Tuesday 27 January 2009

For the rest of this week we will look at Robert Bertram's thoughts on 'Confessing as Appealing for/to the Oppressed."

The oppressed with whom the Augsburg confessional movement identified are those whom "Christ has set free," as Paul says, "for freedom," and who therefore should "not submit again to a yoke of slavery," to be oppressed all over again by "false brethren secretly brought in...to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage." Augustana's liberationist emphasis was centered around its plea for sola fide, that is, that what justifies sinners before God is entirely their faith in Christ independently of the good work their faith does.

Interesting that it notes that the oppressed are those whom "Christ has set free"...."for freedom." That not only serves to remind us of the expansiveness of the authority of the Reign of God in Christ, Jesus, it is the identifying banner that is wrapped around us when the cross of Christ is traced on our foreheads after we have been buried with Christ and raised to new life in our baptism. So as one is in the ranks of the baptized saints within God's Reign, not one of us should therefore be made to live under another rule or measure. Our measurement is secured in Christ. We have taken part in all that is necessary - baptism in Christ, Jesus. We are already the beloved of God and that is our status for life. But too often there are those who would like to utter the ever-present "yeah...but." It is one way to control who gathers among us and who is able to be involved in all the work that is handed to us within God's Reign that has come near. Rather than 'by faith alone' we too often find that a "yeah...but" clause is introduced in order to keep some outside the gathering of saints where freedom is to reign for all. It is no wonder that those GLBT saints who have gone through the rite of dying and rising with Christ and are mark with the cross of Christ - forever - and live within the realm of that grace, find that the reality within the church is one of oppression - exclusion - mandated by those who are to make sure that the freedom of Christ Reigns among us all.

Connection: Ask yourself if you see yourself as being free in Christ. What does that do for you each day? What life does that place in your hands? Then again, imagine not having that freedom made real for you - imagine still being under the slavery of that which is not necessary and yet it is used as just that?!

Come, O Light of Life, and guide along the way of your gracious Reign. Keep us from being anxious and afraid in the midst of the freedom you pour upon us. Amen.