30 March, 2006

Text: Galatians 5:16-21

Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolotry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before, those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Very quickly, when there is a list of stuff like that which is in this text, we can easily jump in to discuss the kinds of things in life that are not a part of the life we have been invited to share as children of God in Christ, Jesus. In fact, we Christians, are often ones known in the world as people who have a preoccupation with the things we should not be doing in our lives. We have become a witness to the world of life that is "this or that" ... "black or white" ... "good or bad." Then, the word we tend to offer to the world is stay away from "that" and then you will be able to get "this." But we must see with new eyes. For Paul, living by the Spirit is a life that we cannot possibly live on our own means. It is a gift. It is the love that loves us as God loves the world and no love can separate us from that love. It is a complete break from what we do so naturally...so much like the flesh. When we speak of the flesh, there is so much baggage that comes with that word that it is as though we cannot see passed it! Most often we think of sex or overdoing eating or drinking or dabbling with "stuff" - whatever "stuff" that may be. Instead, what if we spend our time "considering" the life of the Spirit? Our lead within the Spirit is Christ's love for the world - unbroken and never ending. Rather than starting off by asking what we can stop doing, how about asking how may I love and how may my loving reflect the Jesus of the scripture. Obviously, we may simply say "forget that" and move onto some acts of anger, jealousy and the rest, but then again, this Spirit may just blow into our lives the love that we hear "will not let us go" and then...and then...and then...

Connection: I obviously am on the side of the works or the life that Paul says is ruled by the flesh - or at least plays on that side of the street! Then again, we have a Spirit that will not let us stay there. In this day, we can pray, like the simple table grace: "Come Lord Jesus, be our guest..." Be our guest...be our way...be our day...be our loving - for we certainly find other ways to be! And maybe, just maybe, our day will be filled with a bit of newness - a taste of the feast to come.

Come, Lord, Jesus, be our guest and let this day be blessed with your presence and alive by the power of the Holy Spirit. Help us to see how you stand with us and continue to call us into your loving domain even as we pull away to live for ourselves. Be our foundation and our guide. Amen.