07-11-10 Listen Watch Video
Order of Worship

Dear Friends,

One of the great mistakes many Christians make these days is assuming that the goal of following Christ is to become more religious – to think and speak in very spiritual ways, and to associate with spiritual people who think and speak similarly; to possess a faith that is invulnerable to doubt and a lifestyle that is irreproachable; to be preoccupied with matters of God and religion and eternity.  Becoming more “religious,” of course, is not necessarily a bad thing; however, it does not make us necessarily Christian, either. 

Jesus wasn’t much interested in religion – at least not that kind of religion.  Instead, he was interested in relationships – the kind of relationship we have with God, and those we have with others.  More specifically, Jesus concerned himself with the many ways that religion often separated people from God and from one another, by labeling people as good or bad, worthy or unworthy, insiders or outsiders.  He understood how religion can harden hearts just as easily as it can open them to the love of God and neighbor. 

So when he was asked by a religious man about how to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him a story about two very spiritual people who could not bring themselves to help a stranger in need, and one lowly Samaritan who did.  What the religious man wanted was a religious answer, but what Jesus gave him was a holy prescription – get out of your head and into the world.  Walk with your eyes open and your hands outstretched.  Be a neighbor to all.

It turns out that the way to eternal life is a very short journey from the head to the heart.  But it’s often the longest journey we will ever take, because it requires us to reject the assumption that our religion and our answers can save us.  In the end, Jesus prefers to keep it far simpler: love God, love the neighbor – even the stranger.  This is not a footnote to his teaching; this is his teaching.  “Do this and live.”

See you Sunday,

Rev. Mark