Jim:
Jeremiah 20:7-18
Verse 9 really spoke to me this morning: “If I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,’ then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” I don’t know if it is because I have been called to the ministry, but I find a real sense of purpose in the act of preaching and teaching the Word of God. And I don’t know if it would burn like a fire “shut up in my bones,” but I do know that my life would be empty if I did not have the opportunity to share the gospel. Of course, ministers are not the only ones who should proclaim the word of God. All Christians should be willing to share the faith as a matter of discipleship. Jeremiah had a particular relationship with God that few people ever understand. It was an acute case of prophetic witness, if you will. But we all, in our own way, are challenged to speak of God to the world.
1 Corinthians 10:14-17, 11:27-32
Verse 10:17 was where I found the most meaning today, especially in its call to Christian unity. “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” This is reminiscent of Paul’s other statements on unity, like Ephesians 4 and elsewhere. Here of course it is couched in the language of the sacraments, or at least the Lord’s Supper. This is interesting because while there is indeed “one bread” the nature of the sacrament involves breaking that bread for it to be shared. But the essence of the bread remains, just as the essence of the faith remains even when we are divided into congregations or denominations.
John 17:1-26
Those who know me know that I am not overly fond of the gospel of John. Personally I find more meaning in Luke and Mark. But in today’s reading (the high priestly prayer of Jesus) I focused on verse 6: “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” Jesus is pointing to the faithfulness of his followers and to their identity as the people of God. They were not perfect, of course, but they had been drawn together for a particular purpose to which Jesus testifies. As Christians, those who follow Jesus Christ, we remain the people of God and are called to follow God’s word and, I believe, to share that word with the world in much the same way that Jeremiah felt compelled to share the word. We also find our unity in our role as God’s people, just as Paul did in the common bread. No matter how we are divided, we remain united in our purpose.
2 comments:
Jim, I really appreciate your comments on today's readings. At first glance, the passages were a bit difficult. The Jeremiah passage seems so dark, and the John passage seems so wordy and circular, that it really takes some thinking to get through. But, when you look through all the readings, you really can see that unifying call as the body of Christ, and yet again, a compelling call to evangelism. Of course, in Jeremiah, I too was drawn to verse 9. Like your comments suggest, there is something very rewarding and compelling about ‘preaching and teaching the Word of God’. For me, every time I have been asked to teach something, I have been compelled to look deeply at what I am teaching and seek to understand it as fully as I can. I usually end up learning more about the word of God and growing in my own faith, perhaps more than those I am supposed to teach. But there is a great sense of purpose in sharing the word with our community of faith. The other thought I was struck with, is the idea of sharing/preaching/teaching outside of our community of faith. I always find it interesting when we talk about (in our prayers of confession, etc) being afraid to share our faith with others. I haven’t really experienced that. To me, it seems society is very accepting and even approving of Christians. Perhaps it is because the majority of people that I come in contact with (through the military and family outreach programs) are Christians…or at least practice some form of religious dedication. I have never really felt ashamed of afraid to say I am going to church…it is usually accepted or even admired. But the reading today, and your comments, made me think about the difference between saying I am a Christian…and actually sharing my faith and proclaiming the word of God. It’s really two different things, and the latter is much more difficult, especially outside of our faith community.
The Corinthians passage (especially verses 27-29) gave me flashbacks to my Catholic roots, but the unifying words of verse 17 certainly make me think of the Church Universal and the tying bond that we share through the celebration of communion.
In John’s passage, I also noticed the call to evangelism. Much of the passage speaks to the idea of the children of God and that God and Jesus are one and we are one with them through Christ’s sacrifice. But, there are also some really compelling words in this prayer about our responsibility to share the word of God. I’m going to jump around here a little bit, but bear with me. Jesus says, “[14] I have given them your word…[18] As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world…[20] I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, [21] that they may all be one. [26] I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them." All of these parts of the text tell us that we are blessed to be chosen to receive God’s word and to have the spirit of the Lord within us, and they compel us to share it with the world. We are sent out into the world, so that more may know that Christ was sent by God for our salvation. I especially like the last verse…if the love that God has for Jesus is in us, and Christ is in us, how can we do anything other than share it.
Megan: I appreciate your input on the Jeremiah text, that of a layperson who has taught and taken part in worship leadership a good deal over the past few years. You've also recognized the real dichotomy between accepting the title "Christian" and living as a faithful and obedient disciple, two very different things. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is willing to live a life in Christ. The world has always found methods to feed off of our message while not embracing it (the cross used as a fashion accessory for example, or as a stage prop for rock concerts). But when we begin to live faithful and obedient lives in Christ we don't just say we are Christians, we make it visible in our actions, one of which should be an honest sharing of the gospel. --Jim
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