Sunday, June 28, 2020

Drifting Away


DRIFTING AWAY!
Introduction: A famous Hymn written by Robert Robinson, a Baptist preacher, "Come the fount of every blessing," reflects how Robinson surrendered his life to the Lord. On Sunday, May 24, 1752, he was one of a gang of young people who went and got a fortune-teller drunk on cheap gin. Then visited Whitefield's Tabernacle at Moor fields "to mock the preacher and pity his hearers," but instead, Robinson was haunted by Whitefield's sermon on the wrath to come.    Day and night, he was troubled as he recalled the message. This unrest culminated three years later in his complete conversion. He penned these words, "Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Bought me with His precious blood." In the mid-1770s, Robinson was increasingly drawn into public activism to defend religious and civil liberties.
            Robinson was a man open to other viewpoints and tolerant — perhaps to a fault. He was friendly with political and theological radicals, including Unitarians and others who denied Christ's divinity (Socinians). There was a small Socinian group in his congregation in Cambridge, and he refused to take sides against them when division opened up over the question. The verse in the Hymn, "Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above,"[1] reflects the wanderings during his later years.
            If wandering away from faith could happen to Robinson, then it could happen to anyone of us today. This Hymn reflects the gracious rescue of a believer by Jesus. Also, it warns us about the potential dangers of drifting away from our faith, especially during these days of isolation and uncertainty. In the passage we read, we find "A Warning Against Drifting Away."
            A bit of background. The book of Hebrews was written primarily to Jewish converts who were being tempted to revert to Judaism. Some have suggested that these Jewish Christians were thinking of merging with a Jewish sect, found at Qumran near the Dead Sea.
            The readers are told that there can be no turning back to or continuation in the old Jewish system, which has been superseded by the unique priesthood of Christ. God's people now must only look to Him, whose death, resurrection, and ascension have opened up a new way of living.
            Here the author begins with the first of five warnings strategically positioned throughout the letter (3:7–4:13; 6:4–8; 10:26–31; 12:25–29). Vs. 1We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Let me unpack verse one for us.             The author lays a clear connection between a believer's listening and adhering to the truth and a possible drifting away from it. The ancient Jews were very familiar with the most important of all Jewish prayers known as Shema Israel. It is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. These six verses are a declaration of faith and a pledge of allegiance to God for the Jews.
            Here is a part of the Shema Israel. Duet 6:4-5, "Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord, alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." The Hebrew word Shema means more than just listening or hearing, but it calls for obedience. Jesus understood the power of Shema and used it as a weapon against temptations.
            In the NT Church, it was apparent that some Jewish believers were quickly drifting away from their newfound faith and turning back to their old ways of living. The Apostle Paul addresses, such a turning away. Galatians 1:6, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the Gospel of Christ." Let's look at the Word drifting and its implications.

I. WHAT DOES DRIFTING MEAN?
            Racecar drivers on the track and sailors on the ocean understand the Word drifting and its implications very well. For our study, let us look at the following definition from a sailor's point of view. Drifting is, "to be carried along by currents of water or air, or by the force of circumstances as an ocean liner. To wander without aim and to go with the flow."
            In sailing, drifting is a considerable concern. The failure of a ship's engines while at sea will cause it to drift and to turn side-on to the wind and the tide. The loss of power also means that the ship will begin a rolling motion that can become very severe. Without engine power, there is nothing the crew could do to stop it. That ship is bound to run aground and be wrecked.
            Similarly, how does drifting happen in the life of a believer? What are its implications, and how can we reverse the course and move forward to our spiritual destination? There is no one particular thing, but a combination of things causes a drift.  I would think about four things that could cause believers to drift away and shipwreck their faith.

