Just moments after I finished my sermon this morning, I had a nagging feeling that I hadn't quite said enough. I had spoken about the Kingdom and how it will not be based on the economic models that are so familiar to us. I stated that there will come a day when we will be delivered from our slavish existence to money. I even pointed to an example of what this might look like--referencing the Biblical story of manna in the wilderness and how quickly everything is now moving from the realm of ideas to the physical world in which we live.
Though what I said is helpful and, I think, faithful to both the Gospel and the world in which we are living, I failed to say one additional thing that is equally important. Just because we see the economic cycle broken or the appearance of manna in the wilderness does not necessarily mean that the Kingdom has come or that the man or woman who appears responsible is the Christ.
While this might be obvious to some, I do not want it to be lost on any of us. History has shown us time and again that saviors who swoop in to save the day in troubled times often turn out to be something else altogether.
Beware of magicians. Great entertainment... disappointing saviors.
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.........Conversing with the Church and the world about the good creation that we share and God's capacity to keep it that way...
Why The Portico
We have a stained glass window at the church. It is a picture of St. Francis. He is dressed in monastic attire but there are few other signs of his role as a representative of the Church--no ornate architecture, no screaming symbolism, not even words. I like the metaphor and I am drawn to the peaceful but authentic presence that Francis might have been. So in that tradition, I imagine a patio or a portico extending out from our community into the larger world. I imagine myself sitting there and having a conversation with whoever or whatever might happen by.
About Me
- Mark Evans
- The material here is offered to the larger world around us. It includes commentary about theology, society, culture, politics and the arts. Though I do not claim to be an expert in any of these areas, I do feel welcome and compelled to participate in the conversations that they inspire.
1 comment:
Pastor Mark,
Sorry I missed your sermon on Sunday. I had a bad cold this past week-end and in addition to needing to rest, Matthew 25:35 says "when I was sick you cared for me" not "when I was well you gave me a cold."
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