I went to church today and it was not a Jubilee. I am fond of the people at my church. I care about their lives and I believe they care about mine. But we did not celebrate.
The Psalmist said, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” My heart longs to hear the Joy of the Sabbath, the Good News of Salvation, the Gospel preached from the pulpit. I long for a fellowship of believers to rejoice in the awesome power of the Creator and share the everyday miracles that we are witness to. I would like to be challenged to walk in Christ’s footsteps; to treat Jews and Samaritans, rich and poor, and the leprous untouchables with dignity and grace. He rose with healing in his wings. Teach me how to provide compassion and healing for those broken by sorrow and regret. He died to give us freedom, certainly we must honor that in the way we talk about and treat those that choose to believe and live differently than we do. I did not find any of that at church today. I did not find God. My heart remained empty.
The sermon today was on the law of God. The preacher admonished the faithful to do better while reminding us that we are indeed better than the homosexuals, abortionists and Sabbath breakers out there; a swift kick in the butt followed by a little pat on the back. It’s a tired formula. It made me sad and a little angry.
God’s law is perfect. It is the Eden we have lost, the Heaven we hope for. That’s the beauty and the joy of it. It is not a mighty stick to beat our friends and neighbors with. It is not a lofty platform to look down at the world from. Our church is not the perfect expression of the law. We are “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” We are foolish to think we are somehow better. “Behold I stand at the door and knock”, Jesus says in the next verse. “I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me.”* In spite of our sad and miserable state of affairs we are invited to a Sabbath banquet. Why do we settle week after week for merely a Sabbath observance?
*Revelation 3:17 & 20
We have finally found a church that you would like. It is a little Country Church, on Sand Mountain in Alabama. The first Time I went there, before the Sermon they had what they called Family Church prayer time, It lasted at least 30 minutes, It was where the people of the Church asked for prayer for someone or they spoke of someone that they met on a plane and shared Jesus with them, and they would ask for prayer for that total stranger. At sabbath school the whole class really studied the lessons, you could see their notations in the lessons, so the discussions were real. The Sermons are always enlightening,Uplifting, and thought provoking at times, using multiple Bible texts. I think you would like it, maybe you could come for a visit sometime.
ReplyDeleteDebi,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a lovely church. Are you a member?