We (at least try to) make sure we believe the right things, talk the right way, give the right amount of money, especially around other believers. We make sure to know which sins “really matter” so we can avoid them, take stands against them, or at least know which ones to feel guilty about when we hide them. (Those other “little” sins don’t matter so much, right?)

All of this seems completely exhausting to me. And probably to you. And, none of this seems to be what Jesus Christ taught, modeled, or expected of his followers. None of this seems to be what is embodied in the various teachings in the various writing in the New Testament. And yet, much of what I described in the first two paragraphs of this post is the “normal Christian life” for so many. **big sigh**

Flashback, 1st century: Some of the Rabbis were teaching it, and Jesus agreed. “All you need is love.”

Paul echoed it. So did Peter. So did James. So did John. “Love, love, love.”

So why do we make it so hard? God IS love. Everything He does is love. Jesus lived a life of love because He lived by the indwelling life of God who is Love.

The body of the Son of God is to be a real community with Jesus as the Head, bound together by love, and expressing God’s love to the world.  We can live by the indwelling life of Jesus Christ in our individual hearts and in the gathered ekklesia (church). We are invited to share and enter into the very community of the Trinitarian God.

But we keep walking back to take fruit from the Tree of  the Knowledge of Good and Evil, more comfortable with it’s self-satisfying fruit of knowing and choosing right and wrong, and what we think God will accept and what God will not. May God draw us back in freedom to eat from the Tree of Life, who is Jesus the Christ Himself, who is our Life, so that we may live a life of true love as God has created us to live.

“All you need is love.”

1. Pondering the theology of heaven and hell. How much is real? How much is “biblical” and how much is Dante? How much is really what Jesus taught and how much is evangelical hype? This issue wears me out sometimes…

2. Pondering Xmas, and pondering the new year that is coming. So much good, so much change, so much to look forward to. Yes, I am looking forward to the coming year!

3. Pondering that… a movement focused on what happens when we die has produced a generation that doesn’t want to hear such a “gospel” anymore. Or go to such a “church” that emphasizes such things. When they read the gospels and the life of Jesus – and they see Jesus healing, redeeming, standing with the marginalized and the outcast, confronting the spiritual and social injustice of His day – they see a massive disconnect between Jesus and the “when you die” gospel that has been preached.

4. Pondering that on two different occasions in the last week my 12 year old son has shown me a glimpse of the mindset of the rising generation. When I chided him for mimicking and making fun of gay people when he was using effeminate gestures and language (as I have seen men and boys do for years, and which I assumed he had picked up at school), he was a bit shocked. He said he was mimicking teenage girls, and that no one he knows does that or would do that. I was surprised and glad. Times are changing.

Then when we were driving the next day and he asked about politics, and presidential candidates, and we started talking about “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and the military, and that certain candidates would try to restore DADT because they thought homosexuality was a sin; he said to me (unprompted) that the Bible doesn’t say that anywhere, and Jesus didn’t talk about it. Interesting to me that when a child isn’t taught to discriminate and view scripture in a certain way, that they will naturally land on the side of grace and love. Hmmm. But then that is what we have taught our kids: love God, and love people. That’s what Jesus taught and the whole of the scripture boils down to that.

Deep thoughts…

• Eternal life is not a decision. It is not what you believe.
• Eternal life is not believing the “right” things.
• Eternal life is not primarily about “living forever.”
• Eternal life is is not “going to heaven when you die.” Eternal life is not the “kingdom of God.”
• Eternal life is not about “NOT going to hell when you die.”

So, welcome to the blog. That’s what it’s about. That’s what I’M about. Happy reading!

“Ask the Lord into your heart so you can go to heaven when you die.”

I remember doing just that in 2nd grade, and you know what? It worked. I got “saved” that day! But is THAT the gospel?

Where did Jesus say it like that? Or Paul? One of the Twelve? Surely somewhere in the New Testament someone said to accept the Lord so you could go to heave when you die?

Um, no.

Soooo…

We’ve been left with a “decision” oriented evangelism and salvation. We’ve taught people to “accept the Lord” and “get things right for eternity” for decades…. and then we wonder why people don’t live like Jesus.

But we didn’t ask or teach people to live like Jesus or really follow Him. Not really. We told them to “get saved.” So they did.

Enter the “Lordship” language — y’know, accept Jesus as Savior AND Lord. Ok, that’s good. So I don’t go to hell and get to go to heaven when I die (whew!)… AND I pray occasionally and go to church every week and try not to cuss and look at women… um, I mean, I give Jesus the management of my life…

This practically means be nice to people, and love my family, and vote Republican, be a good citizen, go to church –don’t forget to tithe!– and ask God to bless my life and my business and my family and my church… oh, and then I get to go to heaven when I die.

Which gospel is this again? This isn’t the Good News that Jesus and the apostles came proclaiming. What about being “born again”? That’s what we’ll talk about next time.

What do you think about these ideas? Is this the version of “the gospel” that you’ve heard and believed?

Read The Gospel of What? (part one)

Why have we reduced the “gospel” to

“Jesus died on the cross to forgive your sins so you could go to heaven when you die”

… when none of the writers of scripture state or echo that idea (i.e. that THAT is the gospel)?

I won’t take the time to unpack all that right now (maybe tomorrow?), but consider this:

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15)

Jesus came proclaiming the Good News (the “gospel”). The Good News was that the Time had come, that the Empire of God had come near! Jesus called us to change direction (“repent”) and believe that Good News.

That’s the Gospel Jesus proclaimed. What Gospel do you proclaim?

Sunday: Jesus continues to identify with us and brings us to new life. And as we identify with him, he redeems, restores, and breaths new life into us so that we may LIVE. So we can live God’s kind of (“eternal”) life. This too is real.

Content.

In evening, I am Yours

At sunset, I am Yours

At night, I am Yours

At midnight, I am Yours

In the middle of the night, I am still Yours

At sunrise, I am Yours

In morning, I am Yours

I have always been Yours, I will always be Yours

I live and have my being in You

I thank You for breath

I praise You for Life

And I wait

And I rest

In You

Because I am Yours

Glory to the Father

And to the Son

And the Holy Spirit

As in the beginning and before

Is now and Forevermore

Amen

Ok, how about a “Holy Spirit Week” here at my blog? Yeah? It IS a good idea, isn’t it?

Seriously, Pentecost Sunday is coming in 6 days. Y’know, Pentecost? Part 4 of the Big Story (Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, Pentecost)? The Launching Pad Day for Mission Jesus into the world? The forgotten step-child of too much of the Church?

While I can’t promise to have like 10 blog posts this week, I can promise at least a couple! And I can most certainly promise that whatever you think of the Holy Spirit, and whatever you think being “filled” with the Spirit means, we most assuredly NEED the Spirit and His POWER to be, become, and do all that Jesus wants us to be, become, and do.

I leave you with the “Golden Sequence,” one of my favorites. What are your favorite prayers or songs about the Spirit?

Come, Holy Spirit,

send forth the heavenly

radiance of your light.

Come, father of the poor,

come giver of gifts,

come, light of the heart.

Greatest comforter,

sweet guest of the soul,

sweet consolation.

In labor, rest,

in heat, temperance,

in tears, solace.

O most blessed light,

fill the inmost heart

of your faithful.

Without your divine will,

there is nothing in man,

nothing is harmless.

Wash that which is unclean,

water that which is dry,

heal that which is wounded.

Bend that which is inflexible,

warm that which is chilled,

make right that which is wrong.

Give to your faithful,

who rely on you,

the sevenfold gifts.

Give reward to virtue,

give salvation at our passing on,

give eternal joy.

Amen. Alleluia.