Just a reminder:
- This writing is not about bashing your religion.
- This writing is not about bashing your denomination.
- This writing is not about bashing you.
- If you take offense, well, I'll finish this item 4 later . . .
In Part I of this writing, we discussed how one's appearance can be used to include or exclude one from the "table."
In Part II we talked about the woman factor -- how male dominance of today's religious organizations is based, at least in part, on a misinterpretation and mistranslation of the Scriptures. We also talked about traditions, and how maintaining the status quo can hinder the work of the Kingdom.
Let us turn to circumstances. What do you mean circumstances? You know -- STUFF. The stuff that you think YOU have to change BEFORE you accept the Main Thing. The stuff that YOU think gets in the way of your getting to the Main Thing.
Last week, I believe, the three CSI series -- the "original" set in Las Vegas, along with the Miami and New York spinoffs, devoted their episodes for the week to a three-part story about the present-day exploitation of young women in very ugly ways (and, frankly, some way beyond this writer's ability to conjure). Having dutifully recorded each of the three shows, I watched them back-to-back. A focal character, common to all three, was a young woman whose mother reported her missing.
Sidebar: Throughout my viewing of these three episodes, I could not help but think how real the kinds of incidents incorporated into these works of fiction, really are, and that somewhere, right now in the United States, just as in other parts of the world, these things are happening for real. I thought of my Sunday School classmate and Facebook friend, Dr. Joan D___, whose daughter works tirelessly to fight 21st century slavery right here in the good old U.S.A.
Let us turn to circumstances. What do you mean circumstances? You know -- STUFF. The stuff that you think YOU have to change BEFORE you accept the Main Thing. The stuff that YOU think gets in the way of your getting to the Main Thing.
Last week, I believe, the three CSI series -- the "original" set in Las Vegas, along with the Miami and New York spinoffs, devoted their episodes for the week to a three-part story about the present-day exploitation of young women in very ugly ways (and, frankly, some way beyond this writer's ability to conjure). Having dutifully recorded each of the three shows, I watched them back-to-back. A focal character, common to all three, was a young woman whose mother reported her missing.
Sidebar: Throughout my viewing of these three episodes, I could not help but think how real the kinds of incidents incorporated into these works of fiction, really are, and that somewhere, right now in the United States, just as in other parts of the world, these things are happening for real. I thought of my Sunday School classmate and Facebook friend, Dr. Joan D___, whose daughter works tirelessly to fight 21st century slavery right here in the good old U.S.A.
One can surmise that throughout the CSI three-parter, bodies and body parts were in good supply. But at the very end, the young woman was found. I'll spare you the gory details of all that happened to her; feel free to use your imagination. When the young woman approaches Dr. Whomever (I don't know the CSI character's name, and it really isn't relevant), she asks:
His reply is something to this effect: All you have to do is walk through the door.
The young woman, via the "CSI," had received a text message from her mother which said, in essence: I love you, I miss you, please come home, I want you back.
That really does say it all: I love you, I miss you, please come home, I want you back. So, I ask you this:
Have you ever done something so terrible that when you think about it you just cringe? You might even shiver a little bit and wonder however could I have done that? Something that you're absolutely not proud of and you a very ashamed of? It just makes you groan inwardly when you hear about it or even think about it. It just tears your heart out.
We've all done things of which we are not proud, of which we are ashamed. But there is some good news here: I am reminded of a sermon about second chances. In this sermon were mentioned several folks -- well-known Biblical characters who are just like us. They have problems and obstacles and challenges and successes and relationships. And some of them abused their relationships, taking people for granted, and really messed over them, really bad. But at the same time, those folks, when they realized the wrong that they had done, and were grievously sorry for it – do you know what they did? They went to God and confessed their wrongdoing and asked Him for forgiveness. And you know what? In seeing them in their sorrow and knowing their hearts, He forgave them and gave them a second chance.
Most times, it takes more than a second chance; often there are third, fourth and even more chances - because we fall down. The key is to get up. God is so merciful that if your heart is sincere, He'll give you the chance you need to get up and try again. Isn't that wonderful to know, that there is One to whom we can go, Who will wipe our slate clean and give us another chance?
