Well, you didn’t hear from me last week (which I’m curious if anyone even noticed), and here it is, the very end of Friday this week. Thing is – “contemplative” has not been describing my life or world very well in the past few weeks. It’s nothing specific, really. Life is pretty much status quo, I would say, but after the phenomenal weekend with my retreat day, and some spiritual direction, and just a really great high – everything was pretty much downhill from there. And nothing was really coming to me on what to say, so I decided instead of trying to contrive something, I’d just say nothing at all. If you know me, you know that’s actually progress. 🙂
One of the things I have really been thinking about, however, in the past couple of weeks, is the idea of contemplative in the midst of being an advocate for justice. The two things seem juxtaposed, but I believe they do, and should, go together. I’ve mentioned being a “contemplative activist” before. It’s sort of my calling at this stage in life, I think. But I believe I’m in really good company – because I think that’s exactly what Jesus was.
So, there’s living out a contemplative lifestyle while traveling around the world teaching a Biblical framework for disability, or providing intentional wholistic discipleship for women with disabilities – and that all seems to make sense to some degree. But what about other stuff? What about the day-to-day? What does a contemplative do about migrant caravans? Or the rise of an LGBTQ coup d’etat in the church? Or (another) election that seeks to tear families and churches asunder? What about that? So, I have some thoughts about those things, but I’m going to let someone more eloquent than myself comment.
I’ve mentioned before how extremely grateful I am to have found a church that is so steeped in Biblical Truth, but not afraid to wade into the messy muck of a broken world. And I am SO thankful that my pastor takes the job of discipling the people in his stewardship on the real stuff of life so very seriously. Darrow Miller says, “When the church stops discipling the world, the world will disciple the church.” And I think that is where we find ourselves in this age. But my pastor is not afraid to say the hard stuff – the stuff that needs to be said, to help people find their anchor in this wishy-washy sea in which we float.
So today, I want to pass on to you two messages that I found so very helpful in this recent sermon series on The Kingdom of God. The whole series was fantastic, and I commend it to you, but the last 2 sermons in the series were the ones that really packed a punch. Two weeks ago the sermon was on “Migration in Light of Scripture.” Last week was “Sexuality,” with a special speaker from Truth & Love Network. He and his wife used to be heavily involved in a radical gay lifestyle. I HIGHLY recommend both of these sermons to you, if you want to wrestle with what the BIBLE actually says about these highly politicized and polarizing subjects that are at the forefront of culture today. (And if you like the last one, the speaker did an evening session on “Parenting in a Confusing and Sexualized Culture.” Also really good.) It’ll take a little time to listen to them, but I really recommend you do – and then share them with everyone. It’ll give you a lot to contemplate!Â
Until He comes,
Kim