Tuesday 22 September 2009

A repeat of yesterday's quote from William Willimon and some further comments.

A Christian is not saved in order to be plucked out of the damned rabble of humanity, but rather is saved in order to be truly for humanity. the church is the community that lives ahead of time, the people who say now what may one day be said by all, once God gets what God wants - "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). Christians have been let in on an open secret, a secret that we are called to make public. If we pray for the salvation of all we pray on the basis of our hope for the reconciliation of all, for how is it possible to pray for what your don't hope?

I wanted to go at this brief quote again because it is quite full. I particularly like the reminder that the "church is the community that lives ahead of time." What a great way to get off of the notion that we are being saved for another time. For here, we are saying that we know the 'other time' and its life and its ethic and its completion of all things...and we are going to live there already. That's us folks...already the welcome is complete and the Christ of God rules and our lives are free to be given away to others as part of the liberation of the resurrection. It is not our job to serve as gatekeeper who think we must make sure who is able to get in. Rather, we announce the outcome of the Good News that is the fullness of the future and we bring it into the loving presence of the church now. There is no need to try to frighten folks into trusting this story...as it is not a frightening adventure. Hope does not operate by way of threat. It is promise and that promise is the power that pulls at us so that we know the end and are empowered to live there as though it is our next step in life.

Connection: It is important to take note of how many times the life of the church is associated with threat. Condemnation is a way to turn people's heads, but it does not turn their heads to the Good News...but rather the same old news of oppressive religious life.

Lord of the Future, you already claim all time and you invite us to live within that claim. Be our encouragement to move and live and share in all that you have promised for all of your people. Amen.