In this blog, we'll focus on the working being done at Sligo Presbyterian Church, Sligo, Pennsylvania. We'll also look at what's happening in Sligo, Rimersburg, Clarion, and all the other communities served by our congregation.
Showing posts with label The Great Ends of the Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Great Ends of the Church. Show all posts
As a denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has some guiding principles that shape our mission. They’re called The Great Ends of the Church, six statements written in the early 20th century that guide both the vision and work of the Presbyterian Church. And that’s going to be our focus during this series. You see, during the next six weeks, we’ll look at each one, seeking to understand what it means and how we can accomplish it within our community.
As a denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has some guiding principles that shape our mission. They’re called The Great Ends of the Church, six statements written in the early 20th century that guide both the vision and work of the Presbyterian Church. And that’s going to be our focus during this series. You see, during the next six weeks, we’ll look at each one, seeking to understand what it means and how we can accomplish it within our community.
Well, here we are, about to finish up this series we started a little over a month ago dealing with what the Presbyterian Church (USA) calls The Great Ends of the Church. And over the last five weeks, we’ve talked about the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humanity and the shelter, nurture and spiritual fellowship of the children of God. We’ve looked at the maintenance of divine worship and the preservation of the truth. And last week, our topic was the promotion of social righteousness. And as I hope y’all recall, for each one, we discussed what it meant and why it’s important and how it might be done. And like I said in the first message, I think this is really something pretty important for us to know, especially since these six ideas have been part of The Book of Order since 1910.
And this morning, we’re going to look at Great End number six: The exhibition of the kingdom of heaven to the world. And I’ll tell you, even though I didn’t plan it this way, I think we got an excellent example of what this exhibition business is all about this past week. Of course, just to be clear, I’m not talking about the debate, something that at times looked more like a skit on Saturday Night Live than a calm and rational discussion of issues so the American electorate might make an informed choice on November 5th. But I will tell you that since Tuesday, Coco Chanel has a whole new appreciation for living in Pennsylvania and not Ohio. No, that embarrassing and often weird exhibition is definitely not the example about which I’m talking.
Instead, it was what happened the very next day in New York City. You see, as we were remembering 9/11 and all those men and women who died either in the attack itself or trying to rescue others, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance appeared at the same place, at the same time. And they didn’t attack one another or call one another names or act like a bunch of children. Instead, they shook hands in a way that wasn’t awkward and stood together as the prayers were offered and the silence observed. And I’ll tell you, as I was watching, I remembered what it felt like on 9/11 and 9/12 and 9/13, 2001, you know, when it seemed as though we were ready to put aside all those things that separate individuals from one another and to come together as a people, united by shared values and a common focus. Now that’s what I remember when I was teaching World History in Buckingham County High School back in 2001. And you know, when I saw those four people together, man, I thought that was a wonderful exhibition of the kind of unity that we had twenty-three years ago but we’ve sort of lost over the last two decades.
And you know, that’s pretty much what we’re going to be talking about this morning. You see, we’re going to tie up this series by focusing on the exhibition of the kingdom of heaven to the world, in other words, the church’s responsibility to demonstrate the rule of God within a world where a whole lot of folks don’t have a clue. And as we’ve done in the past, we’re going to start by spending a little time talking about what the exhibition of the kingdom of heaven actually means. And then we’ll look at why this is something important for the church to do. And then we’ll explore how we might actually do it, both as individuals and a congregation. And hopefully, by the end, we’ll be ready to show what the Kingdom of Heaven, in other words, the rule of God is all about.
But of course, we can’t consider the “how” until we nail down the “what,” what does the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven actually mean? In other words, what does it mean to say that we’re called to be exhibitionists? I mean, what does it mean to take the values inherent and implicit in God’s rule and then to present them to the world around us? What does that mean? Now I think that’s a great question. And in my opinion, I think we can get a pretty good answer by looking at something Jesus said to his disciples early in his ministry. You see, when they were up there on the Mount and as he was teaching them about what they should do and expect, Jesus said this,
You are the salt for everyone on earth. But if salt no longer tastes like salt, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on.
