Modeling The Epistles

 During this Easter Season, we will focus on the Epistle Readings from our Lectionary in the book of I Peter. I encourage you to be regularly present so that you may witness the recurring themes that Peter (and those aiding him through Holy Spirit-led editorial work) is trying to help his listeners engage.

If you missed our first message last week from First Peter chapter one, here is a link to the sermon video:

https://youtu.be/nmOQ05X9NfQ

There are some common characteristics of the various epistles in the New Testament.

· They are written to small church communities struggling with many of the same temptations and problems that we struggle with today.

· Those writing the Epistles strongly believe that Christian theology matters to everyday messy human interaction.

· All of the writers "meddle" in the church's affairs, bringing up specific sins, people, problems, and solutions based on the Gospel and Kingdom of God teaching of Jesus Christ.

· Truth is given graciously, courageously, and contextually, but (like Jesus) often with strong rebukes that cannot be easily ignored.

· They constantly teach and assume that the unseen forces led by Satan are battling and working against the Christian Community.

· They constantly emphasize what the true weapons are against these evil forces and the temptation and sin we still battle against.

By acknowledging and addressing real, life-threatening, salvation-hindering, and complicated problems (character issues), the apostles and their disciples model and teach how to be a healthy and life-giving communion of Christ, expecting conflict, problems, and disobedient people. They emphasize the importance of spiritual direction based on the teachings of Holy Scripture which stem from the very character of God. They don't hide problems, manage most problems behind the scenes, and pretend problems don't exist. Like an illness in a pandemic, they make people aware of the diseases that threaten to destroy them. They make the people aware of the dangers, help them to prepare, and constantly remind them what indeed is central according to God's perspectives and ways.

What kind of witness would our churches have if we clergy decided to model the New Testament Apostles and writers in how we love and communicate with our people, instead of first relying on the pragmatic and successful rules and training from the world? Instead of our own fears and desire for institutional success coming before God’s definitions of salvation and genuine love. Will the world's weapons work better in our spiritual battle?

What kind of witness would our churches have if our people desired real love, growth, and change in our lives so that we might find healing, forgiveness, and true unity with others around us? Do we want to be aware of our spiritual diseases, the weapons that the evil one uses against us, and those parts of our characters (as individuals and communities) that feed our emptiness, loneliness, and growing resentments?

I hope you will join us during Easter for our journey with the apostle Peter and with the many different church bodies whom he was seeking to love.