pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Doing “What Is Right”

Reading: 2nd Thessalonians 3:11-13

2nd Thessalonians 3:13 – “We command and encourage such people to work quietly and put their own food on the table.”

As we add a few more verses to yesterday’s reading we continue with Paul’s charge to live a disciplined life. Some in these churches are not doing so. This is frustrating those who are doing so. This scenario is present in our churches today. At this time, some who are fully able to work are choosing not to. Paul is not addressing those who are incapable of working, those with physical and/or mental limitations. This becomes clear as we press on.

In the second part of verse 11 Paul identifies “meddling” as a key issue. Other translations use the term “busybody.” Because these folks are choosing not to work, instead only taking from the community’s pool of resources, they have lots of time to get into other people’s business. This is not healthy for the individual or for the faith community. Gossip is likely the key form of meddling. Paul then states, “We command and encourage such people to work quietly and put their own food on the table.” Stay in your lane, don’t meddle in other people’s lives, help put food on the common table. The apostle encourages them all to do “what is right.”

There might be another layer to Paul’s words. There often is in scripture. Paul might also be talking about faith practices. In this arena, to be disciplined would include daily study and prayer, regular communal worship, fasting… Maybe some in the churches aren’t “working” at these practices. Maybe then the food they are lacking is spiritual food for their souls. Maybe some are dabbling in pagan worship or other forms of idolatry. And, maybe like some today, maybe some are just showing up now and then on a Sunday morning, tapping into the gifts of community occasionally instead of regularly. In each of these cases, they are treating their faith to a starvation diet. This is not healthy either.

Prayer: Lord God, lead and guide us to encourage one another – in living life and in practicing our faith. Through words and acts of love, use us to draw others back into community, back to faith. And keep us disciplined ourselves, Lord, ever growing closer to you and to one another. Amen.


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Will We?

After their capitol city Jerusalem was destroyed, many of the people of Israel spent a long period living in exile.  Finally the king of Persia begins to allow some to return to start rebuilding their holy city.  The Israelites had been helpful and useful to the king, so this was a way he could thank them.  Miraculously, the small group rebuilds all of the city wall in just 52 days.  They know from this amazing feat, accomplished in the midst of unfriendly peoples all around them, that God was at work in and around them.  So they gather to worship and to hear the Word of God read.

Each week lots of folks will gather on Sunday morning to hear the Word of God, to offer Him praise, and to celebrate God’s presence in their lives.  God is a steady and active part of the lives of regular church goers.  Sunday morning is the time when they are renewed and encouraged and built up so that they can face the world in the week ahead.  Their time each Sunday morning in church allows them to live each day with God’s presence.

For lots of other folks, this feeling of a need to connect with God is generated only through an exceptional blessing or through a trying circumstance or event.  For the first group, something really amazing happens and they can sense God’s hand or presence in that blessing.  They show up on a Sunday and offer theirs thanks to God.  For the second group, it is a tragedy or trial that brings them to the point of feeling they need to connect to God.  They come desperate and seeking, sensing that only God can make a difference for them.

Funny thing though, God is equally happy to have all three in the house.  Each and every one is seen as a beloved child of God.  To God, on that day, it does not matter if one is there every Sunday or if it has been a while or if it is the first time.  On that day, they are there in the house of God.  And God is happy.

The challenge in the church is, first, to be equally happy.  The second challenge is to regularly feed to every Sunday worshiper while also meeting the special occasion worshiper where they are at and ministering to them right there.  All people need to see the relevance of God in their lives and to feel that their time is well-invested to keep showing up at church.  Together, the body of Christ has the gifts and talents to accomplish all of this.  Together the church can be relevant, can be worthy of people’s time, and can meet and minister to each person right where they are at in life and on their journey of faith.  But our question is: will we?

Scripture reference: Nehemiah 8: 1-3