Trinity Sunday June 15, 2003
Readings: Acts 15: 1-33
This is it: vision and mission meet. When James says, “I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God”–right there, the vision that Peter received on the rooftop (Acts 10) breaks the logjam in the church leadership. Nothing will ever be the same. Oh, James is not exactly on fire with the vision. Listen to him! “I have decided we should not trouble those who are coming to God” And: “Certain persons–not under orders from us, of course– have unsettled your minds.” Trouble these newly waked souls? Unsettle? In fact, various church leaders, with their Bible to back them, have been telling these newly risen Christians that they are not alive in Christ– that their faith is in vain–unless they undergo ritual cutting of their genitals. Paul is fed up with this. From the day he was blinded by the light, he has seen how wrong this word is. Peter has seen it too.
Now Peter puts his vision in words of mission: “God has given them the Holy Spirit, for God makes no distinction between them and us. We believe that we will be saved–not by obedience to the law, but through the Lord Jesus Christ, just as they will.” This is why we are crossing over to the other side to greet and welcome them into the body whom we have feared and hated. This is why we are shipping out to Macedonia and Rome with only the gospel in our hearts and hands, and with no law to guide and protect but the freedom of Christ.
James climbs slowly on board the ship of the Cross, this boat, the Church, tossed on rough high seas whenever it follows the cross. But what James did–that’s what you are now asked to do. You don’t have to be a visionary. You aren’t asked to have the dazzling dream, the huge hope. A few in your midst have already felt themselves caught in the eye of the Spirit; have already made their Peter reports. Your job is James’ job. There are two parts to it. One is shedding. The other is getting on board.
Shedding. James is a good church man. He is friends with Pharisees on the side of tradition; and he is impressed by Paul on the side of the whole world. But he loves harmony. He is conservative, slow to change. He loves the Bible and the way of obedience. But today, he sees that he has been wrong. That the Bible is not a rule book. Today he sees the awesomely new thing: there is no rule book. When God starts to move, there is no turning back to the book to prove that the move is wrong. The Bible isn’t meant for chains and restraint, but for freedom.
If you are like James, what has been your Bible? Probably not the Bible. That’s a simple fact of modern times. Not many mainline Protestants hang on to old ways by pointing to the Bible. But Sunday church practices, a set order of service, a traditional way of worship? Perhaps these are a bible. Or common sense? Is that your chain, your restraint–an ardent belief that reasonable behavior is just common sense, and that everyone can see it? That it is impossible to cross Main St.? Impossible to cross cultures and shine like a rainbow? Impossible to make a difference in your own life? What is the book of rules you haven’t been willing to lay down or let anyone edit? James’ job is to junk it. Today. To see how he has been holding back from God, and shed it.
Then what? Then you have your freedom to deal with. No more pretending that you were told things must be this way or that way. No more Simon-says worship. A Godly vision serves only one purpose: your freedom, and theirs.
How can you know that you are free? By doing anything you like? Obviously not. That would be slavery to your passions and needs. Freedom in Christ is a gift of God’s grace, and yet you can not only know it inwardly, you can also invite God to give it.. This is one path we teach: By freely giving up something you were comfortable with, and going the way God is showing, you may confidently expect that God will give you the freedom of Christ, the sign that you are becoming truly human, and getting on board the ship of faith.
Shedding your bible. And getting on board with a vision, with soul friends who care for your journey, how it is with your soul, how it is with your life and your death, and your new birth. That’s James’ job. That’s yours.
©Stephen H. Phelps, June 2003
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