The bumper sticker had a big cross on it and read, “Back to basics: Feed the hungry, House the poor, Clothe the naked.”
Those are the basic values of being a Christian, aren’t they?
In looking at the Gospels, Jesus is constantly healing people and eating with people. Very rarely do I find Jesus, as he is healing or feeding people, asking, “Wait, what do you believe?” or “Who do you live with?” He simply feeds or eats with outcasts and heals people – even people who are of a different religious background than his!
This is the litmus test for being a Christian: Following a Jesus who says love is the only commandment and commands us to feed and heal and eat with outcasts. So, I wonder, how are we, as a Christian nation, doing with the basics? Maybe thinking about our nation begins by looking at our own corner of the world.
Nothing shocking here. Standard liberal protestant stuff.
But I have heard her description of economically depressed counties verified by very Biblical, orthodox clergy. Often such counties are loaded with “mom ‘n’ pop” churches that bicker about pre- and post-trib rapture and such. But “we’re-better-than-you” TEC churches don’t do any better in transforming the areas.
We keep getting the choice between religion that is a mere diversion (“opiate of the masses”) and a long discredited “social gospel”, neither of which embody the fullness of the New Testament.
It takes some real pioneers who believe in the need for salvation AND in following Jesus’ instructions about caring for others. Such communities do emerge and are very exciting.
I was honored to meet Pastor Jay Morgan of New Life Community Church in Oceana, West VA. His church is an amazing blend of the Biblical message and response to daily needs – with an eye to transforming generational cycles of despair and poverty. He’s been threatened by drug dealers for taking away their clients, for example.
Anyway, it’s not rocket science to say that a church needs both love of God and love of neighbor to transform a community.
Jesus was astonished when he found faith and seemed to think it was a good thing.
This writer has the second of the great commandments down pat, but she forgot about the first one. If we don’t love God wholeheartedly and read, mark, and inwardly digest his teachings, we’re likely to make mistakes when we do charitable work.
Several years ago I was priviledged to hear Archbishop Orombi address a group of clergy. They were upset, as many of us are, with the state of the Episcopal Church. One priest stood and asked the question “What should we do?”. I will never forget the Archbishop’s answer. “What should you do? You should do what you are called to so as a priest, Love God, preach the Gospel, take care of your people, feed and clothe the needy. You should be more concerned with those things.” He was not advocating that one should just stick your head in the sand, rather he was implying that constant focusing on church politics and thus ignoring basic ministry can damage your church and your people. Going through a church split where people were pitted against each other, and both split churches eventually closed, I see vast wisdom in his comments, and with Boyle’s reminder.
Katherine–agreed. One of the first mistakes we will make is that we will begin to worship our good works. I have seen this over and over again, among people who have abandoned faith but kept what they saw as the “good part” (the ethical teachings.). I don’t have my Prayer Book at hand right now,but one of the Articles talks about
good works done without faith not being pleasing to God. That used to trouble me a great deal, but recently I’ve begun to see the truth in it.
Who do you say that I am? The answer makes all the difference. So much for Jesus not caring about belief.
I will never forget the Archbishop’s answer. “What should you do? You should do what you are called to so as a priest, Love God, preach the Gospel, take care of your people, feed and clothe the needy. You should be more concerned with those things.†He was not advocating that one should just stick your head in the sand, rather he was implying that constant focusing on church politics and thus ignoring basic ministry can damage your church and your people.
Those are words worth hearing and bear repeating. Thanks, Shebbers.
The author might profitablly reflect on tomorrow’s Gospel reading.
Luke 13:22-30
So what Jesus did was “social gospel”? Wow, let’s have more of it! I’m glad to know that Rev. Boyle and Archbp Orombi are on the same page when it comes to living out the love your neighbor commandment.
I see nothing in this priest’s remarks that suggests that she doesn’t have the first commandment down. Why assume otherwise? Nor do I see in any sense that she is worshipping her good works. It appears that she is urging the community of believers to follow Jesus and lead the way for the rest of the community. So, if we focus simply on what she said and stop reading all sorts of meanings and presuming a theology we should criticise because she also didn’t say what we think she should have said, tell me, what is wrong with her exhortation?
Hey, Bob, the “social gospel” was part of what Jesus did. Don’t be a reductionist.
Bob,
nothing wrong as far as it goes, but the bumper sticker needs to read as the archbishop quoted above stated:
[b]Back to basics: Love God, preach the Gospel, take care of your people, feed and clothe the needy.[/b]
I’d buy one if someone printed [i]that[/i] and I could buy it locally (not online). (“take care of your people” might need a little work, maybe “take care of your family”???)
She’s right, and the first step should be for parishes to quit funding TEC and use most of that apportionment for helping people in their own communities. I think Jesus would be pleased for the offerings to be used for good works, not lawyers’ fees and lawsuits.
Shebbers, Grace and Peace. Right on. The point is Jesus is announcing the Kingdom of God, of which the “Social Gospel”, is a part and not even the main part. You can do “Social Gospel” without Jesus, but you can’t do Jesus without “Social Gospel.”
I don’t think there is a ‘social gospel’ (and suggest it is actually a deeply unhelpful conception) but that is a whole other thread. There’s just the Gospel and it includes repentance and prayer and being transformed by grace and worship and feeding the poor and healing the sick and praying for the kingdom – in short, what the church has always been about.
#10, Tony, thanks for doing to me what others have done to Rev Boyce. You say, “Don’t be a reductionist,” so apparently you think that “social gospel” is the sum of my theology. Let me turn your words back on you: “Don’t be a reductionist.”
I think that Rev. Boyle would be inspired by the words of the Holy Spirit spoken through the prophet in Isaiah 58 in this mornings OT lesson (we use the Revised Common Lectionary): “If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil. If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom will be like the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually….” Then, the Gospel, from Luke 13, in which Jesus heals a crippled woman in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and is strongly criticsed by the leader of the synagogue for it. Go read, and learn.
And, Bro. Michael, I think Rev. Boyle would agree with you that you can’t do social gospel without Jesus. So do I.
There is nothing wrong with practicing the ‘social aspects’ of the Gospel. But it cannot be divorced from the rest of the Gospel. I think that this is what we can all agree upon: If you commit to following “the LORD with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength” (and this would include repentance and living a life pleasing to the Lord) then the Lord will lay on our hearts a desire to fulfil the rest of His commands re: the less fortunate among us: “and love your neighbor as yourself”. But without the former, the latter becomes a ‘sounding gong or clanging cymbol” and avails us nothing (1 Cor 13).
The bumper sticker definition of true Joy:
J = Jesus first
O = others second
Y = yourself last