March 14, 2008

As we approach the gathering of the General Assembly our focus is drawn to Micah 6: 8 as our scriptural key.  I am one of those who want to know what precedes and what follows a particular selected Scripture.  So I whipped out the NIB and opened to page 542 and what confronts me, Chapter 1: 2-7 "God's Case Against Israel".   As a challenge, especially for those who are commissioners, read the rest of the story and reflect on who we are as a denomination in this day and time and who God is calling us to be.   For the sake of conversation lets turn Micah 6: 8 upside down.  Walk Humbly with your God, Love kindness and do justice, for the first two inform your view of the third.  Jesus came to us as a servant of God and for us to walk with Jesus is to become a servant also.  To love kindness is to give it the highest priority for our thoughts and actions.   From these two we are show God's justice in our lives.

March 31, 2008

As I travel along the path to GA I learn more each day concerning the difficulties we face within the denomination.  It seems to me that it all started back in the 1950 era when amongst other things society gave in to the motto of Burger King. "Have it your way". This mentality may have even blossomed in the hippy era.  Of course this is not a new cultural. I believe it started with a garden story in Genesis and is later reflected by a small group of twelve. As I understand the pagans did what they wanted to do. The Hebrews had a set of hard and fast rules to follow. Then Jesus came along and said live by the rules if you must but you will not understand God's grace until love becomes the center of your belief and life. An example would be, if you feed someone who is hungry out of pity you get a gold star, but if you feed someone out of love you open the door to the kingdom for them and you have been a witness to God's presence in your life.