Dear All of Us,
So, here's a little
ancient history
- mine -
One of my favorite
shows
back in those
long ago
early days
of TV
and of me
was
WHAT'S MY LINE
Guests responded with
with yes or no answers
as the panelists
quizzed them
trying to
figure out,
if they could,
the quest's
line of work.
Repartee between
the panelists and
host, John Daly,
was witty, tasteful
and sophisticated.
Each week
there was a
celebrity
Mystery Guest,
among them,
Ty Cobb,
Marian Anderson,
Betty Grable,
Estes Kefauver
How's that
for dating
the show
and me!
The panelists
were blindfolded.
There was
an empty chair
for the off-stage
Mystery Guest
whose voice
was disguised.
It was all good,
clean, fun.
It worked out well.
It's been
disappointingly
different for the
established church.
Over the centuries
it's had a hard time
rightly identifying our
Celebrity Guest
and
his line of work.
He has been severely
misunderstood
as everything from
a genteel, wispy, soft,
"My Sweet Lord,"
to a good looking
blond, blue eyed Sweed,
to a militant revolutionary.
His line of work has been
misconstrued as
pitching a piety
for a safe and secure
by and by in the sky,
as a fixer doing
magic miracles,
as a stern moralist,
as fronting
strong opposition
to Empire.
Over the centuries
Jesus has been trapped
by the trappings of
a church hierarchy
with its regalia, titles,
pomp and preference,
functioning as Empire's
court chaplains.
Such has thrown off
our response to Jesus
and his life work.
That "thrown off" spans
from people running off
to a supposed
sacred seclusion
hoping to be
highest holy,
to being militant
antimilitants for God.
HUM?
It has set up a clergy cult
and relegated masses
to passive piety.
HUM SOME MORE!
With today's
worldwide reshuffle
of just about everything
and the mass exodus
from institutional religion,
our right now is
a prime-time opportunity
to joyfully embrace
the real Jesus and
the actual life
he shares.
In simple truth, Jesus
invites us to be close in
with him and each other
in hardy, healthy, community
as we live his life together in
The Kingdom of God
here on into eternity.
It is real, robust, loving,
caring and creative.
It joins us with Jesus
and with each other in
reclaiming and redeeming
what has been lost
and turning right
what has been
twisted wrong
in Creation -
people and place,
soul, society and system.
At times that's a
downright uplifting,
HARD
LINE OF WORK.
Jesus did not try
to dismantle Empire.
Rather, he initiated a
real-right community
in place of it.
It decidedly call for
wholehearted,
vigorous, joyous,
engagement.
"Sort of," "halfway,"
doesn't get us there.
It's not a weekly
Sunday Service,
soothing rituals,
a docket of dogmas,
a set of moral mandates,
more about me than us.
It's a flat out,
all encompassing,
top to bottom,
fully lived
God Love
Gospel Life
As so often
urged here,
we need to
find or form
a group with whom
to live Jesus and this
kingdom community.
Here are some
"descriptors"
to line us up
in our efforts
to do that,
to get
Jesus Right
Kingdom Real.
Individually and
as community we
marinate/meditate
in and with them:
- "The kingdom of heaven
is like a mustard seed"
Mathew 13:31
apparently
of no account
yet grows
to what really counts.
Keep it simple,
simple show
and
quiet tell.
The Kingdom
God Expansive,
subtle strong.
Forget the analytics and PR.
Let Grace
grow the community.
Yes,
like a tiny mustard seed
simple strong
potential powered.
-"I tell you the truth,
unless you change
and become like
little children,
you will never enter the
kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:3
Disengage
the control mode,
go counter cultural,
come on out
from the isolation of self
and
let God show us all a
God Good Time
together.
Realize
we are
God's delight,
God cared for,
freed up
for
Creation Play
- " I am the vine,
you are the branches."
John 15:5
God wants to happen as us.
WOW!
God's life, energy,
wondrousness
is
particularized and fruitful
in us.
In kingdom living
we each are
God branched out
variously, uniquely
a variety of
gifts and graces
to share.
Unity in difference
Mutuality in ministry
- "I am
the way,
the truth,
and
the life."
John 14:6
Jesus offers us
a way to go about life,
offers his way of life,
bedrock real,
foundational truth.
Jesus is life itself,
our energy source.
Kingdom Living is
actual, practical
living
the way, truth
and life of Jesus
together
in community.
For us, all is
based on,
decided by,
rooted in.
this trinity
of sharing
from
Jesus
- "I was hungry and
you gave me
something to eat,
I was thirsty and
you gave me
something to drink,
I was a stranger and
you invited me in,
I needed covering and
you clothed me,
I was sick and
you looked after me,
I was in prison and
you came to visit me."
Matthew 25:35-36
This is our stock and trade.
These are the measures
of our meaning and ministry.
This is what we are about.
As a community
we find ways to
practically live out
The Love That Is God.
1 John 4:8
as manifest in
Matthew above.
Examples:
We wrap in
the pushed out.
We have the
all alone
elderly woman
down the street
join our community
for Sunday dinners.
We spot and back up
a couple taking care of
foster children.
We feed intellectual and
relational hungers with
engaged, expansive,
sharing, attention
and complete inclusion.
We keep emptying
our closets and dressers
to cloth families
in local shelters.
Our community sponsors
Greet and Meet events
with members of
other cultures,
ethnicity, lifestyles,
gender expressions,
and religions
in our area.
We are patient
and stick with
those imprisoned
in self-absorption.
- "But the Counselor,
the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father
will send in my name,
will teach you all things
and remind you of
everything
I have said to you."
John 14:26
The Spirit is our
communal and personal
GPS.
We don't rely on
our own smarts,
passions, plans
and persuasions.
As a community
and individually
we seek and welcome
The Spirit
and we test
our spirits,
personal and communal.
What's Our Line?
Living God Good Love
tight together
so
personally and practically
that there is absolutely
no question about
WHAT"S MY LINE
******
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Have a great week.
Looking forward to all of us
being back together here
next week.
Love to all.
God Bless,
John Frank
******
