Scripture: Matthew 5:21-22
“You have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, Don’t commit murder, and all who commit murder will be in danger of judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with their brother or sister will be in danger of judgment…
Thought for the Day: In his book, Rescuing the Bible From Fundamentalism, John Shelby Spong shocked many corners of Christianity. I found the book interesting, but not all that controversial. Early in the book, Spong writes:
It is not a new crisis. Tension has existed between the church and the scientific community for hundreds of years. Galileo was excommunicated for his suggestion that the earth was not the center of the created order…this tension has increasingly resulted in an anti-intellectual approach to Christianity…
In our current worship series, Stories We’d Like To Bury, I’ve suggested that it’s not just the stories we bury. In a lot of situations, we have buried our brains so that we do not need to acknowledge the discomfort and dissonance that would be felt if we actually engaged the stories. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenged a number of long held beliefs and orthodox readings of scripture. He did so, in part, because honest and thoughtful people were beginning to notice how old interpretations failed to answer complex questions of life and purpose and meaning. So much of his reinterpretation came through the simple nudge of love. Practices, ethics, and common interactions were looked at through the lens of love, but when old practices, ethics and common interactions no longer helped to shape the life of the community toward love, then some modifications were required. Critical thinking was a necessary component as Jesus suggested alternative understandings of ancient ideas. I’ve got to think that Jesus would want the same today, especially in our ever changing and challenging world.
Prayer: Though we are rooted in the beautiful and ancient texts of our faith, we do not wish to be unaware of the Spirit’s movement. O God who continues to offer us a new word in our new context, a new word rooted in your eternal and unconditional love, we wish to join earlier generations who were willing to allow presuppositions about faithfulness to be challenged, especially when those presuppositions did not reflect the fullness of your love. We wish to be a new creation, along with being a creation that find renewal again today in the deep discernment of your love. Amen.
TOMORROW
We Engage
The Story
Of Sodom
