10-12-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 12, 2023
Yesterday, I referenced the importance of keys, the focus of my sermon on October 1, and a central part of our Stewardship Campaign: “We Do This Work For The One Who Has Been Told…” Too often, people have been told outright or in more subtle ways that they are not smart enough to draw insight from the scriptures without “the educated” telling them what to believe. Clergy, in some churches, might even say something like, “I was doing some exegetical work on a specific pericope…” Like any profession, there is insider language that very few outside the profession know. I don’t know how many times, especially since moving to Texas, I have been talking to a group of engineers and I have interrupted the conversation to say, “Pretend I’m a third grader as you explain to me what you are currently discussing.” Of course, with that statement, I might have insulted a number of third graders who could have easily explained it. Whatever the case, the purpose of Christian ministry is not to make folks feel stupid, inadequate, or subjugated to the “professionals.”

This is one of the places where I am proud of Cypress Creek Christian Church. We are not alone in this approach, but in a time of heightened tension and disagreement within our culture, there is a hunkering down among some churches when it comes to how they approach communicating the ideas of faith. It becomes more dogmatic, unbending, and more of a lecture in which people are told what to believe. In my years at Cypress Creek Christian Church, I have preached a handful of what some might call “controversial” sermons. On more than one occasion, people have assumed that what I preached is what they had to believe. Within our tradition, that is not true. My hope is that people will be challenged by what I say, even if they disagree. Even more importantly, if the people disagree, my hope is that what I have said pushes them to clarify why they disagree. It is within well-thought-out convictions that good discussion and growth can occur. No one’s mind might change, but in the sharing of diverse ideas rooted in diverse thinking on the nature of God, a space is created where understanding and deepening of conviction can occur within everyone. Sadly, on more than one occasion, I have been told by someone, “You’re wrong!” When I asked for clarification, the response has been something like, “I just know” or “because the Bible is clear.” I understand passion and conviction around our beliefs, but I had a professor once say, “Is it really a belief if we cannot explain why we have come to the belief?" It’s ok to say, “I believe because of my faith,” but that should probably be undergirded by the capacity to point to a scripture, some theological concept, or something specific from one's experience. Each of those is legitimate, but we should always recognize how someone might have a different starting place. Understanding that the starting place in ourselves and others creates a greater opportunity for appreciation and coming to a place where we can agree to disagree in a healthy way.

For all the grace and compassion you have shown me, Lord God, I pray for the capacity to bring such gifts to all my conversations. I desire to grow in my own convictions and understand the core idea of influencing others. Amen.