Three rules for would be followers of Jesus Christ.

Well, seeing as though Mystic Mondays seem to be working out, I am thinking I will add a couple more theme days to my regularly scheduled scriptural devotions.  My hope is this will make it easier for me to stay motivated in preparing and sharing.  The accidental benefit is followers will have an easier time identifying posts they have no interest in :)

Here's what I propose:

Monday      = Mystic Mondays

Tuesday      = No regular post.  Phil's digital sabbath

Wednesday = SOAP devotion based on RCL texts for the coming Sunday

                      (with help from the OSLC drop in Bible Study)

Thursday    = SOAP devotion based on Moravian Daily Texts.

Friday         = Devotion from the Lutheran Confessions.  (With help from 3DMs "LifeShapes")

Saturday     = Interpreting Theological Themes in Popular Culture.

                      (Open to requests for your favourite movies, shows, games, books ...)

Sunday       = "Spot the Heresy in Pastor Phil's Weekly Sermon!"

RCL readings for the Third Sunday After Epiphany; Year C; January 24, 2016.
Nehemiah 8:1-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 12:20-26 (Amplified Bible)
20 But now [as things really are] there are many parts [different limbs and organs], but a single body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 But quite the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are [absolutely] necessary; 23 and as for those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, these we treat with greater honor; and our less presentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 while our more presentable parts do not require it. But God has combined the [whole] body, giving greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 so that there would be no division or discord in the body [that is, lack of adaptation of the parts to each other], but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering; if one member is honored, all rejoice with it.

Observation:

Paul continues writing to the community of Jesus followers in Corinth 
(probably a collection of house churches with a total membership in the low hundreds) about the nature of our giftedness in Christ.  Our gifts make us unique, but by no means independent.  Even more importantly, the diversity of our gifts is meant to bind us together for the common good of all members to the glory of God.  There is no room here for hierarchies or ratings systems revealing the most valuable gifts or the least desirable seats.  Our fates are tied together.  "...if one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering; if one member is honoured, all rejoice with it."
We share a common hope: connection to the fearsome grace of God through Christ Jesus who is our wounded, resurrected head.  Only together can we embody Christ in and for the world.

Application:

*Disclaimer.  I use some cheeky language in what follows.  If you are someone with little tolerance for minor cuss words, you may want to stop reading here.  If you can tolerate such things, but are easily grossed out, you might try inserting "soles of feet" whenever you encounter the offending noun.

I don't remember whether it happened because of a series of unfortunately timed events or as a result of colossally bad planning; what I do remember is how painful it was for everyone the summer my whole family piled into our 1989 Ford Tempo in Strathmore, Alberta to drive the 896 kilometres   (557 miles for imperialists) to my grandparent's house in Lampman, Saskatchewan.  Did I mention I had just received my drivers license?  And, that my dad was perched on an invalid ring 
(I kid you not, that is what they are called) having just endured an hemorrhoidectomy days earlier?
I can clearly recall how - over the period of a 10 hour journey - my attitude changed from that of deep concern for the comfort and well-being of my father, to being ready to slow down just enough to push him out the passenger door and be rid of his constant whimpering objection to every single bump in the well worn highways of the southern prairie provinces.

You see?  This is a story about a$$holes.  They can be vital yet sensitive parts of the human anatomy, or they can be harsh human beings so preoccupied with their own needs and desires that they become insufferable to be around.  In either case, we'd rather not include them in our regular thoughts or conversations.  They are just so ... foul.  But Paul won't let us get away with such shortsighted behaviour.  Paul knows that in both the biological and the metaphorical sense we are connected to our a$$holes and we ignore them - at our own peril.

All this brings me to three rules for would-be-members of the body of Christ.**

1)  Don't be an a$$hole.

2)  We are all a$$holes.

3)  Look to Christ, then review rule #1.

Who am I eager to write-off or shame today?
Is that more about them, or more about me?
How is Jesus calling and equipping me to "...treat these less honourable parts with more honour..." to the true benefit of the whole body and to the glory of God?

Pray:

Dear Creator-Redeemer-Sanctifier,
It is ingrained in me to be insufferably selfish and intolerant.
I should be stuck there, but thanks to you I am free!
Grant me humility and patience and wisdom in every instance where I have to deal with others who find themselves stuck in one way or another.
Help me to see them not as obstacles to be avoided but as part of me because they are part of You.
Amen.

Warning ... levels of Lutheran geekery are very high below.  

Proceed with caution and appropriate protective equipment.

**I acknowledge a large debt here to my colleague Rev. Lori-Anne Boutin-Crawford who came up with the second rule as a succinct if not elegant summary of Article II of the Augsburg Confession - "Concerning Original Sin" which reads - translated from the German text:

"Furthermore, it is taught among us that since the fall of Adam, all human beings who are born in the natural way are conceived and born in sin.  This means that from birth they are full of evil lust and inclination and cannot by nature possess true fear of God and true faith in God.  Moreover, this same innate disease and original sin is truly sin and condemns to God's eternal wrath all who are not in turn born anew through baptism and the Holy Spirit.  Rejected, then, are the Pelagians and others who do not regard original sin as sin in order to make human nature righteous through natural powers, thus insulting the suffering and merit of Christ."