Proper 9 / Pentecost 7 / Ordinary Time 14
Devotional
Water From the Rock
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle C
Object:
My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.
-- Galatians 6:1a
It is not unusual for people who have been alienated by the church at an earlier time in their life to carry an image of the church as a self-righteous, judgmental community. For a community that proclaims that we are the recipients of forgiveness by a gracious God, we have a great deal of difficulty in proclaiming that same forgiveness to those around us. While the Bible repeatedly speaks of the judgment of God, it is made clear in Christ that God's judgment is for the purpose of salvation and not condemnation. The only people that seemed to elicit real anger from Jesus were those who exercised religion in a way that harmed or excluded others. Paul recognized the necessity of holding members of the community accountable for their behavior. The purpose, however, of accountability was for that person's own sake.
Once we have called a person to account for a transgression, "you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness." The mutuality of ministry means that we bear the burdens of each other and cannot absolve ourselves of that responsibility because a person has been separated from the community. Sometimes, as Paul recognized, our efforts at reconciliation may seem hopeless, but the very act of seeking reconciliation has its own reward. "So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up."
The criteria by which we can measure our own behavior was often described by Paul as the fruits of the Spirit. Such fruits, as they are variously listed in most of Paul's letters, are acts and attitudes that build up the community. In contrast, the fruits of the flesh are those ways of living that result in friction and dissension. Frequently they are based on that which seems to meet our personal needs rather than that which considers what is best for our neighbor. "So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith." Imagine that as the mission statement of your church.
-- Galatians 6:1a
It is not unusual for people who have been alienated by the church at an earlier time in their life to carry an image of the church as a self-righteous, judgmental community. For a community that proclaims that we are the recipients of forgiveness by a gracious God, we have a great deal of difficulty in proclaiming that same forgiveness to those around us. While the Bible repeatedly speaks of the judgment of God, it is made clear in Christ that God's judgment is for the purpose of salvation and not condemnation. The only people that seemed to elicit real anger from Jesus were those who exercised religion in a way that harmed or excluded others. Paul recognized the necessity of holding members of the community accountable for their behavior. The purpose, however, of accountability was for that person's own sake.
Once we have called a person to account for a transgression, "you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness." The mutuality of ministry means that we bear the burdens of each other and cannot absolve ourselves of that responsibility because a person has been separated from the community. Sometimes, as Paul recognized, our efforts at reconciliation may seem hopeless, but the very act of seeking reconciliation has its own reward. "So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up."
The criteria by which we can measure our own behavior was often described by Paul as the fruits of the Spirit. Such fruits, as they are variously listed in most of Paul's letters, are acts and attitudes that build up the community. In contrast, the fruits of the flesh are those ways of living that result in friction and dissension. Frequently they are based on that which seems to meet our personal needs rather than that which considers what is best for our neighbor. "So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith." Imagine that as the mission statement of your church.
