Monday 28 September 2009

Again this week is all about the "all" of salvation - from William Willimon.

We are therefore not to take smug consolation in our knowledge of salvation. Evangelism is driven by the engine of God's salvation that demands to be announced to all. We neither rest nor retreat until every corner of God's creation gets the news of God's salvation. One reason why the church flags in its evangelistic drive is its mediocre soteriology. When God's great "Yes" degenerates into a constrained "perhaps," there is little urgency to tell the world. What we have to say to the world is deflated into a message about just another technique alongside all the others that the world is busy pursuing already. This is not news. What's news is that in Jesus Christ God was reconciling the world to himself.

God's "Yes" is never a constrained "perhaps"! Never. And yet, isn't it odd that many people who look at the church hear a "perhaps." I would also say that too often too many churches offer nothing better than a "perhaps." That is because when we offer a "perhaps" we have power over people and we can make folks do whatever we would like. God's "Yes" rules. It may be frightening to us to trust that this "Yes" is always enough. It is frightening to some because the only power of the day is God's power for new life that is a gift. No one can say "yeah but..." and consider themselves a part of the delivery of the Good News. A "yeah but" or a "perhaps" leaves us without the Good News of the Reign of God. It gives pastors or congregation the notion that they can rule over others. Not. Just listen to the voices from within the wide expanse of the church. It can be a very conditional word...less than for all. It is also a word that sticks with people because it is as familiar as the rest of the world in which we live - conditional...and always needed more from us in order to make it.

Connection: Yes....yes...yes. Never settle for something less. It will help others see the life we have been promised.

When you bring us into this day, O God, you smile and say yes. Inspire us to see what you see as we look in the mirror and as we look at our neighbor and enemy. It will be then, wrapped up by your Good News, that we will see a glimpse of your Reign. Amen.