II. FOUR SIGNS OF A DRIFTING CHRISTIAN.
A. Lack of Love for the Lord: Among the seven letters to the churches in the end times, the first thing God addresses is their lack of love for God and each other. The Church in Ephesus thought they were working very hard to keep up the truth and maintain holiness, but they did not realize how far they drifted away. Revelation 2:4-5, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” Lack of love for God and others is the first phase of drifting away.
B. Not firmly rooted in the Word. Our lack of love for God reflects in our lack of interest in His Word. As a result, we will stop reading and meditating on His Word. What happens when we don't read the scriptures daily? We are not rooted deep, and we remain shallow in our faith.
            The apostle Paul exhorts Colossian believers to let their roots deep in Jesus Christ. Col 2: 7, "Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."
C. Worries of life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things:
            I want us to see the progression of drifting away. When there is a lack of love for God, one another, and His Word, a believer becomes vulnerable and weak. They become prone to anxieties and a target of the enemy's temptations. Jesus explains in the parable of seeds how someone's spiritual growth is hindered and eventually render them fruitless.
                Mark 4:18-19, "The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's Word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced." What are you craving today? Are Facebook and TV distracting you from reading His Word and following Him closely?
D. Lack of Fellowship with Other Believers
            When a believer's life is crowded with worries of this life, the lust of wealth, and the desire for worldly pleasures, there is hardly any room left for genuine fellowship with other believers. That is when a believer finds no joy in coming to Church, to pray, and to be discipled.
            Last week I stressed the importance of regular fellowship with other believers. Hebrews 3:12-14, "Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God."
            Let me warn you; this drifting may not happen all at once but over some time. You will notice a slow decline. If you don't take corrective steps quickly, you will be heading towards a disaster. In our passage, we will find a key to avoiding drifting away from our faith.

III THE RELIABLE MESSAGE OF JESUS
            After warning against drifting away, the author affirms the most reliable and life-giving message of God that has been delivered to us through angels and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Vs. 2, "For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished." In ESV, "For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable." The message of God is enduring and reliable.
            According to the Jewish understanding, later emphasized by Jesus, what keeps a believer from drifting away from His faith is carefully listening (includes obedience) to the gospel truth they heard at the time of their conversion. The lack of obedience to the truth is detrimental.
            We are living in an era of alternative facts and fake news. We don't know who is telling us the truth; we don't know what a reliable source is. Our country is more polarized and divided than we realize. Even among Christians, there is so much disunity and division.
            Amid such divisive and destructive voices, what keeps us anchored in our faith? The reliable message of God. The author says Jesus Himself has delivered that message, and God has confirmed it through miracles and signs. Consider these scriptures: John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." God loves all people and wants all of them to be saved through His Son.
            The Son gave us two commandments, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself." Matt 22: 37-39. Let us obey them.
            This is the good news that God delivered to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let us firmly hold on to this truth, believe in it, practice it and proclaim it boldly. Let's forget all that is behind us, and let's press on to Know Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith. Amen!

             
           

 

           

               

             


 





[1] https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/was-he-too-prone-to-wander

Sunday, June 21, 2020

COUCH CHURCH:REALLY?


COUCH CHURCH: REALLY?
Introduction: When you consider the term loneliness, who comes to mind? If you guessed older adults, mental health experts say you're right, in part. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, they say this is affecting people of all ages. Executive Director of Mental Health Minnesota, Shannah Mulvihill, said, "We can't acknowledge enough that this is impacting all of us."
            "I think that after we are sort of through the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe that we are going to see a mental health pandemic," added Dr. Kreitzer, from the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality and Healing.[1] How will we handle this mental health Pandemic?
            Growing up in India, for me, going to church on Sundays was a necessary social custom. Only on certain occasions while traveling or sick, I would skip church; otherwise, my parents made sure that we went to church every Sunday without fail. Having one side of grandparents as pastors, going to church became all the more a critical part of my life.
            I have never been in a situation where I didn’t go to church for three months and where I did not worship the Lord with other believers. Thanks to COVID-19, the declining Church attendance in the west has taken a further beating in recent months. Church buildings have to close down, and in-person gatherings had to be canceled. All of a sudden, both Mega and smaller churches locked their buildings and became online churches. We were no exception.
            On the one hand, I am excited that we are reaching more people now through our Livestreaming and Zoom meetings than before. On the other hand, I grieve over the losses of personal contact, singing together, enjoyment of sweet fellowship over potluck meals, hearing the playful laughter of children during social events. Am I the only one who is feeling that way? Maybe you too! Why do we feel the way we feel? How can we regain these losses?
            Over the past three months, we have gotten used to attending church from the comfort of our homes. Some of us, due to health reasons, may have to stay back and join our Church service via live stream for some more time. However, I want to urge those who are healthy and able should come back to church, taking all the precautionary measures possible.
            In the long run, being isolated in homes without fellowship with other believers is detrimental for our spiritual, emotional, and physical lives. Why? According to David Gundersen in his article “Ten reasons to come back to church after COVID-19,” We are embodied, creatures
We’re not ethereal beings made to float in virtual space.
            We’re not just pixels and screennames, headshots on Zoom, and Facetime. We’re human beings. We’re designed to see and hear and taste and touch and feel our way through the physical world God’s made.” The reason why we feel isolated and lonely is that we are created for relationships, to live in vibrant and healthy communities, and to do life on life with one another.
            During the “shelter in place” days, we have tried hard to maintain our connections, and it is time for us now to come back together as a church cautiously to strengthen those connections. It is good we follow the advice of our Governor and the CDC authorities, but how about following the most authoritative advice of not abandoning our meeting as believers? Hebrews 10:15-25. In this passage, the author highlights the need and the significance of living in a community with other believers by reminding them of God’s covenants with His people.

