01-22-26

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 22, 2026
I received a letter last week. Someone spent $12 to make sure I received his letter. There was something to appreciate about someone’s willingness to take the extra step and spend the money to share his opinion that I am a horrible minister and sinful human being. And equally important, I am taking the congregation to hell with me. I won’t go into details, but you probably guess some of the concerns. This is a person who has never visited the church. Again, there is something to be admired when a person feels so passionate about my salvation, but I am amazed at how some folks’ understanding of Christianity is so narrow and incomplete. The church started fighting over what to believe, and quite often killing over the topic, just 30 minutes after Jesus ascended into heaven. The church has been at its worst when it has not engaged the full spectrum of theological questions and confusion with curiosity. In the good old days of the Holy Roman Empire, when everyone appeared to enjoy the same beliefs, there was still plenty of disagreements. Those who disagreed often tried to keep their opinions to themselves, otherwise they were imprisoned or executed. The threat of death is always a good tool of evangelism. Well, so is the threat of hell, and when someone quotes four verses of scriptures completely out of context, and then leaps to what he believed to be a logical conclusion of my damnation, leaves me two choices. I can either comply or burn. Of course, I believe such an approach undermines everything that Jesus taught. Jesus entered the world in a time of Us vs. Them games; you are either with us or against us; you are on the side of the enemy or on the side of God. Jesus looked at those games and offered something so radically different that most people didn’t know what to do with it. Despite what some will try to argue, Jesus did not offer a message of “turn or burn,” but an opportunity to find the fullness of life in and through unconditional love. It had less to do with following rules or reciting a confession, and a whole lot to do with growing in one’s capacity to love neighbor, self, and God. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but if I had even an ounce of concern in regard to the accusations of the letter, I would not sleep well at night. But I have experienced God’s breathtaking and immeasurable love, and for that reason, I believe there is a whole different way of viewing our existence together, and with that, what it means to believe and celebrate the God of grace.

Without any concern, Lord God, I trust in your love to continue to find ways of shaping and transforming this world. Where there is still work to be done within me, I pray for both humility and openness to receive the gifts I am needing. Thank you! Amen.