You are the light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, and no one lights a lamp and puts it under a clay pot. Instead, it is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. Make your light shine, so others will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven. [Matthew 5:13-16, CEV]
Now that’s what he said.
And I think this really points to what exhibiting the Kingdom of Heaven actually means. You see, as Jesus reminds us, God has given us both an ability and an opportunity. I mean, think about it; he’s made us the salt for the earth and the light for the world, and as such we have the ability and opportunity to do something we’d never be able to do on our own. For example, as salt, we can actually change the world around us by challenging folks to take a look at what they value and by encouraging them to reconsider all those things and people they’ve decided to trust. This we can do because we’re like salt for the earth. But that’s not all we are; we’re also light. And because we’re light, light for the whole world, man, we can do the same sort of thing Jesus did when he entered our time and space and cut through our own darkness. You see, we can help people confront all the stuff they’d prefer to keep hidden while at the same time, we can show through our own example that the light isn’t anything to fear. As a matter of fact, it offers warmth when the world feels cold and comfort when life seems harsh and direction when choices are difficult. You see, we are the salt for the earth and we are the light for the world. And when we take God’s truth out into our families and communities, for me, that’s what it means to exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven.
And why is this important? Why is it important for us to be salt and light? I mean, why is it important for us to challenge and to encourage as well as to help and to show? Why is this important for us to do? Well, for me, I think it really comes down to a conversation Jesus had with some teachers of the Law. I mean, just listen to what Mark wrote:
One of the teachers of the Law of Moses came up while Jesus and the Sadducees were arguing. When he heard Jesus give a good answer, he asked him, “What is the most important commandment?”
Jesus answered, “The most important one says: ‘People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these.”
The man replied, “Teacher, you are certainly right to say there is only one God. It is also true that we must love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and that we must love others as much as we love ourselves. These commandments are more important than all the sacrifices and offerings that we could possibly make.”
When Jesus saw that the man had given a sensible answer, he told him, “You are not far from God’s kingdom.” After this, no one dared ask Jesus any more questions. [Mark 12:28-34, CEV]
Now that’s what Mark wrote.
And I’ll tell you, I think that’s also why it’s so important for us to show the world around us what the Kingdom of Heaven is all about. You see, on one hand, I think it certainly shows our love for God. I mean, when we decide that we’re going to step out and be the kind of people God has called and created us to be, namely salt and light, we’re certainly showing our dedication to God, showing him that he really is at the center of our focus and that we’re willing to offer him everything we have, and I’m talking about our hearts and souls and minds and strength, to do what he’s called us to do and to be what he created us to become. On one hand, I think we show our love for God by exhibiting his Kingdom. But on the other hand, I also believe that, when we’re doing this, we’re also showing our love for others. I mean, by living as salt for the earth and light for the world, we may be bringing something new and different into the lives of folks with whom we’re close as well as those men and women we’ve never met. My gosh, we’re offering them a new source of truth they may never have heard and a new source of confidence they may never have appreciated and a new source of unconditional love and undeserved grace they may never have felt. You see, we’re offering them the opportunity to trust that, by his action, they’ve been made the children of God. And I’ll tell you, if that doesn’t show love for others, I don’t know what does. And so along with giving us the chance to show our love and devotion to God, for me, that’s why exhibiting God’s Kingdom is important.
Which leaves us with how; how might we do it? In other words, how might we live as the salt for the earth and the light for the world? And how might we, right here and right now, demonstrate our love for both God and others? I mean, how might we take those values and principles inherent and implicit in God’s rule and then present them to the world around us? How can we do it? Now, for me, that’s a pretty important question. And as to the answer, well, I think we can get a lot of insight from what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians. You see, as he was showing them how they could live as recipients of undeserved grace, he wrote this:
If you are guided by the Spirit, you won’t obey your selfish desires. The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should. But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you.