So, how can you go back after all that has happened? All you have to do is take the first step through that Door. As one of my favorite songs goes: Everytime I run back to Him, He is waiting with open arms . . . Just as the mother waits for her wayward child to come back, even more so does the Father. The obstacles that keep us from the Main Thing are not of his doing, but are those of others, and perhaps even yours. The sad part is that the very ones who would serve to block others from the Main Thing, are as messed up as the rest of us. In their ignorance, they let their rules, regulations, rituals, sorry Scriptural interpretations and traditions keep others -- and themselves -- from experiencing the joy of the Main Thing.
Well? What obstacles prohibit you from keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing? What is more important than being made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ? Does your new suit do it for you? How about those new pumps and matching purse? Perhaps more to your liking is the ill-prepared, aliterate self-proclaimed prophet, who speaks poetically, peppering his/her verbiage with alliterative points which tickle your ears without speaking to your heart.
On the other hand, what obstacles do you cast before others that keep the Main Thing from being the Main Thing for them? Your dress code? The little doily things that add no significance to anything, and definitely do not serve as a conduit of justification? Perhaps you have a residential zip code requirement? Or, maybe everyone must look, act and speak like you? How boring is that?
And finally,
How can I go back after all that has happened?
His reply is something to this effect: All you have to do is walk through the door.
The young woman, via the "CSI," had received a text message from her mother which said, in essence: I love you, I miss you, please come home, I want you back.
That really does say it all: I love you, I miss you, please come home, I want you back. So, I ask you this:
Have you ever done something so terrible that when you think about it you just cringe? You might even shiver a little bit and wonder however could I have done that? Something that you're absolutely not proud of and you a very ashamed of? It just makes you groan inwardly when you hear about it or even think about it. It just tears your heart out.
We've all done things of which we are not proud, of which we are ashamed. But there is some good news here: I am reminded of a sermon about second chances. In this sermon were mentioned several folks -- well-known Biblical characters who are just like us. They have problems and obstacles and challenges and successes and relationships. And some of them abused their relationships, taking people for granted, and really messed over them, really bad. But at the same time, those folks, when they realized the wrong that they had done, and were grievously sorry for it – do you know what they did? They went to God and confessed their wrongdoing and asked Him for forgiveness. And you know what? In seeing them in their sorrow and knowing their hearts, He forgave them and gave them a second chance.
Most times, it takes more than a second chance; often there are third, fourth and even more chances - because we fall down. The key is to get up. God is so merciful that if your heart is sincere, He'll give you the chance you need to get up and try again. Isn't that wonderful to know, that there is One to whom we can go, Who will wipe our slate clean and give us another chance?
So, how can you go back after all that has happened? All you have to do is take the first step through that Door. As one of my favorite songs goes: Everytime I run back to Him, He is waiting with open arms . . . Just as the mother waits for her wayward child to come back, even more so does the Father. The obstacles that keep us from the Main Thing are not of his doing, but are those of others, and perhaps even yours. The sad part is that the very ones who would serve to block others from the Main Thing, are as messed up as the rest of us. In their ignorance, they let their rules, regulations, rituals, sorry Scriptural interpretations and traditions keep others -- and themselves -- from experiencing the joy of the Main Thing.
Well? What obstacles prohibit you from keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing? What is more important than being made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ? Does your new suit do it for you? How about those new pumps and matching purse? Perhaps more to your liking is the ill-prepared, aliterate self-proclaimed prophet, who speaks poetically, peppering his/her verbiage with alliterative points which tickle your ears without speaking to your heart.
On the other hand, what obstacles do you cast before others that keep the Main Thing from being the Main Thing for them? Your dress code? The little doily things that add no significance to anything, and definitely do not serve as a conduit of justification? Perhaps you have a residential zip code requirement? Or, maybe everyone must look, act and speak like you? How boring is that?
And finally,
- This writing is not about bashing your religion.
- This writing is not about bashing your denomination.
- This writing is not about bashing you.
- If you take offense, well, look in the mirror and ask yourself why. If you deem any rule, regulation or standard you adhere to more important than anyone's relationship with the Almighty, perhaps you should rethink your position.
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