Being Involved, Part II

One of the most common comments I either hear directly or indirectly is that critique that church really isn't that relevant. So many of the issues that face each of us every single day were not specifically addressed in the Bible. The Bible is a very ancient compilation of documents and their specific context is by and large irrelevant to us now - so the line goes. How do we deal with a changing economy or family issues? How do we deal with conflict on a local, familial and international level? How should we view major ethical issues - cloning, genetic engineering, among the many that are popping up? How do we raise our children in a changing world in which growing up is a completely different experience from what we went through? How do we make decisions in taking care of our aging parents?

I'll grant you the Bible does not have chapter and verse on many of the hot topics that we encounter, but that does not mean the Bible does not guide us and ground us. The Bible is the story of God's love for his creation. It is the story of God's redemption and restoration of humanity. It is the story of a relationship. In this story - in the person of Christ who is the perfect revelation of God (for Christ is God) - we find great truths with applications that are universal. Jesus summed up all of the law and the teachings of the prophets when he told his followers to love God and love one another. Sounds simple, almost too simple doesn't it? But what doesn't that cover? The hard part is taking these simple commands and living them out to their fullest. What does it mean to love God - fully? What does it mean to love each other - fully?

Now we see the great need for community. As a community we wrestle with the current issues and ethical questions. Some of them are obvious. Some of them are not so obvious. But coming together, bound by a common faith in God and made new in Christ, we work to live out our baptismal covenant - which in summary is to love God and each other.

We shouldn't reduce Christianity to something as small as being just an ethical community or the Bible as just a guidebook or instruction manual. Our faith - God - is so much larger, deeper, wider, higher, and broader than that. The traditions of our faith - the wisdom from holy men and women - will shock us at how relevant and applicable they are. We just have to look, taste, see, feel, and listen.

PS:
Every week when the E-News goes out (the E-News is our midweek email update), a video will come along with it. This first video is coming out a day after the E-News, but we had technical difficulties. Here 'tis.