09-17-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
September 17, 2025
In her book, Preaching God’s Grand Drama, Ahmi Lee writes, “It is not enough for the church to merely see the world in light of the gospel… [Instead,] God’s people must live as though the claims of the gospel are true.” I think she is absolutely correct in her assessment. It is so easy to make claims, offer a statement of belief, and even do so passionately. It is something entirely different to live a life that reflects those claims. When someone makes the generic claim, “I just believe in the Bible,” I’d often find myself in an argument over literalism. Now, I ask the question, “What are tangible things you can point to in your daily life that represent a change in light of your belief?” Interestingly, the most common response is to say, “I pray often…” Now I never want to diminish prayer. In fact, I love the word “often” that is used. But I am looking for something that demonstrates a change that might have initially been discomforting, if not an outright struggle. I think about my own growth in generosity (let’s be clear, I would not describe myself as generous, but a work in progress). There is a constant internal debate between relinquishing money to God’s ministries and my own short and long-term concerns about security. I think about one of our church members who recently told me about a pretty dramatic change in her life, and how she sees herself as a voice for those who do not have a voice. It has required her to step way outside her comfort zone. There are a gazillion other stories that reflect a clear and tangible change. My concern is that in the minds of many, Christianity is nothing more than an exercise of the mind, a claiming of certain ideas. But I can claim something to be true without it having any sort of repercussions. From where I sit, the dust on a shelf is clear as day. I acknowledge the reality of that dust, but do I have any plans of finding something that will help me remove that dust? Probably not! I’ll put it off for another day or not. The dust is real, but its impact on my daily life choices appears rather inconsequential. 

Nudge me, Merciful One, when my faithful claims need to become faithful actions. Where passion about ideas is my only passion, I pray for a change. I pray for my life to give a clear witness to your unconditional and unrelenting love… a gift that was more than an idea. Amen.