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| Tuesday, July 07, 2009 |
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Is Church for Healing or For Helping?
By webmaster @ 11:37 AM :: 637 Views ::
1 Comments :: Rev. David Lewicki
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What is the purpose of church? Is it a place that should offer us comfort, peace, a rest from the maddening world? Is it a place where should feel accepted no matter what sinful things we've done or what good works we've left undone? Is it a place that should feel like a warm blanket, give a cozy feeling, be supportive and nurturing, tender and grace-filled?
Or should church challenge? Should it hold a mirror up to our faults and flaws so that we see them, name them, and with God's help change them? Should church be unflinching in telling the truth about injustice in the world, and show us where and how to help those who hurt? Is church a place where truth and righteousness are upheld, even at the expense of personal comfort?
Yes.
The answer is yes--it is all of those things. It is that way because Jesus was, as I read him, also about all of those things. The same Jesus who says "come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, I will give you rest" is the same Jesus who said to feed the hungry and visit the prisoner. Jesus seemed to welcome everyone... and then challenged them to transcend themselves for sake of love of others.
Our struggle is often that we need one or the other at a given time in our lives. And as a pastor and occasional preacher, I never know which person needs which kind of support on a given Wednesday or Sunday. It would be a cleaner process if a church became known as "just" a comforting church--that way, anyone who came there would know that they would be welcomed and supported. Some churches become known as "just" prophetic/justice churches and you know what you're going to get from the pulpit and the church culture: challenge to stretch in mission and service.
But to be a church that is faithful to Jesus, we have to keep both visions in mind and do our best to uphold them simultaneously. And theologically, part of my job is help show that they are not separate realities, but part of the same reality: because we are love and accepted unconditionally by Christ, we are liberated to share that love with the world in ways that the world will find strange or even risky. Our witness to the world can be this: our safety and security in God's love empowers us and energizes us to be bold in our graceful acts of kindness.
Is the church for healing or for helping? It's a false question. They are part and parcel of the same thing: ministry in the name and spirit of Jesus the Christ. |
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 By
rbu5000 @
Thursday, July 23, 2009 7:53 AM
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Before I read more than a couple of sentences I was saying that it had to be both comforting and challenging. This is the way that I read Jesus's life and teachings also.
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Welcome to MarbleTalks, a weblog published by the ministers and staff of Marble Collegiate Church. If you're unfamiliar with blogs, this short primer will help get you up to speed.
What is a Blog?
MarbleTalks provides a forum for each of our ministers and various staff members to share their thoughts, questions, and experiences with our faith community. Contributors to the blog will use a wide variety of sources for inspiration, and may share those sources when possible. Blogs are built around the active participation of their readers, and will commonly encourage you to take action in your life and the world around you.
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Dr. Brown |
| Mon. |
Sister Carol Perry |
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Rev. Lewicki |
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Kenneth Dake |
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Rev. Pierce |
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Nina Frost |
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