We have arrived at Thanksgiving. It is our
individual and corporate opportunity to count our many blessings that we are
thankful for. So, what are you thankful
for? How has God blessed you in the last year?
People generally know that being thankful is
good for you. Gratitude brings comfort and peace of mind. By being thankful, we
are generally happier and more satisfied with our lives the way that they are.
We are content with what God has provided us.
Scripture calls us to be thankful for
everything – both in our gifts and our challenges. However, scripture also
calls us to be mindful in the areas where there is opportunity. The word calls
us to take steps as the kingdom of God to address those concerns. I would like
to share what is on my heart in this season and what I believe God is calling
us to address.
I am alarmed that the state of Arizona has
the highest rate of children in foster care in comparison to other states. I am
alarmed in education that we are the forty-ninth state on expenditure per pupil
in our schools.
I am alarmed that 1.4 million Arizonans live
below the poverty line, and 31.3% of our children live in these circumstances.
In 2012, 4,004 families experienced homelessness. I am alarmed that over 1.3 billion people
worldwide live on less than a $1.25 per day. They are not able to secure a
living wage.
I am concerned at the continued stigma of
HIV/AIDS that the highest rate of infection is in young adults aged 25-34. In
2011, 300,000 children became infected by HIV/AIDS. I am not thankful that the “least of these”
continues to be the least of us.
Christ the King Sunday brings us hope of a
future resolution of society’s problems through Christ. In order to address
these concerns, we must stop and understand the Kingdom of God. We must then shed
light on the church’s role in addressing these social justice issues.
The passage in Jeremiah speaks against the kings
of Judah in opposition to the kingdom of God. The demise of Israel which is
portrayed in this passage is directly related to the abuse of power in the
shepherds of the day, including priests. The impending destruction and
suffering of Jerusalem is because of this behavior.
Later in the Jeremiah passage, we see qualities
of the new king. These are different characteristics, qualities of justice and
righteousness. The final verse even declares that the name of the Lord is
righteous.
In Luke, we can see one of the many examples
where Jesus Christ was able to demonstrate His reign on earth to someone else.
This was in the midst of the agony of the cross. Jesus’ last words to another human being were
words of forgiveness and healing.
In his ministry, Jesus challenged the status
quo. He healed on the Sabbath. He
called for fundamental change in people's attitudes and actions toward women.
He addressed believer’s attitudes towards the poor and the marginalized. This
included political rulers. He was an
agent of change in a world bent on tradition and control.
Jesus spent much of his ministry describing the
kingdom of God as having different rules and expectations. In fact, He spent
more time talking about the kingdom of God than any other topic or issue.
For example, Jesus said that the kingdom of God
is like a shepherd who cares so much for his sheep that he would search for the
one that is lost and would not give up until they are found. Jesus also
describes the kingdom of God as a party in which the poor, the lame, the
outcast, and the ostracized are all welcome. They are welcome with open arms.
Jesus demonstrated the passion of the kingdom
that God’s grace, forgiveness, and sustenance is available to all without demand.
Jesus modeled a mission that each of us can follow. He declared the coming kingdom,
broke down boundaries, gathered communities together, shared God’s
righteousness and promised the Holy Spirit to all.
So, what is the church’s role in being the
kingdom of God to a world which needs that kingdom here on earth?
First, everything the church does should focus on
why the church exists in the first place. The church exists to worship God, teaching
believers and non-believers, and the redemption of the world. According to JR Woodward, the church is to be
a sign, a foretaste, and an instrument of God’s kingdom.
Secondly, the church is created and maintained by
the Holy Spirit. The church is not a product of human striving and aspiration.
However, God calls us to use our time, talents, and treasures through the gifts
of the spirit to reach others. The church is to be a demonstration of the life
giving spirit of the God.
Finally, the church is called by God to participate
in God’s purpose of bringing well-being to the whole creation. That means we
need to effect change in our communities and address the needs of the poor and
the marginalized.
Jesus’ declaration of the kingdom of God calls
the church into a new vision of a just, peaceful, and equitable society. God
calls us to minister to the least of these, our sisters and brothers on the
margins of society.
As John Wesley says, the kingdom of God resides
“within us, even ‘righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.’” This
inward kingdom is the Lord reigning in the human heart. It is “heaven already
opened in the soul, the first springing up of those rivers of pleasure which
flow at God’s right hand forevermore.
Likewise, the inward kingdom must be expressed as the outward love of
God.
In an article for Ministry Today, Matthew Barnett
wrote about such a kingdom demonstrated through the church. He calls the church
to dream, to articulate the kingdom of God, and to take action to bring that
kingdom to fruition on earth. He also calls the underserved to dream, and to
see how they can belong and to dream big fulfilling their God-given potential.
He emphasizes “Jesus allowed people to belong
first, to see what He was doing, find themselves drawn to Him – and then
believe.” Believe in the kingdom.
During this charge conference season, our Bishop
called us to dream, to articulate what God is doing in the Desert Southwest
Conference. He has returned to the
overall theme of the 2013 annual conference – Imagine. Bishop Bob calls us to proclaim the year of
the Lord’s favor. He asks us to tell people that the reign of God is here and
now, and to share, and dare I say, be the Good News of Jesus Christ.
We are to let the oppressed go free, to fight injustice
and release the burden of cruelty and evilness. We are to advocate for the
powerless. We are to proclaim the healing power of Jesus himself. We need to
simply say to others “God loves you, and I do too.”
As we prepare to commit our prayers,
presence, gifts, service and witness to the ministries of God locally in Faith
UMC and the global United Methodist Church, I implore all of us to dream big,
to imagine what God is doing in us individually and through us corporately. I
ask that we take our challenges and turn them into using our time, our talents,
our graces, and our treasures to be the kingdom of God here on earth.