I.  THE NEW COVENANT (15-16)
             In verses 15-16, we read about a new covenant. “And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” What we see here is a repeat of chapter 8:8-12, as was often the practice of the interpreters.
            In the OT, we read about God making covenants with his people at various times and places. For instance, the terms of the agreement of Mount Sinai included the Ten commandments. (Ex 31:18). After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, while the Israelites were in the land of Moab east of the Jordan River, Moses carefully reviews and explains God’s covenant with his people with more additional terms and conditions.
            The essence of the Old Covenant was that God’s people must only worship God and never to abandon Him and turn to other gods. The burden to keep the covenant was on people. But as we know, the weight was too heavy, and the people often broke their covenant with God.
            Knowing how hard it was for people to keep the Old Covenant, God promised to make a new covenant Jeremiah 31:33, “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
            The New Covenant is grace-filled. God himself will put his laws in the hearts of his people and enables them to follow his ways and live in harmony with Him and with others. God in Jesus put an end to our sins, and He will never remember them again. Jesus, our great High priest by his death, opened a new and life-giving way for us to live. That is our Hope in Christ.

II FIVE “LET US’s” FOR A HEALTHY CHURCH. (Vs. 22-25)
            Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior are called to be part of his new covenantal community. Like with any covenant, there are terms even with the New Covenant. By his, Spirit Jesus spelled out specific conditions for us to abide by and live in His community.          My wife Wilma stresses the nutritional value of lettuce. She encourages us to eat it to remain healthy. Similarly, in verses 22-25, we will find five Let Us’s for our spiritual, emotional, and physical health as we are committed to living in Jesus’ New Covenantal Community.
            The five Let Us’s. Vs. 22-25, 1. Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts, fully trusting him. 2. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm. 3. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 4. Let us not neglect our meeting together. 5. Let us encourage one another. Here I see a collective call for Christians.
This five-fold new way of living is essential for our spiritual growth and meant to be practiced collectively. For our time together, I will focus on two of the Let Us’s.

III COUCH CHURCH: REALLY?
            In the past several months, we have been live streaming our services. We praise God for this wonderful opportunity to do so. As a result, we have created quite an online community of friends from different parts of the world. I am grateful for a dedicated team who works very hard each Sunday to bring our Church service to you so that you could be refreshed spiritually.
            We have grown comfortable to participate in the service from our couches. I understand for various health and other reasons some of you may not come to church for our in-person gatherings yet. Whenever you think you are ready, please come back and worship with us.
            However, my appeal is to all those from Hope Church and virtual community who perhaps have grown too comfortable attending I would say Couch Church: Really? Your couch can not necessarily meet your inner need for a person to person contact, which we all have.
            The author gives us a remedy for our loneliness’ and depression due to our isolation. Vs. 25, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” In this verse, the author urges us not to neglect the practice of meeting together and encouraging one another, especially as we see the day of our Lord’s return is drawing near. The end times began when Jesus came into this earth in human form over two thousand years ago. We are now living in the latter part of the end times.
            We are seeing several end-time signs being fulfilled in front of our very eyes, such as wars, famine, earthquakes, and pestilences, etc. All these indicate that the end of the world will come sooner than we expect. One of such sins is “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.” (Matt 24:12). We see so much wickedness around us these days.
            Amid such troublesome and evil times, how could we maintain our salvation? In the phrase, let us not neglect our meeting together, the Greek word translated as “meeting” speaks of assembling together at one place. It doesn’t merely denote the worshipping assembly of the church from which some were likely to be absent themselves.
            But the gathering for corporate worship not as a solitary or occasional act, but as customary act. For that reason, even though our physical, structural church building was closed, we kept up with our virtual gatherings around live-stream for worship, Zoom Bible times, and Wednesday Prayer times. However, there is nothing more powerful and uplifting to a believer than when they come together with other believers in worshiping the Lord.
            There is so much joy in collective worship. The Psalmist David enjoyed worshipping the Lord with other people. Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Coming back to our text, the Greek word translated as “neglect” (ESV), “give up” (NIV) speaks of “desertion and abandonment.” It is not about just not coming to church but is betraying one’s attachment to Jesus Christ and our responsibility to other believers in their spiritual and physical well-being. We are called to encourage one another, especially now.
            Due to the COVID-19 many churches have been forced to be deserted and abandoned. The congregants have been isolated in their homes without coming together for regular worship, discipleship, and fellowship. In recent months, we’ve seen the power of our online world.
            But we’ve also felt its limitations. For example, no loving couple gladly accepts a “long-distance relationship” as ideal. Neither should we a loving church family. That’s why we need to come back to church. Last Sunday, we were simply delighted to see each other and be in one another’s presence after a long time. We enthusiastically waved at each other.
            I understand if you have to stay back home for some more time due to health reasons, don’t feel pressured and condemned. Under the New Covenant, we don’t live by the law. There is plenty of grace and mercy for all of us. If you stay at home, you are no less spiritual than the ones who venture out to come. But if you are healthy and able by all means, you should come.
            As we are living in the end times, I urge you not to neglect our meeting together, even if it is uncomfortable to wear masks in the service. You will be doing a whole lot of good to yourself and your brothers and sisters in our family and for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.       In closing, we are Hope Church and not a Couch Church, therefore Psalm 95:1-7 “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!.... Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” Amen!
 
