17 March 2006

With the opening text for this Sunday being the Exodus story of the giving of the "10 commandments," it seems appropriate to switch into Walter Brueggemann's discussion of Duty as Delight and desire: Preaching Obedience That is Not Legalism, in The Covenanted Self.

Trying to speak of obedience in a self-indulgent society can be problematic.
The first dimension of the problem is the Augustinian-Lutheran dichotomy of "grace and law," which runs very deep in Western theology. In his treatment of Paul Augustine considerably upped the stakes of the issue in his crushing opposition to Pelagius, and Luther solidified that theological claim by boldly inserting the word "alone" in his reading of Paul, thus "grace alone." It is clear that by "law" Luther meant many different things, seemingly focused especially on life apart from the gospel. The result, however has been a remarkable aversion to "works," as though obedience to the commands of God, that is, performances of "works," is in and of itself a denial of the gospel. Luther is of course much more subtle and knowing that this, but so he has been conventionally interpreted. The outcome has been a notion of gospel without demand, a notion that plays well in a "therapeutic" society.

We heard in last Sunday's gospel that Jesus invites those around him - not just a select few, but the crowds - to pick their cross if they are to follow Jesus. In other words, this is the way we go on about the life within Reign of God. This is the gospel way. Does it mean that we must go this way in order to be a part of this blossoming Reign of God among us? Stop right there. Don't think timeline...think presence. As people living in the presence of our gracious and loving God who claims us, liberates us, and delivers us we are already living as the children of God. Now...come and follow along within this life-giving, life-shaping, life-sacrificing gathering of people we boldly call the community of Christ. Here is where we will speak of the cost of following and the demands of the gospel. We are always being invited into this life that springs up from God's love in Christ, Jesus. I find it to be a good and biting comment when Brueggemann says that such demands or such a call for obedience is a notions that doesn't "play well in a 'therapeutic" society." We really wouldn't want anyone to think that s/he needs to change or do something in any specific way...that might discourage them...

Connection: Obedience need not be avoided. In fact, for the welfare of all people each of us is called into a degree of obedience simply to make the society run well. On the other hand, in a grace-filled story we are people who are also invited into the life that grace brings up among us. It is a life and it takes discipline to follow its way. If anything goes, there is no need for us to refer to new life within the Gospel or the Reign of God...for there really isn't a new life at all.

Lord of Love, by your grace you already pull us into the life you hand us. We pray for the boldness to walk with you in the light of your Reign and be forever transformed by your loving presence in each and every day. Amen.