2 Corinthians 3:3-6, 12-18
Your very lives are a letter, written by Christ, not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives.
We couldn’t be more sure of ourselves in this—that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation. We wouldn’t think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves. Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn’t written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It’s written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives! .....
With that kind of hope to excite us, nothing holds us back. Unlike Moses, we have nothing to hide. Everything is out in the open with us. He wore a veil so the children of Israel wouldn’t notice that the glory was fading away—and they didn’t notice. They didn’t notice it then and they don’t notice it now, don’t notice that there’s nothing left behind that veil. Even today when the proclamations of the old, bankrupt ways are read out, they can’t see through it. Only Christ can get rid of the veil so they can see for themselves that there’s nothing there.
Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.
I want to share news of what is going on in the wider church --
We’ve had a lot to figure out in a relatively short time this summer – we’ve been focused on this building, this church, this gathering of people. We've had to do this, but it has perhaps left us too focused on ourselves, and not enough on what is going on 'out there.'
I want to emphasize what we are doing here is not just a Ukiah-phenomenon – it is happening all across DOC spectrum – and beyond. Spend any time on the web and you can find many on-line conversations about change in the church at large. Some think it's good, some aren't so sure. There are lots of really wild ideas about new visions – and a whole lot of struggling churches trying to re-define selves ... and a lot of new churches opening up in formats different from the ”traditional.”
I attended two events this week that drive this home to me. Since we are a blended church of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ I'm involved on two fronts. This week I attended a UCC retreat for pastors -- two days of renewal (it was wonderful). There was an additional 'pre-event' -- by invitation -- just for folks from churches that are going through changes. New churches struggling to build and older churches re-visioning themselves. It was informative AND heartwarming.
The previous week I had attended a Disciples Regional Ministry Council to hear what others are doing and give an up-date of our Mission Cluster -- "Church Off the Center." Again, I heard excitement from different directions at the new ways we are all looking to "Be" Church in this 21st century.
New things are happening everywhere – in all aspects of church
Change is not a punishment wished on us (even if we feel overwhelmed sometimes) – it’s happening all over the place – and I think it is a calling of the Spirit – one of the cyclical renewals that keep the church fresh and relevant. I'm excited to be part of it.
We’ve had a lot to figure out in a relatively short time this summer – we’ve been focused on this building, this church, this gathering of people. We've had to do this, but it has perhaps left us too focused on ourselves, and not enough on what is going on 'out there.'
I want to emphasize what we are doing here is not just a Ukiah-phenomenon – it is happening all across DOC spectrum – and beyond. Spend any time on the web and you can find many on-line conversations about change in the church at large. Some think it's good, some aren't so sure. There are lots of really wild ideas about new visions – and a whole lot of struggling churches trying to re-define selves ... and a lot of new churches opening up in formats different from the ”traditional.”
I attended two events this week that drive this home to me. Since we are a blended church of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ I'm involved on two fronts. This week I attended a UCC retreat for pastors -- two days of renewal (it was wonderful). There was an additional 'pre-event' -- by invitation -- just for folks from churches that are going through changes. New churches struggling to build and older churches re-visioning themselves. It was informative AND heartwarming.
The previous week I had attended a Disciples Regional Ministry Council to hear what others are doing and give an up-date of our Mission Cluster -- "Church Off the Center." Again, I heard excitement from different directions at the new ways we are all looking to "Be" Church in this 21st century.
New things are happening everywhere – in all aspects of church
Change is not a punishment wished on us (even if we feel overwhelmed sometimes) – it’s happening all over the place – and I think it is a calling of the Spirit – one of the cyclical renewals that keep the church fresh and relevant. I'm excited to be part of it.
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