             



[1] https://kstp.com/coronavirus/loneliness-during-covid-19-pandemic-how-to-help-yourself-loved-ones/5724011/

Sunday, June 14, 2020

The Sin Of Discrimination


                                                THE SIN OF DISCRIMINATION (James 2:1-13)
Introduction:  I want us to take a moment and stand in solidarity and share in the pain of a family, a community and a nation that is mourning and outraged by the gruesome murder of George Floyd. The world has witnessed the recent riots, anger, and unrest that was unleashed due to the cruel death of our brother George in the hands of an inhuman white police officer.
            Did I say our brother, George? Yes, he indeed was our brother. What makes me say he is our brother is an article I read in Christianity today. Here is an excerpt, “The rest of the country knows George Floyd from several minutes of cell phone footage captured during his final hours. But in Houston’s Third Ward, they know Floyd for how he lived for decades—a mentor to a generation of young men and a “person of peace” ushering ministries into the area.”[1]
            “George Floyd was a person of peace sent from the Lord that helped the gospel go forward in a place that I never lived in, said the Pastor.” When one of our brothers from the family of God has been murdered unjustly, where is the outcry from the white Evangelical Christian Community? The Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu noted, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
            We don’t want to remain silent and neutral; we want to raise our voices against injustice and police brutality. We need to call out wherever we see racism and discrimination raise its ugly head and put people who are made in the image of God against each other. We don’t want to be discipled by Fox News nor by MSNBC. Instead, we want to be informed and enlightened by God’s word and take appropriate actions on matters of racism, discrimination as God leads us. I want to share with us today from scriptures about “The Sin of Discrimination.” James 2:1-13.
            I know this is a sensitive topic under the heightened situation in our country. However, we need to have grace and patience to listen to each other and hear our struggles. By doing so, we will together and, with the help of God, could begin the process of healing.
            So, let the conversation begin. How do we understand discrimination? “Discrimination is the act of making distinctions between human beings based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they are perceived to belong.”[2]  For example, “An African American drinking from a racially segregated water cooler marked "Colored” in Oklahoma City, 1939.” Do racism and discrimination still exist in our society these days?
            Let’s face it whether we publicly acknowledge or not; we all carry biases and prejudices in our hearts, and they often determine how we behave or respond towards specific individuals. Our response against racism and discrimination depends on the lens through which we see them—several glasses through which we see racial and all other forms of discrimination.
            For instance, we have a media lens, a political lens, and economy lens, a historical lens, religion lens, and the Biblical lens, through which glass are you viewing discrimination today? For a moment, let us put on the Biblical lens and see how that might change our perception and participation in the prevailing events in our country. How does God view discrimination?

I. GOD HATES DISCRIMINATION 
            When God looked at everything he created in the world, he said, “It was good and very good.” Until he saw the man whom he created in his image was lonely, he said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” God wanted man to live in a community, so he created the woman.         The first couple was sinless and lived in harmony with God and with one another. Through them, God intended to bring forth ideal humanity that would live in a perfect world.
            But as we know, all that was changed when Satan tempted Adam and Eve. The first couple for momentary gratification disobeyed God’s commands, and as a result, sin entered the world. From that point on, once a perfect world lost its perfection. Shame, fear, jealousy, anger, violence, murder, and rebellion against God became the norm rather than an exception.
            How did God feel when he saw His world crumbling under the weight of its sin? Genesis 6:5-6, “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So, the Lord was sorry (grieved) he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.”
            In other words, God’s heart was filled with pain when he saw the continual wickedness of humanity. What do you think God goes through when he sees his people who are made in his image, discriminating and killing one another? By looking at scriptures, I am sure that God was grieved and pained in his heart when he saw the white police office mercilessly placing his knee for over eight minutes on the neck of George Floyd.
            We all are outraged and hurt when we saw George gasping for breath and pleading the officer to take his knee off, why? Because that’s how God feels. Our God not only hates these cruel acts, but he also deals with the oppressors. To that extent, He has put down specific laws against discrimination and how people are to treat one another with decency and human dignity.

