Welcome to one of my "holy" experiments. It might seem a little racy--this blog called "Provocative Preacher," but it is through this somewhat racy-titled blog that I would like to share with you some thoughts--today's share beginning with one of my greatest pet peeves and yet one of my greatest passions that has instigated this blog. I have a strong disfavor for lukewarm Christianity that is all too prevalent among many who call themselves "Christian" today, but who are merely more nominal than actual. This, I believe, is one of the greatest threats to the Christian faith; that is people who call themselves Christian, but have no desire to live as Christ in our world and especially with no intention to transform our world as Christ has commissioned us who call ourselves his followers to do. Rather many "almost Christians," as one of our Methodist founders, John Wesley, has such named nominal Christians, choose to make Christ in their image instead of being made in the image of Christ. There is a big difference! Believe me, I am no expert at living "The Way;" I have not achieved perfection--yet, but my hope is that as I read scripture, pray, worship, serve and participate in both works of mercy and works of piety, that I am daily striving to know and live like the Biblical Jesus. It is not an easy way of life, and I fail almost daily. But I am growing and learning--especially from those mistakes I have made along the way--with the help of God and the "great cloud of witnesses" of the past and present following in the footsteps of my greatest hero and savior is getting better--not necessarily easier or more comfortable or convenient, but my hard-headed self is slowly learning to do life Jesus' way instead of my own way.Jesus' Way is not an easy way to follow. I don't know how Jesus was able to live as he did when we walked as one of us on this earth. I guess it helped that he had that whole three-in-one thing going for him; a little divinity surely made a life such as Jesus' more possible, right?. But haven't we been made in the image of God, and thus we are to strive to live into that image daily? I recently reread the wise words of French philosopher and Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who wrote, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience." And yet, too often when we find ourselves straying from the way of Christ, we too easily excuse ourselves with, "I'm only human." Yes, we are human, but I agree with de Chardin, that we are "spiritual beings" living a "human experience." So, we are more than only or just human having the tendency to fail, stray and live selfishly. We've been wired for more than that; we have to expect more than that out of life. We're spiritual beings who have been made in the image of God or also happens to be the Creator of this world, so we are more closely linked with our Creator than we ever dare to explore because frankly isn't saying, "Oops, I'm only human" so much easier than really taking responsibility for our words and actions when we fail to live Jesus-like?
Knowing that we've been made in God's image and that we're "spiritual beings having a human experience" doesn't make following the way of Jesus Christ any easier, more comfortable, more convenient or any less demanding does it? I beg to differ. Life might not be easy, comfortable or convenient--as we've come to expect and feel all to entitled to as US Americans--but the knowledge that we've been made in the image of our Creator God can give us the hope that living Christ-like in this world is truly possible; in fact, it is what we have been called to do if we choose, as so many faithful disciples have done before us, to walk with Jesus in this world, to be up, close and personal with Jesus instead of trying to follow Jesus from a distance or on our own terms and conditions. Discipleship takes work, practice and often times learning from mistakes, forgiving ourselves and others and trying it again, and again, and again.
I like to tell the students I coach that excellence doesn't just find you, but the pursuit of excellence takes work. There will be days in the pursuit of excellence in anything where the journey is tough, trying, demanding and almost leads you to throw up your hands and say, "This is too hard; I give up." The same is true of pursuing the path of Christ in this world; Christ-likeness takes work, practice, sacrifice, selflessness and patience with ourselves and others. Although our God's grace is abundantly at work in our lives, and it is grace that saves us, we must choose to partner with God in our world so that our lives and the whole world will be transformed. Think about it this way: there's a difference between being a disciple of Jesus than merely attending church. Erroneously church attendance has become the chief way we tend to identify "Christians" today, but while a disciple does probably regularly and as often as she or he can gather communally as God's church, not all church-goers are disciples; that is no hidden secret, at least I do not think so.
One of my high school coaches warned me when I was 16 that the hardest thing on this side of heaven is trying to emulate Jesus Christ, but at the same time there is no greater reward on this side of heaven than living for Christ in the here and now. So, while I admit to you that I failed and that many times this path of Christ is mysterious, precarious and leads to more questions than answers, I have not given up. I'm drawn to this path of discipleship; I'm drawn to people who choose to walk this narrow way with intention, purpose and hope that the way of Christ will transform the world. Are you starting to see how my pet peeve and passion are one and the same?
I'm fed up with the status quo of today's church. I'm a soon-to-be ordained minister in the UMC, and there are days and weeks that I want to give up on church. I recently heard an NPR report on the radio that said when the general public in the US was asked about the Christian church, many, many people said they did not like the church. Of these people who said they did not like the church, most said they like and admired Jesus. What is it that we are doing as "church people" that does not look like the one upon whom our church is built? I think I know the answers all too well, and that is why I have my days too when I want to leave the church while staying in love and loyal to Jesus. However, much in the footsteps of John Wesley, of whom I am a HUGE fan, I am unwilling to give up on the church--yes, on organized religion--especially the United Methodist flavor of Christianity. I want to reform our church from the inside out and the outside in with other clergy and laity sharing the same passion to embody the way of Christ. I believe God has called us into such communities, but we must start communing and living differently if the majority of our general public is repelled by the church while remaining open to Jesus.
I hope that through this holy experiment of communing, studying, reading and opening up to one another together online, that it is together, we will begin to, as a church and individuals, begin to embody the one whom we call Savior and Lord in our homes, places of work, and churches.
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