The problem is, many of the people in need of saving
are in churches, and at least part of what they need saving from is the idea
that God sees the world the same way they do. Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor
Today is our third day of letting the prophetic,
poetic, and powerful words of Pastor Barbara Brown Taylor guide us, teach us,
and stretch us on the Lenten journey.
Yesterday, we heard her call us to account on the ways church and state
can team up to hurt and harm others.
Today, we listen to the ways the church has its own issues.
First, read the quote, and notice/name your
response. This reads my mail and makes
me squirm. Of course, I think God agrees
with me! Or as Anne Lamont once said,
“Of course, I think my opinion is right!
Otherwise, I would get a new opinion!” Yet, when I conflate, confuse, and convince
myself that God is on my side, I make an idol of my own
understanding. God is beyond my
comprehension. In what ways do we as a
church need saving?
Second, re-read the quote, this time letting the
words/ideas/thoughts expressed above intersect your life. I pray that every person in our church would
take time to ponder prayerfully where we need saving. As much as I love the algorithm that keeps
spoon-feeding me more of the same ideas to keep me clicking, God doesn’t do
that. God’s unconditional and unceasing
love finds me where I am, but doesn’t leave me there.
Third, re-read the quote, and sit silently with Rev.
Taylor’s wisdom. Today, may we pray for
God’s wisdom to be a light to our church, showing us where we’ve convinced
ourselves that we are right while “those” people are wrong.
Finally, what might our church try differently because
God is not finished with us yet? How
might God be refashioning, reforming, re-storying our church to align with our
self-giving, suffering- embracing God?
May today’s wisdom work and wiggle and even bring us to
the edge of where we feel confident and certain and in control ~ because at the
end of our rope is often God’s address.
Amen.
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