A few Sundays ago, I heard a sermon that connected to my core. As part of the sermon, the pastor addressed an anonymous writer who questioned the authenticity of the church's belief in Jesus and Jesus' word. In response to the writer, the pastor publicly declared the following:
"We...take Jesus at his word. We believe that we are to
feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, visit the sick and the
prisoner.
We take Jesus at his word: to bring good news to the poor, to
proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and to let
the oppressed go free.
We take Jesus at his word: blessed are the peacemakers, for they
will be called the children of God.
We take Jesus at his word: to love our neighbor as
ourselves.
We take Jesus at his word: there is neither Jew nor Greek nor
Muslim nor American; male nor female...slave or free, better than and less
than; Christian or non-Christian, we are all one in God’s kin-dom." (Nancy
E. Petty)
Yes! I thought. This is the Jesus I know, love, serve, and
follow! This is the Jesus who lived and died a life worthy of my honor and
praise. That is the Jesus who brought me out of darkness and into light. That
is the Jesus who sits at my core and guides my every day.
Truthfully, what the pastor said is nothing new. She pulled her
responses straight from scripture. She stated things that I've heard my whole
life. And yet...in today's world of increasingly polarized Christianity, we add all
kinds of rules, regulations, and guidelines to our religion. We make it so
ridiculously complicated that we forget the heart of what Jesus taught about
living out our faith. So being reminded of those
words that day was so refreshingly beautiful that it cut straight to my heart.
And I am grateful.
What
is the last sermon, book, or talk that cut straight to your heart? What was its
message? What is it that sits in your core and guides you every day? Please
consider sharing. I'd love to hear this Thanksgiving season.
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