Still thinking about the different ways we identify ourselves as Christian, especially those that go deeper than being nice, punctual, thrifty, strong, etc. Each of these traits or habits have a place in the world of choices and actions but each on their own will not be enough in defining an identity. The same is true of the “letting go” from last week’s writing.
That’s true for every characteristic that we would want to use to explain the complexity that is Christian identity. You can see that truth acted out in the history of heresy that has been the struggle of Christians from the 1st century AD to today. Take any one of the many traits we would list as part of a whole Christian identity, exercise it at the exclusion of others and you end up with an -ism, or an -itis, or a -phobia.
I’m exaggerating because most of us are not so secluded or without others that we go that far. Most of us are not that idiosyncratic. Quirky, unusual, opinionated but measured by the love of family, friends, neighbors, by the limits of social norms, laws, language, etc.
All of this is to say much of who we each become is not simply the result of choices we make or actions we take as individuals. We are formed in relationship.
That’s how identity works and that’s how God worked when Jesus entered the story that was already full of relationship with God. It would not have been enough for God to simply expect one behavior or action over another in order to be fully present. It would not have worked for God to appear as a full grown human — male or female.
Even with the intent to set things right God had to “suffer” relationship born in Bethlehem so that everything that makes us human, that forms our identities, that individuates each one of us could get caught up in a relationship with God.
Christian identities aren’t simply an imposition of one behavior or action over another. Christian identities aren’t miraculous anomalies that ignore the fabric of day-to-day, person-to-person living. Christian identities are the result of relationship and resolve other identities through relationship.
The season of Advent helps us to prepare for the ultimate relationship with God. Through the shared work of judgement and redemption (It could just as well be said in reverse order) all that is us—our identities—is made ready to meet the reality of God’s identity in the one of a kind way that admits, honors and saves the complexity of humankind.
“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:30-33 KJV
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Christian Identities #7: Letting Go
I want to get back to the series on how we define ourselves as Christians both within and beyond that thing we call a church family. Before I do that I want to thank the members of the vestry and others who contributed to the conversation necessary in moving from budget year to budget year. There several excellent "testimonies" and some of them were repeated in the space my 'blurbs" usually occupy. Thanks to you each and all for enriching our lives and our understanding, especially about from where your giving comes.
It's an easy segue to talking about this next way of describing faithful living because the interlude of testimonies was an adaptive process. The vestry responded to the "facts on the ground" relative to budget, pledging and expenses and talked straight from the heart to their fellow parishioners. I hope you heard them. I hope you heard them witnessing to appreciation, gratitude, grace, honesty, commitment and much more.
I hope you heard a critical distinction about giving in faith as it compares to paying dues or helping those in need. I hope you heard something about letting go in your giving. Letting go is how our giving becomes an offering.
At Boulevard Baptist in Anderson, SC back in the early 60's our family sat behind a church lady I have always called Mrs. Phillips. One Sunday night as the offering plate was passed she fussed and fidgeted to put something in the plate. As it continued to the back of the church she craned her neck to keep an eye on that plate. When we stood for the presentation she lunged toward the usher reaching as if to get out whatever she had put in earlier. She lost her balance and fell. The usher's first move was to protect the plate and its contents so he spun away from her causing most of the change and bills to spill out onto the floor. It was a fiasco! I think my dad turned to the organist and said, "play another stanza."
I learned something that night that informs my appreciation for giving, pledging, and budgeting now in the life of our church family. Offerings aren't offerings until we let go of them. Even worse we can make a mess of other's giving if we fail to finish our own giving by letting go.
Letting go is our imitating the sacrifice of the one we claim to follow. It's that simple and it is a sacramental act that everyone of us is capable of accomplishing.
My prayer is that we can learn from our current reality both as a function of Christian identity, as a function of giving and budgeting, and as a function of meeting our obligations and helping those in need to find new ways to let go.
It's an easy segue to talking about this next way of describing faithful living because the interlude of testimonies was an adaptive process. The vestry responded to the "facts on the ground" relative to budget, pledging and expenses and talked straight from the heart to their fellow parishioners. I hope you heard them. I hope you heard them witnessing to appreciation, gratitude, grace, honesty, commitment and much more.
I hope you heard a critical distinction about giving in faith as it compares to paying dues or helping those in need. I hope you heard something about letting go in your giving. Letting go is how our giving becomes an offering.
At Boulevard Baptist in Anderson, SC back in the early 60's our family sat behind a church lady I have always called Mrs. Phillips. One Sunday night as the offering plate was passed she fussed and fidgeted to put something in the plate. As it continued to the back of the church she craned her neck to keep an eye on that plate. When we stood for the presentation she lunged toward the usher reaching as if to get out whatever she had put in earlier. She lost her balance and fell. The usher's first move was to protect the plate and its contents so he spun away from her causing most of the change and bills to spill out onto the floor. It was a fiasco! I think my dad turned to the organist and said, "play another stanza."
I learned something that night that informs my appreciation for giving, pledging, and budgeting now in the life of our church family. Offerings aren't offerings until we let go of them. Even worse we can make a mess of other's giving if we fail to finish our own giving by letting go.
Letting go is our imitating the sacrifice of the one we claim to follow. It's that simple and it is a sacramental act that everyone of us is capable of accomplishing.
My prayer is that we can learn from our current reality both as a function of Christian identity, as a function of giving and budgeting, and as a function of meeting our obligations and helping those in need to find new ways to let go.
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