ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 14, 2026
You have probably heard someone say, “Well, that wasn’t very Christ-like.” Sometimes it is said with sarcasm when someone’s choices are so far off the mark that no one is asking, “Would Jesus do that?” But there are going to be other situations where there could be disagreement, a disagreement connected to how someone prioritizes the Jesus life and the lens through which Jesus is viewed. A machine capable of scoring our choices would be exceptionally helpful. “It looks like I scored 8.9 out of 10, which gives me a pretty close to Jesus sticker.” Or there could be the time you score .8, which has the machine spit out a frowny face sticker. As far as I know, such a machine does not exist, yet I believe we have a tool in the church. People—the people we see every Sunday, along with the people who walked the journey of faithfulness throughout the centuries. They serve as a sort of imperfect plumb line, guiding us in the right direction. There are, of course, less than stellar examples that should not be part of our plumb line, yet even those we do not look to as models still help us in determining what Christ-like living might look like. A machine might be quicker and more accurate, but the church inspired by the Holy Spirit has the capacity to reorient us toward greater Christ-like living, assuming we are serious about the task.
As the hymn so beautifully says, “Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah.” From a burning bush your voice was heard, and through the life of an itinerant teacher in Galilee, we come to glimpse your very essence. Continue to guide us toward a life that honors Jesus and all your great teachings of love, kindness, and liberation. Amen.
