Sermon theme: Beyond Goodness
I wonder how John the Baptizer really felt about Jesus.
John was doing great and courageous work with his moral preaching, his prophetic critique of government and society, and his invitation to people to clean up their act. But he also knew the limits of what he and his followers would actually accomplish in the world -- a bit of discomfort among the elite, a bit of cleaning up for a while among the populace, but in the end he would be gone and the world would continue much as it always did.
There was something missing from his program and among his followers -- as there is ultimately in many programs and movements of moral reform, and according to the Gospel John knew Jesus would bring it -- a new spirit that would fill people from within and change the world and our life in the world from the inside out, so real transformation would occur as a matter of new (or mature) human nature, and not because of people's commitment to a program or movement.
What do we do as disciples and Christians when "something is missing"? When goodness, morality, niceness, charity and commitment to doing good things just don't seem enough?
I ask the question because I think that all churches -- ours included, often find themselves facing it.
On Sunday, together we'll bring the question to God in worship.
No comments:
Post a Comment