People’s desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God’s kingdom.
God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires. God’s Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. But don’t be conceited or make others jealous by claiming to be better than they are. [Galatians 5:16-26, CEV]
Now that’s what Paul wrote to the Galatians.
And even though, for me, it really sounds pretty complicated, when you cut through all the words, I think the actual lesson is really simple. You see, in my opinion, he was telling them and us to do two things, you know, if we’re serious about being salt and light and showing love to God and neighbor. I mean, first, we’re going to have to make the conscious and intentional decision to stop looking back, to stop looking back to the good old days when our value as a person was based on what we had and when it was perfectly alright for us to do whatever it took to get what we wanted, in other words, to stop looking back to that time when all we cared about was self and our desires, because that attitude, that perspective led to a selfish, conceited arrogance that was just about as far from the rule of God as you could get. If we want to exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven, first, we’ve got to stop looking back. And I’ll tell you, that just makes sense, because to do what we’ve been called and created to do, second, we must move forward. We must move forward as men and women guided by the Holy Spirit rather than our own selfish desires. And we must move forward as brothers and sisters who are working together to cultivate in one another those qualities that the Spirit has already planted in our lives, because, as Paul wrote, “God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.” [Galatians 5:22-23a, CEV] You see, we’ve got to be willing to leave the past behind so that, with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can move forward. And if we’re dedicated to exhibiting the Kingdom of God to the world around us, that’s exactly how we can do it.
And I’ll tell you, I think we can believe this is possible because of something I saw this past week. But like I said, it sure wasn’t the debate. Good night nurse, that just reminded me of how our country is really divided, and how far we’ve fallen. My gosh, since the rules of civility have sort of broken down and the nature of truth is a lot more, let’s just say, flexible, people can now get away with saying just about anything they want without worrying about showing respect or even making sense. That seems to be where we are, God help us. But then, every now-and-then, well, we can see some sign that we can do better, sort of like what I saw on Wednesday, when those four rivals seemed to demonstrate that something Abraham Lincoln said in his first inaugural address in 1861 as he was looking at the coming Civil War is also true in 2024. He said,
The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely, they will be, by the better angels of our nature. [Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address, 1861]
I’ll tell you, I think Joe and Kamala and Donald and J.D. must have been touched by the better angels of their natures, because they exhibited a spirit of unity during that 9/11 service that I hadn’t seen in twenty-three years. Of course, sadly, we were back to normal the next day.
But as Christians, that doesn’t have to apply to us. You see, we can accept that we’ve been called and created to be the salt for the earth and the light for the world. And we can recognize that, in this way, we’re able to show our love for God and for others. And right here and now, we can decide to do it by not looking back so that we can move forward. And I’ll tell you, if we do, I think we’ll be taking seriously the last great end of the church, and I’m talking about the exhibition of the kingdom of heaven to the world.
As a denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has some guiding principles that shape our mission. They’re called The Great Ends of the Church, six statements written in the early 20th century that guide both the vision and work of the Presbyterian Church. And that’s going to be our focus during this series. You see, during the next six weeks, we’ll look at each one, seeking to understand what it means and how we can accomplish it within our community.
As a denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has some guiding principles that shape our mission. They’re called The Great Ends of the Church, six statements written in the early 20th century that guide both the vision and work of the Presbyterian Church. And that’s going to be our focus during this series. You see, during the next six weeks, we’ll look at each one, seeking to understand what it means and how we can accomplish it within our community.
September 8 - The promotion of social righteousness
September 15 - The exhibition of the kingdom of heaven to the world
On Sunday, we continued the series by looking at the fifth great end of the church: The promotion of social righteousness. We also gathered around the Lord's Table and shared communion. Below is a recording of the service, a recording of the sermon and a copy of the bulletin. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.
