Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Did you get "fed" Sunday?


How badly has our contemporary consumerism mind set and individualized Western worldview damaged our understanding of salvation and the mission of the Church? Is it really all about me? Is worship bad if I don't like the music or if the sermon didn't speak to me? Is salvation simply a personal experience where I choose to be saved and earn my free ticket to heaven? Was Jesus a door to door salesman selling fire insurance? Is it right for me to shop for a "church" like I would for a new pair of pants? Or is there supposed to be more to our faith? Is there a bigger purpose beyond my personal happiness? Is my being "fed" on Sunday what is most important? What is going on? Why are we so selfish? Has the Christian faith always been this way? NO!
Go figure...
our God is a God of relationships. Father, Son, Holy Spirit - - - Adam, Eve, Abraham, Moses, Israel, Peter, John, Jew, Gentile, male, female, slave, free, etc. We can't horde God to ourselves, we can't turn God into Santa, we can't buy God, we can't own God; and yet we can be in relationship w/ the Almighty Creator God. God is God - "I AM" - "YahWeh" and God is building a people after His own heart. God is personal & God is communal, God is more than just... mine & more than just... ours. For God so loved the world that He created it. God invites us to sit at His table and He fills our cups to overflowing, and breaks bread among us. And God promises an eternity of relationship - an eternity of pancakes and bacon and orange juice and coffee - Uncle Joe and Aunt Bee, Granny and Pop, Little Jimmy and Sally - God offers us participation in an eternal feast of relationship. Not a consumer feast, but a soulful feast.

3 comments:

lotusreaching said...

Excellent goading Keith, and wonderful framing and use of imagery. I especially love how you end this. The title's alright too!

Peace to you and the fam!

Nathan

rev. dr. todd said...

This is a major issue and I'm glad that you bring it up! It's hard to tell the cause from the effect sometimes! Keep up the good work and keep fighting the good fight bro!

Keith Tilley said...

Len Sweet said today that his pastor tells people who complain they didn't get fed Sunday - "put down your fork and pick up an apron!"