05-06-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 6, 2025
Two weeks ago, right around Easter, I received an email from someone who had read one of my Etchings. A question was asked: “In twenty-five words or less, tell me why church is important.” I used twenty-three words, but I want you to ponder how you might have responded. I knew only a little bit about the person asking, and more information would have been helpful. If it is someone who doesn’t believe in God, then I would probably answer one way. If it was someone who was angry with God or disappointed with the church, then I would probably answer very differently. As I wrote, it made me ponder the writings of the Apostle Paul. Please understand that I’m not making any comparisons between Paul and myself. However, we both know that Paul was writing to very specific situations. He often had someone acting as a go-between, bringing information about the community. And quite often, that information was not referenced in his return letter because it was not necessary. At best, it was implied. And I imagine that Paul also felt the need for brevity… though a whole lot more than twenty-five words. Knowing context is so important, and quite often, the best Biblical scholars are only making educated guesses when it comes to the context. Don’t get me wrong—there are times when we know exactly what Paul or another Biblical writer was writing about. But I also wonder how often the church has made an assumption about the context, made a dramatic declaration for Christians based on that assumption, yet they got it wrong. 

Keep me moving beyond a surface reading of the ancient word, O Holy Guide, as I do not wish to be taken down the wrong path based on an erroneous assumption. Amen.