True Confessions of an Interim

Oct 3, 2024

By The Rev. Dr. Carl Grosse

Too often, religion in general and spirituality in particular are treated as private, individual matters: 

  • What I believe is none of your business; 
  • my spiritual director has me doing eight spiritual disciplines that have really helped me grow; 
  • Jesus is my Lord and Savior and I know where I’ll spend eternity. 

Nothing wrong with that per se, even Jesus went off by Himself to pray. Yet, from Genesis to Revelation there’s a social dimension to spirituality. God said we’re not designed to be alone. The promise to Abram was that his descendants would be a people of blessing. The commandments guide our community behavior (don’t steal, don’t give false testimony, honor your parents). The prophets said we should do justice and love mercy. Jesus said we should even love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us and forgive each other 70 times 7. Paul gave house rules for groups of Jesus followers. People who claim to love God but hate others are living a lie, says John. 

James said that true religion isn’t a fashion brand, it’s taking care of widows and orphans and others in distress. We put tangibility to our love for God when we help others who are having a hard time. Your response to appeals for helping flood victims is a demonstration of sincere obedience to how God wants us to live. Thank you to everyone who donated water and funds. Thank you to Daryl and Don and others who helped haul and transport, and especially Daryl for acting as our liaison with Presbytery so everything is coordinated. 

You are at your best when you serve and worship together, caring for each other and responding to God’s opportunities. Your “dream of being a loving, caring family for all who hunger and thirst for the kind of world Jesus made possible” keeps that goal in front of you. You won’t always have a crisis to rally you together; in reality, the ways you live together as a church family day to day prepare you for effectively responding to challenges when they happen. Pray for each other, celebrate the joys, ask for help when you’re struggling, learn God’s will for you together, pay attention to those on the margins, and you’ll be a great S.W.A.T (Serving With Angelic Tenacity) team when the next big challenge shows up.