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A sermon is a manner of oral communication and therefore words and sentence structure/order would be added, altered, or deleted at the moment of delivery. + In Nomine Jesu + The Rev. Evan Gaertner As parents and students go to the stores for back to school clothes shopping a competition may develop. The parents will struggle to steer their children to buy clothing that is less revealing for the girls and less baggy and low waisted for the boys. The children of course will want to wear the clothing that will help them identify with and fit in with the group of kids at school that they want to be a part of. Shopping for school clothes is often not about being odd and unique but rather conforming to the tastes of style of a particular group of students at school. It is a challenge in our times to conform to the ethics and doings of this present age. More and more church bodies are seriously considering blessing same sex marital unions. Some churches' national conventions are dominated by motions to ordain non-celibate homosexuals. But the challenge to conform to the ethics and doings of this present age is not only about the assimilation of homosexuality into common acceptance. The struggle to stand on the truth of scripture permeates the interactions between Christians and non-Christians. The struggle we face as citizens of the We cannot nor should we wall ourselves off from the doings of this world. We should be engaged in this world's hurt, pain, and suffering. Paul wrote to the Romans to whom he was preparing to visit, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2) Paul does not tell them to reject the world, bur rather to not be conformed by it. We use technology for instance to communicate the gospel to every wider audience. It is possible to use the icons of secular society and reengineer them to tell the story of Jesus. Consider in the past how St. Patrick used the Celtic worship of nature to show in the three-leaf clover the mystery of the trinity. In our own time we are fascinated by big movie productions and Mel Gibson successfully appropriated that model to tell the story of the Passion of Jesus Christ. But there is an unstated warning in Paul's caution to the Romans. It is easier to be conformed to this world than to be transformed by the renewal of your mind. A boat on the water without effort will naturally go downstream, that is go with the flow. Rev. William Willimon, the campus pastor for He said, "A college sophomore had an interesting conversation with me. She had come to the university, wanting to make friends, desiring to fit in, hoping to do well. Yet she soon discovered that fitting in, doing well, often carries a high price on today's campuses. There were pressures put on her -- subtle pressures, good natured at first, all very friendly -- nevertheless, they were pressures. She was told things like, 'people here do things this way,' or 'you need to lighten up, loosen up,' and 'get with the program.' She quickly realized that she could not afford to just 'go with the flow,' passively drifting along with everyone else. She would have to spend more energy thinking through what she wanted in life, who she wanted to be, what actions were right for her. 'At first,' she confessed, 'I was scared. Nobody wants to look odd, to be a killjoy, a self-righteous prude. But then I finally got the courage to say to myself, 'This is me. This is the life I want. It's not for everybody else, but it's right for me. I am learning the joy of being odd.'… [This woman] has seemingly discovered another way: the joy of being odd. Her not being afraid to stand out comes from her faith in Jesus Christ." There is a new movement in church growth that no longer focuses on the wow entertainment value of splashy technology and sing-song contemporary music. It is called the emergent church. What we are recognizing is that the spiritual conditions of this time period are similar to the emerging church of the first few centuries of Christianity. Rather than living in a Christian nation we are living in a time of open hostility to the basic Christian fundamentals of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and truth. When Paul tells the Romans to not be conformed to this present age but to be transformed by the renewal of their minds there is a truth that rings clear for me with the same challenges we face today. The transition from conformity to transformation can be painful and lonely. We are so shaped by the culture that we live in to see beyond or through it almost seems impossible. How can I be or do anything different then what my family and friends expect from me? Our lives sometimes appear to live by rote schedule, just going downstream without any purpose. When Paul appeals to the Romans to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, he makes a call for them to see their lives in a way different from the workings of living in this world. Jesus told his disciples, when a dispute arose among them of who would be the greatest, saying, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them. And those in authority over are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the one who serves. For who is greater, one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves." (Luke 22:25-27) The transformational renewal of your mind that takes place is being fed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As you share this good news, as you live this good news, your lives no longer are lived for yourself and earning for yourself power, position, or money. Your lives are gifts from the Lord Jesus Christ which you give back to him for his purposes in your life. It is not always going to be easy to discern in your life the purpose that God has set out for you. It will take testing and prodding. But what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God in your life is found through the ministry of Jesus Christ. To live the odd life, the transformed life, is to see your life no longer shaped by the ethics and doings of the present age but by the eternal age that you are a member of through your faith in Jesus Christ. What are you able to give up in your life in order to be a servant to the good news of Jesus Christ? The answer should be everything. Nothing in our life should be more important than the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ sacrificed himself upon the cross because there is nothing in your life that could bring you to eternal salvation. No longer be conformed by this present age. But rather use the gifts, the talents, the time, the resources that God has blessed you with to bring about the transformation of God's love in Jesus Christ. Find the joy in being odd, swimming against the current of this world, find the joy in knowing your life is made secure not through the world but through the unmistakable love of God revealed in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. Soli Deo Gloria -->> Home |