This sermon turns out to be an exploration into the nature of our Christian faith. I never am quite sure where these sermons will go when I am getting them started. I would not have guess the destination of this one.
The Christian faith has two competing elements.
Here they are:
1. There is a part of our faith that breeds a sense of identity. We are given an understanding of who we are. There is a kind of self-awareness about what it means to be Christian and United Methodist. We have "belonging" and we are part of a mainstream.
2. There is another part of our faith the promotes a sense of receptivity. We are given to explore to learn about others and who they are. There is a kind of seeking beyond the self. We care about knowing who we are but we also seek to learn others and who they are. We look to the margins and we are "be-loving". Our seeking isn't complete until we make our boundaries porous. We really don't understand our position unless we can appreciate other traditions and what is the core of their values.
Christian, United Methodism is a clearly defined approach to religion that seeks clarity by exploring other truth; to confirm or deny the truth we have. We believe faith is a dynamic process and nor a permanent or fixed state.
That's how I see it. What do you think? If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the "comments" box below.
If you wish me to send a rough draft of the sermon tomorrow morning let me know and I am happy to email that to you.
Charles Schuster
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment