Living on the edge

He was a man living on the edge. 

He lived  on the edge between reason and insanity.  Who knew when all the powers that competed for his life would once again attempt to crush his will, his mind, even his very life? He lived on that edge between love and hate as his neighbors first tried to help, then in fear and frustration left him to rant and rave beyond the community.

 He lived on the edge of civilization, in that town across the sea, where pigs were raised.  He lived in a land that knew not YHWH and therefore, beyond the blessings of the Divine Creator.  He lived on the edge between life and death, out there among the tombs, hidden among the dead.

Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to step into the world of a man who was living on the edge, just as Jesus crossed the eternal divide to step into the world of humankind who was perpetually living on the edge.

Take a moment and focus in.  Zoom in on that moment when Jesus stepped out of the boat on the other side of the sea, on the other side of the acceptable, on the other side of the land of blessing.  Focus in on that first step when Jesus, the very presence of God in our world, took that first step..  He came as the Divine Creator, the Divine Lover, the Divine Healer, the eternal bridge between our reality and God's desire.

Jesus came to see the anonymous man who was out of his right mind, raving at the furies, naked in every aspect of his tormented life, and 'living' (if you could call it that) among the dead. Jesus came to him and he was re-born.  The oppression of the Legion of demons - like the legion of Roman soldiers who ruled with an iron fist - was expelled.  His mind was released.  His tongue was released.  His body became his own once again.  Jesus stepped on that distant shore to give this man back his life.

That is all.  One man across the vast sea, living in a foreign land, experienced the total healing of every part of his life.  Then he is left behind to lead others towards this person who heals, this Son of God who gives life, this Savior who recognizes neither race or social status, but only wounded need.

In the end, the anonymous man was given two gifts: the gift of life and the gift of community.  Jesus?  Everyone asked him to leave.  They were frightened - by what?  Too much good?  Too much unknown?  Too much that was going to change?  Not sure, I just know that in the end, it was Jesus who was pushed to the edge, without community, without protection, without status.

The one who traveled to the edge to bring life was pushed to the edge yet promised life.  Whatever edge you are living on.....look for Jesus.

I know it's not fair

One of the perks of being retired is a particular freedom to speak the truth.  Certainly it helps that hundreds of mundane but in many ways necessary details of being a fully functioning mid-sized congregation are no longer my responsibility.  It clears the mind to think - to begin to find the core questions, and possibly in time, some of the answers.

Believe, I mean no harm, but I am struck by how often my beloved fellow believers get the questions wrong.  As you can guess, if you are asking the wrong questions, you are bound to get the wrong answers.

Those of us who first love the Lord Jesus and second love and serve the church are challenged in this season of continual and seismic change in our institutions.  We have been fed on the Word and Sacraments through these very institutions; we have tried to transmit the faith to our children.  We have tried, often with mixed results, to live the faith in our lives.

So believe me when I tell you I say this in love.

I work with congregations in transition, that is, in the process of seeking a new pastor.  They have to fill out paperwork which asks all kinds of questions.  Too often this is one of the 5 goals they list for their future: "to attract young families to our church."  It almost makes me weep.

I wonder if they even considered listing "to attract a younger generation to life in our Lord".

Or, "to learn how to articulate the power of Christ in our lives so others might be drawn to Jesus".

Or, " to effectively guide younger people into lives of service and justice for the sake of their neighbors".

Something - anything - that would clearly identify us as people of faith who having found God's great treasure for our lives in Jesus want to walk with others until they are found as well. A pastor is especially called to lead this.  For the other, a marketing director with some good research will probably do.

Of course they will say "That is exactly what we mean when we say we want younger families in our church."  Maybe.  But church comes first; Jesus isn't mentioned.  Youthful energy is important; faith formation isn't listed.  We are called to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, not to advocate for our congregation.

Enough said.

As for an answer to their desire to attract younger people to their church, I might suggest less Bach and more contemporary music, worship gatherings on a day other than Sunday, small groups where real connections and spiritual conversations can take place, and an active presence on social media.

But really, in the end, it comes down to telling how the living Lord Jesus has changed your life as you reach out to help change their lives as well.  It's about Jesus; always about Jesus.