As a denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has some guiding principles that shape our mission. They’re called The Great Ends of the Church, six statements written in the early 20th century that guide both the vision and work of the Presbyterian Church. And that’s going to be our focus during this series. You see, during the next six weeks, we’ll look at each one, seeking to understand what it means and how we can accomplish it within our community.
Well, even though the calendar says it won’t happen for another couple of weeks, I think we’re looking at some pretty powerful signs that we’re entering fall. I mean, football is in full swing. And even as we speak, they’re not only putting out pumpkins, witches and costumes at Walmart, Debbie told me about some Grinch pajamas he saw the other day. Now, these are some powerful indications that we’re leaving summer. But for me, the clearest and most definitive sign of all is this: we start noodling on September 16. I think that says it all.
And as it relates to our worship services, over the next two weeks, we’ll be now looking at the last two of what’s called The Great Ends of the Church. And although I don’t think I’ve mentioned it, we’ve used a different banner to represent each of the first four, with each banner reflecting one of the “great ends.” For example, on the first banner, we’ve got a dove rising from the Bible and this represents “the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humanity.” And then, second, we’ve got a dove covering outstretched hands, reminding us that the church is about “the shelter, nurture and spiritual fellowship of the children of God.” And then, on the third banner, there’s the same dove above a cup, three drops of water and hands lifted in praise, which represents “the maintenance of divine worship.” And then, last week, the fourth banner had the dove coming from the sun, a source of light, and a blossoming vine, two symbols that represent Jesus Christ and the importance of “the preservation of the truth.” Now, that’s what we’ve looked at so far.
And this morning, we’re going to move onto the fifth great end of the church, namely “the promotion of social righteousness.” And on this particular banner, we’ve got, again, a dove above what looks like some kind of waterfall. And even though, on the surface, that really doesn’t seem to have anything to do with social righteousness, it’s actually based on a passage from an Old Testament prophet. You see, as he was teaching some people who just weren’t practicing what they preached, the Prophet Amos said this:
I, the Lord, hate and despise
your religious celebrations
and your times of worship.
I won’t accept your offerings
or animal sacrifices—
not even your very best.
No more of your noisy songs!
I won’t listen
when you play your harps.
But let justice and fairness
flow like a river
that never runs dry. [Amos 5:21-24, CEV]
Now that’s what he said. In other words, for Amos, the people were missing the point. You see, God wasn’t really interested in their offerings or sacrifices and he wasn’t all that impressed by their singing and music. For him, those things weren’t most important. Instead, he simply wanted his people to be just and fair. In other words, reading from the New Revised Standard Version, he wanted them and he wants us “[to] ...let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” [Amos 5:24, NRSVUE], something we can see on the banner.
And that’s going to be our focus this morning. You see, we’re going to talk about “the promotion of social righteousness.” And as we’ve done before, we’ll look at what it means, you know, what social righteousness is all about. And then we’ll answer the question, why is it important to promote social righteousness? And finally, we’ll think about how we can actually do it, in other words, how we can make the kind of difference in our world that Amos challenged the people of Israel to make in theirs. Now that’s the plan.
But of course, before we can start doing much of anything, we really need to nail down the “what,” you know, what does the term “social righteousness” mean? And I’ll tell you, even though it’s all over the place in the Old Testament, I think the Prophet Isaiah summarized what we’re talking about when he wrote this:
I’ll tell you
what it really means
to worship the Lord.
Remove the chains of prisoners
who are bound unjustly.
Free those who are abused!
Share your food with everyone
who is hungry;
share your home
with the poor and homeless.
Give clothes to those in need;
don’t turn away your relatives.
Then your light will shine
like the dawning sun, and you
will quickly be healed.
Your honesty will protect you
as you advance,
and the glory of the Lord
will defend you from behind.
When you beg the Lord for help,
he will answer, “Here I am!”
Don’t mistreat others
or falsely accuse them
or say something cruel.
