Entering Hope

I received this mail about my thoughts... I'll give my response at the end...

Nows are interesting moments aren't they? So full of feelings and power and the new. Thens are old and worn and rather lackluster in comparison. Take the fire and leave the ash! But - consider this - wasn't the then once a now. And didn't the receivers of that revelation sense the rush of a defining moment and a clarifying vision? What are the anchors of the "then" and "now?": word to mankind and mankind's word. When the church weds the culture, it becomes a widower.

Loved your blog, but feeling some fallout from the culture wars, as I try to build trust on these mean streets for our beloved denomination.

Stymied in Swissvale

Dear Stymied,

The "nows" of life are certainly a challenge. But then, they always are, as you point out. The now that we have is flowing from the "now" that once was. I am trying to live in the "now" that I'm given. To dig deep in it. Examine it. Prayerfully reflect upon it with out prejudgment. If God is eternal, then our "now" is a speck of eternity. There is a tomorrow that God already dreamed up "yesterday." If I empty myself and look for God today, then I believe that God's tomorrow will emerge in full wonder and glory.

Now that I wrote that, I'm not sure it makes sense. But I'll let it be.

Our church is Christ's church. Jesus is still Lord. Our attempts to create the church after our own image will always fall short. My trust in the church is always a trust in Jesus, the Lord of the church. If I try to separate the weeds from the wheat, I risk ruining the whole. I ruined an entire season of carrots once because I thought those delicate, filmy shoots were weeds.

If I begin to give up hope in the church, then I need to reinforce my hope in Christ, for Christ is the center, the life, the breath of the church. And that is my soapbox sermon - Presbyterians, we have a wonderful identity in our heritage, let us claim it. Let's proclaim it so the world knows who we are and who Christ is as a result. I truly believe that the church is a living demonstration of God's will for all humanity and that is my compelling vision for tomorrow. And I believe that God is doing a great work in us because the world needs us. Desperately.

Hopeful Bob on the Northside