining the light of our love in the their lives? Do we spend more resources on ourselves or on others? In other words, are we following the rules made by people, even US, to help us feel comfortable and good about what we have, or are we doing everything we can to follow God’s rules?
Y’all, if Jesus is our Master, if Jesus is the head of the church, we WILL do the unexpected, unbelievable things he calls us to do…not because it will go better for us, but simply because he tells us to.
I don’t know what it is for you, but I know there is SOMETHING you can do to live a life that is more loving for others than it is at this moment. And THAT’s what God calls you to do.
Y’all, there ARE hungry people all around…even now. There are people who need a changed life. Maybe we can’t miraculously heal people or resurrect people the way Jesus could. But we can TALK with them and in conversation with them help them experience the amazing power of Jesus. It’s time to bring those hungry people in. It’s time to talk to people about your encounters with Jesus, about what you encounter here at First Christian Church, Grand Junction. It’s time to expect that when you start that conversation, it will be a conversation that will change someone’s life.
Because, here’s the thing, if we’re not living as a converted community, as a community converted in this trinity of relationships by our encounter with God through Christ and the Holy Spirit, what do we have to offer people that they can’t get anywhere else in our society? What would compel them to become a part of what God is doing here? Alternatively, if and WHEN we are living as a converted community, God’s Spirit will work through is to bring in a harvest beyond our wildest imagination.
Y’all, isn’t that what Church is supposed to be like? Us meeting the needs we encounter by using what God gives us to meet them? God making such a big difference through us that thousands of people every day are brought to praise God and become followers of Jesus? THAT is what Church is supposed to be. But what have we become?