An arrest...a trial....a crucifixion...

Good Friday

Where would you have stood?  OR would you have left for home days ago?

The church today stands in a painful place for many of my friends and family.  It is smaller and older.  It is polarized and inward looking.  Many are caught up in the Gay Marriage disputes and how the church should think about Gay and Lesbian people.  Money issues are making ministry difficult in many places.  Communication ministry between congregations seems to be struggling.  The list of hurts is huge and ties us up into  little neatly organized labeled boxes.

A New Pope washed the feet of 2 girls yesterday...a humble faithfilled act that broke tradition and the rules!    Shakes the church...an act of love...an act of grace.

Good Friday....a day when God shook the earth, darkened the sky, torn the curtian, and changed the rules.  The day the faith did everything, but stand still.  When Jesus died on that cross ts made the world change.

Good Friday...God broke the box that faith had organized so neatly.  God changed the meanings and expectations.  God showed the ultimate in loving relationship for humankind.  The earth shook from the power of God's activity.  Today....do we feel the power of God's change?  Can we feel the power in our lives?  Can we move beyond the boxes of neat organized religion with it's painful assumptions and expectations.....can we move into relationship and see where it takes us?

Can we allow God to do a new thing in us?  Through us?  Using us?  Can we see God beyond the boxes of traditional church/contemporary church/gay/straight/old/young/male/female.....etc etc etc?  Can we allow God to shake things up....especially us...and move faithful people in new a powerful directions of loving, forgiving, graceful relationships?

Where do you stand?  Do you stand at the cross ready for God to move us into loving each other?  I'm not opposed to church....just the judgmental, nasty, little box type places that hurt people.  I'm all for the church that lives out God's act of love on the cross that offers forgiveness, love and grace to all...everyone...no one left out.

Good Friday