Give your food to the hungry
and care for the homeless.
Then your light will shine
in the dark;
your darkest hour will be
like the noonday sun. [Isaiah 58:6-10, CEV]
Now that’s what Isaiah wrote.
And I’ll tell you, based on this, I think we can say three things about the kind of righteousness God wants his people to show. I mean, it certainly involves fighting for justice, you know, doing what we can to make sure no one is falsely accused and kicked around and that everybody is treated fairly, with equity and impartiality. In other words, although no one should be above the law, no one should be abused by it either. But you know, more than that, according to the prophet, social righteousness is also about caring for others, particularly for those who, for whatever reason, aren’t able to care for themselves. I mean, it’s about giving food to the hungry and shelter to the homeless. It’s about sharing some of what we have with those who have so little. And you know, it’s really interesting, when we’re doing these things, I mean, when we’re fighting for justice and caring for others, we’re also worshiping God, aren’t we? In fact, we’re offering him exactly what he wants. Remembering what Amos wrote, when we’re worshiping, our primary focus shouldn’t be on offerings and sacrifices or songs and music, not that there’s anything wrong with those things. Instead, together we’re worshiping God when we’re “...[letting] ...justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry.” [Amos 5:21-24, CEV] Now, for me, that’s what social righteousness is all about.
And why is it important? Why is it important for us to promote social righteousness? I mean, why is it important for us to fight for justice and to care for others as our way of worshiping God? Well, I think there’s one reason that’s head and shoulders above any other possibility, and it has nothing to do with anything that we might get by doing it. You see, based on what I read in scripture, I believe we’re called to promote social righteousness because it’s the right thing to do. I mean, it’s right for us to make sure people are treated with fairness and impartiality. And it’s right for us to give and to share. In other words, it’s right for us to worship God in the way he wants to be worshiped.
As a matter of fact, I believe that’s exactly what we’ve been called to do as a nation, and I’m talking about as a people whom God has blessed with all kinds of resources and advantages. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s something we need to take seriously as Americans; my gosh, our future may depend on it. I mean, just listen to what Jesus said in the very last lesson he offered his disciples in the Gospel of Matthew. He said,
When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.”
Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”
The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.” [Matthew 25:31-40, CEV]
I’ll tell you, this is something that’s right for us to do as a nation.
But it’s also the right thing for us to do as a congregation. You see, according to scripture, we have a special obligation to our community as well as our world. I mean, although we can’t do it all, I think God certainly wants to address the challenges we face and the needs we know. In fact, we can see the kind of engaged and involved Christian community we were called to be in the church right after its birth. Just listen to how Luke described what was happening in Jerusalem according to Acts:
The group of followers all felt the same way about everything. None of them claimed that their possessions were their own, and they shared everything they had with each other. In a powerful way the apostles told everyone that the Lord Jesus was now alive. God greatly blessed his followers, and no one went in need of anything. Everyone who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles. Then they would give the money to anyone in need. [Acts 4:32-35, CEV]
You see, just like we said about the nation, as a congregation, it’s right for us to promote social righteousness.
But I’ll tell you, it doesn’t stop there, because as individual believers, we also have this same responsibility. As a matter of faith, when you get right down to it, the ultimate buck may actually stop with us, because if we choose to do nothing, who’s going to move our nation or our congregation to do anything at all? And I think that explains why, in his letter, James was so clear and focused when he wrote this:
My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don’t do anything to show you really do have faith? Can this kind of faith save you? If you know someone who doesn’t have any clothes or food, you shouldn’t just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? Faith that doesn’t lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead! [James 2:14-17, CEV]
No, we’ve been called. We’ve been called as nations and congregations and individuals. We’ve been called to fight for justice and to care for others and to worship God. Man, this is the right thing for us to do. And for me, that’s why promoting social righteousness is so very important.
