“If you are an American, you will guess that a lot of people…oversimplify complex problems. We bundle up very different social and political issues into two packages, and with a sigh of relief—we declare ourselves to be in favor of this package and against that one. And we make life uncomfortable for anyone who wants to see things differently. Jesus, as always, gets caught in the middle—along with a good number of his followers. Many people in America today were brought up in strict Christian homes and churches of one sort or another. There was a set package. Jesus, the Bible, family, strict morals, the Rapture, purgatory, and ultimately a straight choice between heaven and hell. Many of those who do remember it remember it with a shudder. That’s the small, narrow world from which the healthy skepticism of the modern world has rescued them. So, for many Americans today, and others elsewhere too, Jesus is part of the tight little world, closed and closed-minded, from which they have thankfully escaped.” (“The Distortions of Skepticism and Conservatism”, Simply Jesus,  N. T. Wright, p. 14-15)

In what kind of Christian household were you raised—the strict, bible-believing; the skeptical religion-questioning; or the non-existent beyond Sunday worshipping? In other words, was your religious upbringing on the more conservative, the skeptical, or the ultra-liberal view? While most “baby-boomers” were probably expected to attend church every Sunday, the church experience for most millenials and “generation Z” folks is something completely foreign to us.

For those raised in the church, it may have been a great experience, or it may have been a terrible, judgmental, or even abusive experience. Therefore many think the church is good, faithful, spiritual, and giving. And many think the church is bad, manipulative, and money-grubbing. Somewhere in the middle of those two experiences, we need to pause, and find Jesus – for if we can discover Jesus, as he truly was, we might be able to find a relevant Jesus for the world again. And, I believe, many people are searching for just such a presence in their lives today – because most of their waking life is without purpose, is devoid of foundational relevancy, and offers them no rest from their burdens. And my friends, as I have come to know Jesus, this is what he was about. My calling and your calling, if you are up to the challenge, is to tell people about the Jesus of love, mercy and Grace. I believe this is what all people need today – hope in a G-d who loves them.

Pastor Dave