What difference does it make?
I have to say that this is the first time that I have ever been on a blog. Maybe I am just a little behind the times. Anyway, here are some things to think and talk about concerning the Genesis Service. Sorry this is late…..
God gives us everything that we need….everything when it comes to our salvation. Christ died and rose again so that we might have eternal life. It is not about us. It is all about God and what he has done for us. So where does that leave us?
A Catholic priest, who is friends with one of my seminary professors, once said, “The problem with you Lutherans is that it does not matter if we help the old lady across the street or push her in front of the bus.”
The crude point that the priest was trying to make was that as Lutherans we live by the grace of God alone. We feel that our works often have our own selfish motives behind them, which is sinful. So what difference does it make?
So the question is…what difference does it make? What is the point of doing good? What is the point of our good works? What matters most; the act of helping someone or the motive behind them?
Just a few things to think/talk about.
To Him be the Glory……
Vicar Chad
Oh them Catholics and we Lutherans, are we really that different? Is this really a problem of specific religions or more of a personal problem that some people have and others seemingly don’t?
Aren’t we all called to do good and help others?
I’ve been having a battle in my head about this and trying to get to the point where it just doesn’t matter, but I’m just not getting there. There are some people that don't expect me to do something nice for them without gaining something in return for myself. How do you explain that you just really, really don’t expect anything in return? Really.
God gives us everything, then why do people need help from anyone else? Are the actions merely to be reflections of Him because everything we are and everything we have are of Him? Is assuming that we have any part of the action self-serving?
Is it sinful to wonder what do I expect from a life with God at the center and what does it mean to be mission-minded?
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Does God give us everything? ….yes when it comes to our salvation. He does not promise that we will have an easy earthly life; that we will live comfortably. Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh” Jesus tells us that the poor will always be with us. But our salvation is secure because of what Christ has done; grace alone.
I do not think that it is ever sinful to think about what we expect from a life with God at the center. Just so our focus is on God and remaining in relationship with Him. I believe God has called us all to work in His kingdom in the vocation that he has called us to; which is everything from father and mother to nurse, public servant, and farmer (in no particular order). To be curious about what we will get from our life is normal. To be curious about how God will bless us is also normal. So are all emotions when it comes to God: happy, sad, fearful, comfort, anger. All these emotions and thoughts are okay….because they are about being in a relationship with God. Thinking about what you expect, expecting and even demanding action from God are all okay….as long as you are will to accept no or not yet for an answer.
Vicar Chad
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BTW - your talents as a thespian helped spin the sermon illustration in a different light. It's always so fascinating to me to see how people approach a topic.
I think it's easy to compare "works". That's what's so interesting about human interaction - you never can tell how someone will interpret the same gesture based on where they are at in the world.
This is a world that does seem to question "do-gooding". The fact that you can just nicely do stuff for others or want to serve without a whole lot of fanfare just is really difficult. Sure I feel good about serving and it brings me happiness to help see the walls going up on a habitat house or take the time to do something so someone else can have an afternoon to enjoy the sunshine with their family.
There is something about reaching out to others that just helps align your own sorry storm-riddled world. But is that the motivation? To feel good.
If enough people start asking you what your motivation is -it is so easy to just jump to apathy and stop being motivated to do much of anything.
We have a pretty good set of right and wrong rules. Why do we need to do good or be kind? When given the chance to act or not act what do you do? Do we pursue good only to justify something for ourselves or is there some sort of morality involved, something outside of animal instinct that might cause a person to pursue action with a spiritual reality that exists outside of our immediate experience?
You witness an old lady being mugged. During the actual mug, the old lady’s wallet falls out of her purse and drops on the ground near your feet. The mugger is too busy mugging to notice you or the wallet. You see that the wallet has several hundred dollar bills in it. At this point you have a few options, really:
1) take the money and run
2) walk away, indifferent to what’s going on
3) tackle the mugger and provide assistance to the old lady
4) help the mugger mug the old lady
Maybe that's an extreme on the whole serving other people sort of scenario but what would be the motivation?
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We've also been talking about this alot at work. Mostly because we are trying to build a team that doesn't just do the minimum required but strives to support our fellow customers and employees with that extra effort. What's the motivation?
While I hated the movie Pay It Forward, on principle that idea seemed really sort of interesting to me. But was the motivation because they had to pay it forward? Sort of goes back to thinking about "works" and deserving anything. (Comment this)
1- is that you must do something to earn God's favor and ultimately salvation.
2- is focusing so heavily on God's grace that no action is ever encouraged in faith
I believe that there is a middle ground. The place where we recognize God's grace, but we also know that faith without action is dead.
In general, Lutherans are afraid to talk about what you do, because it is God who acts. But for some reason we forget that most often God's plan A for reaching people is people. (Comment this)
Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
If the action is to labor in the Lord and that "work" is not directed to others, aren't we just serving ourselves? (Comment this)
Is there a difference? Is there a problem with doing things for our own benefit? I guess the reason I even pick this topic was because I also have been looking at my motivation in different tasks around the church. I enjoy what I do, but is there something more to my doing things. Is there more selfish reason….and is that okay? And the inner struggle goes on…..always.
Another reason I bring this topic up is because we are reading Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper and he talks about working your whole life for the Lord. One of his illustrations is about a retired couple who moves to the beach and collects sea shells. He claims it’s a wasted life because they are not out serving. The books just rubs me the wrong way. Oh well…..
Chad
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