But none of that matters, if we don’t know how to do it, does it? I mean, if we don’t know how to do what God wants us to do, then, let’s face it, we’re pretty much up “a river that never runs dry” without a paddle. And even though I think there are probably a whole bunch of different ways we can promote social righteousness, let me briefly offer three steps that sort of make sense to me.
You see, in my opinion, we can start being active promoters by, first, rejecting the idea that we have to choose between social righteousness and evangelism. In other words, we’ve got to put aside the idea that somehow, for some reason, we have to decide whether we’re going to stand up for Christ and share the gospel or fight for justice and care for others. I’ll tell you, we’ve got to get past the idea that we can’t do both. Of course, rejecting this “either-or” business, man, it makes a lot of sense, especially given what we’ve already read and discussed from both Amos and Isaiah, you know, based on what they said about the kind of worship God prefers. As a matter of fact, according to the Prophet Micah,
What offering should I bring
when I bow down to worship
the Lord God Most High?
Should I try to please him
by sacrificing
calves a year old?
Will thousands of sheep
or rivers of olive oil
make God satisfied with me?
Should I sacrifice to the Lord
my first-born child as payment
for my terrible sins?
The Lord God has told us
what is right
and what he demands:
“See that justice is done,
let mercy be your first concern,
and humbly obey your God.” [Micah 6:6-8, CEV]
You see, first, to do what’s right, I think we’ve got to reject the idea that we have to choose between social righteousness and evangelism.
And once that’s done, second, I believe we then have to prioritize the needs of others above our own wants. In other words, I think we need to be willing to put ourselves second when we’d rather be first and to listen when we really want to be heard and to give when we really believe, in our heart of hearts, that we deserve to receive. As a matter of fact, it’s actually putting into practice these word that Apostle Paul offered to the Philippians:
Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God’s Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: [Philippians 2:1-5, CEV]
You see, after rejecting this idea of having to choose, I believe we need to prioritize the needs of others above our own wants. And that’s the second thing we can do.
And then, third, we can decide, right here and right now, that we’re going to work together to get the job done. We’re going to work together to fight for justice and to care for one another. We’re going to work together because that’s the right thing for us to do as a nation and as a congregation and as individuals. Man, we’ve got to decide that we’re going to work together to make our world a better place, and I’m talking about the kind of place God created it to be. Together, this we can do. And when we do it, when we roll up our sleeves and clear a little space on our calendars, we’ll actually be following a pretty powerful example, as a matter of fact, the greatest example of them all. Just listen:
Jesus went back to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as usual he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. When he stood up to read from the Scriptures, he was given the book of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it and read,
“The Lord’s Spirit
has come to me,
because he has chosen me
to tell the good news
to the poor.
The Lord has sent me
to announce freedom
for prisoners,
to give sight to the blind,
to free everyone
who suffers,
and to say, ‘This is the year
the Lord has chosen.’ “
Jesus closed the book, then handed it back to the man in charge and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue looked straight at Jesus.
Then Jesus said to them, “What you have just heard me read has come true today.” [Luke 4:16-21, CEV]
You see, this is the work we’ve been called to do. And when we decide to do it together, with the help of God, it can be done. And for me, this is how we can do it.
And you know, that may be something for us to remember as we move into a new season. I mean, as our focus shifts from the summer to something else, let’s remember that, according to Amos, we’ve been called and equipped to “...let justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry.” [Amos 5:21-24, CEV] In other words, as Christians, our job is to fight for justice and to care for others and to worship God in the way he wants to be worshiped. And based on his words, this is simply the right thing for us to do as a nation and as a congregation and as individuals. And this is something we can do the minute we decide that we’re going to reject the idea that we have to choose between social righteousness and evangelism and then that we have to prioritize the needs of others above our own wants and finally, we have to work together to get the job done. And so, as we’re watching football and shopping at Walmart and of course, noodling next Monday, we can also be taking seriously the fifth great end of the church, and I’m talking about the promotion of social righteousness.
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