Musings from The Elders at the Gate

From our Wednesday morning thoughts on the parable of the Sheep and the Goats ( Mt. 25:31-46) here is what I gleaned:
- some will deal with this passage in a manic fashion focusing more on a judgment to hell for those who don't respond.
-Where does judgment fit into redemption?
-Aren't we called to think of the Kingdom as a way of life we enter into? Our emphasis is to be on the Kingdom.
- People come to faith by the work of the Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit meets them somewhere on the continuum between their Poverty in Kingdom understanding and their Riches in Kingdom understanding.
- Again, we must focus, as Christ did, on the rhetoric and words of The Kingdom.
- How do we enter into Kingdom work with those closest to us?
- How can we learn to appreciate more each other's spiritual path?
- Do women want their men to be spiritual warrior/poets? If so, how would that take shape or look?

Much to muse on. Any further thoughts. Please post...

John

A closing thought on Matthew 18:15-20

So then the last step becomes often the most difficult for us: "... if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Matthew 18:17).

It may appear that Jesus is sahying to give up and treat the person as hopeless and abandon him or her as a waste of one's time. However, Jesus never set limits to human forgiveness. In fact, he was known to have great compassion for the Gentiles and made a tax collector one of his apostles.

William Barclay reminds us in his commentary that when Jesus spoke of Gentiles and tax collectors, he always did so with sympathy and gentleness with an appreciation of their good qualities. "It may be that Jesus was saying something like this: ‘When you have done all this, when you have given the sinner every chance, and when he remains stubborn, you may think he is no better than a tax collector and Gentile. Well, you may be right. But I have not found tax collectors and Gentiles hopeless. My experience of them is that they, too, have a heart that can be touched, and there are many of them like Matthew and Zacchaeus, who have become my best friends. Even if the person is like a tax collector and Gentile you can still win him, as I have done.’ "

Words to stay humble by...

Matthew 18:15-20 (cont.)

Jesus outlines the way we are called to lovingly help, correct and foster trust when their is disagreement:

I. Express your concern in person. Be honest with your thoughts by making "I" statements.

II. Only after #I. ,and if there are any issues that are unresolved between you and the other, counsel with other wise Christians. Caution: avoid this becoming gossip or slander.

III. When and only if absolutely necessary, make use of the Christian fellowship but in a very limited sense. A witch hunt is not in mind here but rather, reconciliation.

IV. Never give up the other person, EVER! (see next post) Otherwise, your real intentions will be blaringly apparent- You simply wanted your way, not the Lord's way.

On Matthew 18: 15-20

I thought this was a good starter to this passage, to keep us in mind of the purpose behind these words of Jesus on differences and reconciliation.

Reinhold Niebuhr, in The Irony of American History, writes, "Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime: therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone, therefore we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness."

Worship Sunday 8.17.08

Twelve of us gathered for worship yesterday and were outside for food, fellowship, singing ( open air is a bit different) and worship!

Download yesterday's worship outline here

We then gathered at Brian and Betsy's, Matt and Laura's home to shovel gravel into their crawl space ( 4 cu. yards-Whew!). Like a barn raising ( Crawl Space Raising? Hmmm?) Pizza and beer and discussion followed. Lord, thank you for the fellowship with these dear sisters and brothers.

What I have gleaned from gardening

Often for me to make sense of my spiritual direction, I must bring it down to a very elemental level. My experience in Gardening parallels my walk in so many ways. Here are some insights I have gained:

* I learned many of my gardening skills from an old Japanese gardener who never told me how but showed me how. In fact, to him, the fewer words the better. Others who have taught me valuable lessons in faith showed me avenues of grace and truth by demonstrating it by their lifestyle and with few words if any.  The old saying is true: "Faith is caught, not taught."  It is the Spirit working with and through those who show one how to live.  That is a key way of how belief gets fleshed out, defined and something then which makes sense to the follower.

* Most plants grow properly by so many factors: good soil, right sun exposure, better to water deep and less frequently, keep weeds pulled and prune properly (right time/right cut). Okay, this one parallel will take some time to unpack. So I will unload my thoughts in entries to come.

Texts for This coming Sunday

Genesis 32:22-31 - Psalm 17:1-7, 15 - Matthew 14:13-21 - Romans 9:1-5