Shade Tree Wisdom 8/11/10

I am thankful that there does seem to be just a slight breeze stirring in the early morning. Outside of that, it’s simply hot. Will it help cool you off if I tell you the Bright family of Hope, Arkansas, in 2005 raised a watermelon that weighed 268.8 pounds?

And, since we are at it, the word coleslaw comes from the Dutch ‘koolsla’ meaning cabbage salad, introduced to America in the 18th century, now a staple for picnics, of course.

Our Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “I am the way, the Truth, and the life, No man comes to the Father but by Me.” Walking ‘the Jesus way’ is what many people consider being a Christian. Fine, except for one thing. The Jesus way is not a supplement to our way of life, but is a different way altogether. We cannot use impersonal means to do or say a personal thing, and the Gospel is very personal.

The paper offers a column that suggests that the Church is a failure. The writer bases his judgment on the action of a writer of vampire novels who had a much publicized return to the Catholic Church in which she grew up. Now she rants, “I am an outsider. I remain committed to Christ as always”. I want Jesus, but on my terms.

Then the writer goes on to offer reasons why the Church is failing.

An unknown author in the early part of the 2nd century describes Christians. He wrote in part ” The Christians are not distinguished from others by country, language, or civil institutions. . .they follow the usage of the country they live in in dress, food and other affairs of life, yet they give a wonderful paradoxical conduct.. . .they are in the flesh, but do not live after the flesh. . .they live upon the earth but are citizens of heaven.”

A Christian congregation is a gathering of people who follow Jesus, because they are washed in “the blood of the lamb” in Holy Baptism, so are different. The Holy Spirit teaches them, and guides them to "follow Jesus”. Such a congregation believes God does something in them, and this leads them to follow a different drummer than the world does. So they are different. Indeed, “In the world, but not of the world”.

Unfortunately, some of the brethren have learned the American way and turned the fellowship into a consumer organization, wanting more, doing it like the world, and in the process forgetting the Jesus Way.

St. Paul describes the result of being Baptized when he writes, “Be not conformed to the world, But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12,2.

Yes, the Church lives, and continues, because we have this promise, that “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16,18.

GPD 8/11/10