My brand of Christian witness, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is like many mainline denominations living through a period of contraction: membership, financial, relevance in culture, and ministry focus. Some of this can be attributed to changing culture, but of late I’ve wondered if we’ve forgotten how to be in relationship? This means that the dysfunction of our political system, our polemic culture, and hyper consumerism has reshaped Christianity at large and the CC(DOC) expression of being Christian. Don’t misunderstand, change is part of living and part of institutional life, but I’ve wondered what H. Richard Niebuhr would have to say about Christ, Culture, and Christianity today.
Enter Seth Godin, a marketing guy, whose words are instructive and worth reflection for local congregations and for denominations as a whole.
And, for those serving in ministry in my denomination here is a self awareness exercise from Godin.
Two of the texts from the Lectionary for Sunday are worth meditating upon. One is Jesus continuing a talk with the disciples, through the eyes of Matthew, as they prepare to go out and be good news without Jesus. The other is the Psalm which is that prayer we may murmur to ourselves when congregational life is hard, dysfunctional, and has one asking, “Why am I in ministry?”
“A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10: 24-39)
Matthew’s understanding of the capability of the way of Jesus to stir up relationships within family and faith communities is descriptive of his context and our own as well. We see it all around us and within our denominational context as well. Is Jesus seriously claiming that his God, the Lord, takes sides or are we witnessing satire because the author of Matthew has left out a line or two? We often think this is a prophetic Jesus preparing the disciples for the big bad world, but it may simply be a statement of the state of culture and Jewish community through the eyes of the author of Matthew. How would you have Jesus sum up the current state of your congregation right now? Question: who do you know that has lost their life, for Jesus’ sake, and found it? What are we to make of that statement in the 21st century?
Intercession . . .
Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all day long.
Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my cry of supplication.
In the day of my trouble I call on you, for you will answer me.
There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.
Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, the insolent rise up against me; a band of ruffians seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the child of your serving girl. Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me. (Psalm 86)
Remembering . . .
Families traveling for vacation, soccer tournaments, and all the other places they go;
The ministers seeking creative paths for their congregations to be relevant voices of Gospel in their communities;
Doctors and nurses helping heal the persons we care for;
The waring divisions within Islam and the refugees that all war, particularly religious war, displace; and
The politicians the represent us that they will shake off their beliefs, political and religious, and once again govern through community rather than labeled division.
O God we seek your wisdom, guidance, and grace for the day ahead. Amen.