Monday, June 4, 2007

Sunday Revelations

My pastor preached an unbelievable sermon yesterday.

So much so that I am still processing the complexities of it.

At first, I was squirming in my seat, with discomfort at the seemingly overbearing, narrow-focused, and plain legalistic approach of it.

See, it was aimed at a certain sin, homosexuality...for awhile.

Thoughts I had included:

Oh, dear, dear Lord - how many are smugly thinking, "Preach on" right about now, blind to their own sins?

Jesus, my Savior, have mercy on me, a sinner.

What if someone is stuggling with this particular issue and there on the Powerpoint is Leviticus, where it says that homosexuality is punishable by death? Would they not feel like the adulturous woman, about to be stoned by the Pharisees? What if they concluded that's all there was, before they happened to see Christ drawing the line in the sand, and saying to the 'upright,' "Show me your perfect life and then you can throw stones?"

Lord, please rain Your hope on such persons.

I ruminated on Romans 1:21, despite the whole passage with a litany of sins that followed, and recognized myself, shamefully. I talk of God, and strive to walk a godly life, but my talking to Him and walking with Him has been severely lacking for a long time. Father, please forgive me.

Turns out, that was exactly what preacher was hoping to hit the congregation with - because as much as we may want to single out this particular sin or that, as awesome as a Falwell-style fundamentalist thinks this passage is to counter gay pride with, God smacks us upside the head with context, for the very next breath in Romans says this:

You [the supposed righteous], therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

::gasp:: Can you say - "They're us and we're them??"

It's like He knows us completely and all-too intimately...or something like that. I promise I will call Home more often, Daddy. You're too important for me not to.

God's good.

So is my preacher - boy knows how to speak. Love you, Brother.

1 comment:

  1. My comment was just lost in cyberspace. The gist was this: I am so tired of wearing the scarlet C of Falwell/Robertson inspired "Christianity" on my chest. The folks who believe they are any better than homosexuals better be able to line up right behind Jesus and be w/o sin. The first two commands, as watered down by me are: 1. Love Me. 2. Love Each Other. God has no use for hate. As for me, I'm a filthy, hypocritical, rag of a woman but for the saving,grace which He gives me to make me holy. Thanks so much for this post.

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