II THE SIN OF DISCRIMINATION
            Is discrimination of any kind against people at any time acceptable? Is it a societal construct, a human weakness, a cultural bias, or a Sin? How should we respond when we see injustice and racial discrimination? Malachi 3:5, “I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” God wants judges to be fair and impartial.
            Leviticus 19:15, “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.” God will judge those who discriminate, Col 3:25, “But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.”
            God's word is unambiguous in telling us that all men and women are created equal, and every single person can be a child of God, receiving the full inheritance of heaven. God wants to blow away our racial bias and superiority as He did for the Apostle Peter. Acts 10:34-36,
            “Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation, he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”
            It is an interesting note here. Peter says, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.” Up until that point, perhaps he held a view that salvation was only for the Jews, as they were God’s chosen race. He saw the Gentiles as unclean and not deserving to be saved. God had to make right that wrong perception of Peter by giving him a heavenly vision; then, he saw clearly that God showed no favoritism. I pray that God will open our eyes, as well.

III. HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND TO DISCRIMINATION?
            When we put on the biblical lens, we see no partiality because the Bible tells us we are to love and love and serve everyone no matter what their age, color, ethnicity, gender, nationality, or economic status is. Galatians 3:28-29, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.”
            When we accept Christ as our savior, we all will belong to the family of God. Last week Pat spoke to us about us being Jesus’ True Family. It is a powerful truth to know and to live by.
            In the passage, we read James gives some practical ways concerning how to behave towards each other in the family of God. He starts by questioning their faith in Christ in the first place. Vs. 1, “My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? From Vs. 2-4, he addresses the abuse of the poor by the rich and exposes their discriminatory practices guided by their evil motives.
            In Vs. Five, he elevates the status of the poor in the world by saying, God has chosen them to be rich in their faith. If they love God, they, too, will inherit the Kingdom of God. That very privilege tends to mean so much more to the poor.
            In Vs. 6-7, he takes on the rich oppressors and says to them they are an embarrassment because they slander the name of Christ through their oppressive behavior towards the poor. In Vs. 8-12, he condemns favoritism and discrimination as sin and challenges them to obey all of the commandments and not to pick and choose as they liked, in Vs. Thirteen, he urges them to be merciful to others as God would be gracious towards them in the day of judgment.
            I gave you a snapshot of James 2:1-13. I encourage you at home to wrestle with this passage in prayer. Ask God to forgive your sin of discrimination. And show you how you might take appropriate actions wherever and whenever you see oppression and discrimination.
            Here is the challenge from Jesus, who took on the corrupt and oppressive regime of the Roman empire of his time. “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
            Dr. Eric Mason, in his book Woke Church about racism and injustice, puts it this way: “We have the tool of God’s Word to help us become change agents–to make a difference in our spheres of influence. The gospel is the truth that unites us.
            It is the common ground that knits our souls together as one. “I pray that the biblical truth about discrimination sets us free and unite us so that together as one body, we can combat racial discrimination and other implicit bias.
            All those who believe in Christ belong to the family of God. When one of our members hurts, we all hurt. Right now, our black family members are in pain. Can their pain be ours too?  We need to be working together to bring it to an end. How do we do that practically?
            There are many suggestions, action plans, and resources available to fight for justice. However, use caution and discretion. The first step for some of us may be to start building meaningful relationships and be willing to hear, listen, learn, regard, and esteem the other person. We, as a church, are asking questions regarding what our role is in the ongoing struggle of black and other ethnic minorities in our country? I pray that God will give each of us creative ways to address discrimination appropriately when we see it.  I want us to leave pondering this question, “What Would Jesus Do if he were to walk the troubled streets of America?” 
             I Pray that God the source of Hope, will fill you completely with Joy and Peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the Power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) Amen
           




[1] https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/may/george-floyd-ministry-houston-third-ward-church.html
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination#Religious_beliefs