Sermon Notes jan.29 I Cor. 8

Here is proof that we can find almost anything to argue about in church. I Cor. 8 is further proof how difficult it is to follow the great injunction of Jesus, “judge not.” The Corinthian church seems to be a collection of grievances and conflicts. If Paul is writing such a detailed letter, I will assume that they have been unable to work it out themselves, so they are kicking it upstairs.

In Mark’s gospel, we see Jesus emerging in this start of his work as a healer. Here he heals demons. Modern people don’t hold much stock in demons, except in movies I suppose, but we see the work of the demonic all around us. This morning, let’s place our judgmental attitudes and behaviors in that category, as that which opposes the great Christian injunction to do all things in love. The demonic can be defined as a force, a transpersonal power that interferes with human health, individually or socially.

We just had a major in meeting in Florida where folks are considering yet another way to split off from our church.Why? They judge the national church as defective because they don’t agree with everything it does. Some folks get addicted to controversy, to the shot of adrenaline that comes with provocation, the glorious sense of self-righteousness that comes with being constantly aggrieved. We seem to honor whining and complaining but do not even seem to be willing to have space for words of compliment and support.

In the ordination vows, we all make a promise to respect the decisions of the trustees of our faith community, the session. We promise to be guided by their decisions for our future. Somewhere along the line, the poisoned attitudes of sports fans and political combatants has filtered into church decision making. We have slipped into a notion that what I want has to be right for everybody. We have lost a sense of perspective of the important and unimportant,too touchy about preferences, not even positions. We then make a principled stand of withdrawing support and still call ourselves members of the body of Christ. How does self-amputation further the work of God in the world?

This morning I ask us us to consider some old virtues: fidelity and loyalty. Fidelity is another word for being faithful, and its meaning seems limited to its opposite, unfaithful, in marriage. Loyalty has been superseded by its opposite number, exit. When we disagree with one thing or even a number of things, we leave, under the delusion that some perfect relationship, some perfect church is out there. Somewhere along the line, people have been given permisssion to use threats, withholding support, and gossip. all of these undermine community. Scott Sanders speaks on fidelity is not being stuck in a rut but actively choosing, over and over, to abide in a relationship.Fidelity is sticking with someone, beyond the instant situation.In our struggle to be nice, in our hope for being all things to all people, the church has fallen into something less than a civic institution. I have been invited into rotary, and it has tougher requirements than many churches. We have permitted childish behavior to be excused over and over.some of the intriguing recent research on health in churches demonstrate that we do need some boundaries about the appropriate or the permissible. Living in fidelity looks toward common ground and bonds. . If we could enjoy the imaginative exercises of staying together with the frisson of excitement that comes with fantasies of pulling apart, we could make some real progress.