Thursday 4 February 2010

I seem to not be able to skip a paragraph of Michael Battles work as I move along this week.

Jesus is the mediator of a new identity of interdependent relationship which reorders the distorted ways in which identity is formed. He fulfills the church's identity of modeling interdependent relationships to the world.

Jesus will draw all people to him...all people will come into the way of Jesus walk through barriers and into relationships that seemed outside the bounds of the prevailing culture. Well, they were outside the bounds of the prevailing culture. But the prevailing culture is never the Reign of God. Therefore when Jesus lives contrary to the religious culture and contrary to imperial culture, he appears to be someone who must be cut off - let go - put under - hung out to dry. Culture wants to stay a part of what is - a divided humanity living without the power to become fully human. But when the 'truly human one' comes among us the culture freaks out and resists the power of reconciliation and forgiveness and boundless community. This past Sunday I said "All are welcome to the Meal" during the Lord's Supper. That is posted in our bulletin but there were a bunch of visitors (baptisms do that) and I wanted to simply make sure it was announced without qualification. I know that some well-trained theological thinkers would want to hold back that announcement...or at least qualify it. To tell you the truth, I felt relieved. I was so overwhelmed with a peacefulness in those moments when the meal was beginning to be distributed - I thought I would be speechless. What a gift we are given when our Lord, Jesus shapes us.

Connection: There's a whole lot of changing going on around us and it is only a gift to us when stumble in there amid all the change and the Holy Spirit gets the opportunity to open our eyes and our lives so we can be fed with new life...again and again.

We are linked to you, O God, as we are linked to all who touch us throughout the day. We do not always want to be connected to others. And yet, when we are and when we take note of who we become through those connections we find that you surprise us with life - unanticipated.
Amen.