03-08-20

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 8, 2020
Scripture: Mark 7:6-7
Jesus replied, “Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you hypocrites. He wrote, These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. Their worship of me is empty since they teach instructions that are human words…”

Thought for the Day: These are the verses that follow our focus scripture this Sunday morning. These words cause me to squirm and to feel some discomfort within. Remember, I am a preacher. I make my living, in part, through words. How far is my heart from what is spoken by my lips? Too often the leadership of a church has failed the faith community by presenting a significant gap between Words and Deeds. Will any preacher fully live to the standards of Jesus and the Gospels? Probably not! And if a preacher is suggesting that s/he is fully living to that standard, the congregation might see that as a red flag or just a really puffed up ego. At the same time, the church and the larger community needs to see consistency, to see those who are striving to reach the goal of the Jesus-life. I believe quite strongly that the decline in churches can be tied, not entirely, to the hypocrisy seeing at the highest levels. For the sake of the mission entrusted to us through the Holy Spirit, I pray that we will keep one another accountable.

Prayer: Keep working with me, O Spirit of Christ, for I desire for the message of my heart to match the message of daily life. Amen.

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