All You Who Are Thirsty -- Come

I was thinking this week about the times in my spiritual life when I am parched and living with a dehydrated soul. In these times my tendency is to want God to intervene and “do something” about me. I want him to pour into me the streams of living water (his Holy Spirit) that I crave. And I cry out to him to come to me and quench the thirst of my being. I have been listening to numerous songs that join me in the cry: “Come to me.” “Come to me” seems to be a common theme.

As I was re-reading Jesus’ words from John 7:37-39, I found myself being spoken to… The words that Jesus speaks to us are “"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” Interesting, I am praying, crying out, demanding, for him to come to me. And his invitation is for me “to come to him.” I don’t want to quibble about words, yet I find it interesting that I do this very thing in my other relationships. I want my friends to “come to me.” To call me. To visit me. I want them to make the first move. How self-centered of me.

James 4:8 has a wonderful promise: “Come near to God and he will come to you.” The King of the Universe invites me into his presence and I am saying to him – “no, you come to me?” Who am I?

Then from a different perspective, my heavenly Father is saying, “Come to me, you who are weary and burdened.” The invitation is to me – his cherished and loved child! Come and I will take the burden. I wonder what He knows about the benefits of me coming to him?

Restoration - The Church's Test

I wonder where my desire for us to get this right, the restoration of those caught in sin, comes from? Maybe it is because I have had so many I love flee or slip out of relationship with their "Church family" only to pursue or wander spiritually because of stupid choices they have made. Maybe it comes from the look I see on the faces of men and woman who "come back" for another attempt at Church family after a long bout of sinful choices. Sometimes the shame I see in their faces makes me weep. Maybe it is a bit of pragmatism? I see some of us in the church family make attempts at "getting it right" and watch as the wandering soul is pushed further from the church family. Maybe it is more personal? Maybe it is because I have had wonderful brothers and sisters stand by me when I have struggles and they have graced me -- held me with the "kindness of God that has led me to repentance."I don't have this all figured out. I don't have all my thoughts in order or refined, but I thought I would start figuring it out right here. I will come back to this thought periodically, because I am a sinner that loves the church family and I know a bunch of sinners that need the church family.

Here goes: How should we, the Church, respond when one of us gets "stuck" in sinfulness. As I have been thinking of this there is a frustration in my soul with how I sense and see that we handle sinners (as though they are not us). There are those who, it seems, get an internal sense of satisfaction when someone, especially from another theological or ecclesiastical flavor, gets caught. We walk around like clucking roosters proud that our theology or ecclesiology kept us out of trouble -- "we must be right in what we believe." This is clearly sad (even more when it is me doing the clucking). It seems the only thing this truly displays is that the rooster is sinfully arrogant. Then there are those who are intent on "truthing" the individual caught. Like the person who feels it is their "godly duty" to phone the person struggling in marriage or with a divorce just to "let them know the Truth about divorce." I find this so common in the church, and very ineffective. I do, honestly, understand the importance of speaking the Truth. But sometimes it seems that our need to speak the truth is more about us than the one being spoken to. It appears to me that it gives us a sense of "well I've done my part and now they know." In many ways, and I have done this, it disgusts me. This is generally not done in love. Dare I say "rarely done in love?" And it does not seem to be done with the "sinner's" benefit in mind at all -- although we pretend it is. It seems to me that we get this internal sense of satisfaction with keeping the "church pure" as we help these sinful folks out. Or that, in the midst of other Christians hearing about the person from our church that is stuck in sin, we make sure the other Christians (from other churches) know that we are not compromising on the Truth! "We have told them they are wrong!" It seems that we feel like we have to prove ourselves to the critics from other fellowships. Like we have to “be harsh on the sinner” so that those who are always watching and judging whether or not we are getting it right. I found this quote on a website called Ponder These Things. The quote is from Brian McLaren. "

Being right isn't enough. We also need to be wise. And loving. And patient.
Perhaps nothing short of that should 'seem good to the Holy Spirit and
us.'"

Maybe McLaren touches on what I am feeling and thinking. As I become older I am becoming more and more partial to the Apostle Paul's statement in Romans 2:4: Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

It we, the Church, really believed in the forgiveness of sins and the power of love to draw people back into the fold wouldn't we extend it more? I am beginning to look at this as a significant test for the church. Can we and will we restore the prodigals in our midst? Are we willing to make the effort or to expend the energy or to risk the hurt? Galatians 6:1-5 speaks volumns about how we should respond -- the spiritual should gently restore.

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.

Your partner in the gospel,

Pastor Paul