[Mcgregorpage] McGregorPage #528, Pentecost 22, Nov. 5, 2006

[rmcgregoralbq at aol.com]

Pentecost 22, November 5, 2006

Psalm 146
Ruth 1:1 18
Hebrews 9:11 14
Mark 12:28 34

Who Shall Enter?

  "You are not far from the kingdom of God," Jesus says to the scribe. 
Moab was not so far from the kingdom of God that Ruth couldn't catch 
the vision.  The Psalmist rejoices in God as the king who includes the 
oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the blind, the bowed down, the 
stranger, the widow and the righteous.  The letter to the Hebrews 
describes how the blood of Christ ushers us into the kingdom.

The church in the world describes the kingdom of God, models the 
kingdom of God, encourages people approaching the kingdom of God and 
celebrates their entry into the kingdom of God.

Ruth saw something in Naomi that was better than what she had.  "Your 
God will be my God," she said.  There is a connection between a 
person's god and a person's spirit, attitude and behavior.  Ruth could 
see in Naomi a god, a community and personal friend more precious than 
anything else in the world.

It must have been the Exodus experience that began to reveal to the 
Hebrews a God who is particularly concerned about the least, the last 
and the lost.  What a strange idea coming out of Egypt where Ra was 
most interested in    who else?    the Pharaoh.  What a strange idea 
even today where God seems to be most interested in the person who is 
outstanding in the congregation or more interested in the church that 
sparkles like a diamond and packs the people in. But, it was not money 
or crowds or sparkle that prompted Jesus to tell the scribe that he was 
not far from the kingdom.  It was not because he was approaching the 
power centers of the world but because he was approaching the point at 
which human life and God's life intersect, love    love that engenders 
loyalty and service, love that consumes one's being and defines one's 
life.  Churches that model money, sparkle and market success mislead 
the world.  Like the child's game of hot and cold where players search 
for the treasure while the one who knows its location tells them 
continually if they are getting hot or cold, i.e. closer or farther 
away.  As the world approaches the world's values looking for the 
kingdom, it is getting colder.  It is the church's responsibility to 
tell the world when it is getting hot or cold, when it is not far from 
the kingdom of God or off in the wrong direction.

It is the church's role in the world, indeed, to encourage those who 
want to follow, who are close to the kingdom, including the least of 
these, to go ahead and enter.  It is counter to the church's call to 
place stumbling blocks in their way, hurdles they have to get over to 
get in.  Since the world now has a high priest who is above the world 
altogether, since it is the blood of Christ that is the sufficient 
sacrifice for all, the church has no business being a gate keeper for 
heaven.  Isn't God capable of minding the gate of heaven?  Who is to 
say this scribe should not enter, this Moabite, this cripple, this 
Muslim, this Buddhist or Latter Day Saint?

May these thoughts strengthen you.

An Open Letter to Fellow Pastors
>From Roland McGregor, United Methodist Pastor
 (an e-mail service)

[See Web Page address below for a Children’s Message coordinated with 
these lections.]

http://www.webspawner.com/users/ChildPage/

Multiple Sermon Starter Essays are available at
http://www.webspawner.com/users/McGregorPage/

The MCGREGORPAGE is available free to your email inbox
To subscribe, write the word SUBSCRIBE in the Subject line and send it 
to mcgregorpage-request at intenex.net.

To unsubscribe, write the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject line and send 
it to mcgregorpage-request at intenex.net.

You may contact the author at RMcGregorAlbq at AOL.COM.


      --Copyright 2006, Roland McGregor, all rights reserved—
You have permission to share this material with any individual provided 
that you include the source with e-mail address.



________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new AOL.  Most comprehensive set of free safety and 
security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from 
across the web, free AOL Mail and more.