Thought for the Week of September 12, 2011

This past week I had the opportunity to discuss "God's Will" with complete strangers in a hospital waiting area. The wildfire coverage was on the TV in the waiting area, and one of the ladies said something about wondering if a natural disaster was "God's Will". Of course I had to pipe up and state my position.. being the shy and reserved guy that I am.

The question of why bad things happen to good people has been written about and discussed over and over again, but it is still one of the hardest things to understand.

During this 10th anniversary of the 9-11 tradgedy, many are still trying to find a way to reconcile the events of that day. Not unlike the Oklahoma City bombing, the lingering questions of why did this have to happen, and why did so many innocent people die, remains unanswered. Even though the state extracted it's revenge against one of the perpetrators, the damage of the OKC bombing will forever live in the minds of those affected. Being present with those that were in Oklahoma City, some a few blocks away, when the bomb exploded or lost people in that tradgedy, it's obvious that the shadow of the trauma is still very present in their contenance when they share their memories of that horrible day. The question of why once again comes to the surface, understandably connected to the Creator, usually in the form of.... Why does God let bad things happen to good people.

When I was a teenager, there was a double homicide/suicide in my family. My two half sisters were taken from us at the ages of 7 months and 18 months. I learned several things about life including that sometimes there is not an answer to "why". Bad things do happen to good people, and tradgedy can come to anyone at any time. I also learned from that period of time which also included losing two homes within 5 years to fire, that being angry with God is alright, even expected. Most of all I learned that God also morns with those that have suffered be it a major or minor loss. God is always there to bring you comfort, but you have to be open to recieve that comfort. Eventually some of the why questions may be answered, maybe not, but I found most of the answers in my own heart.

The changes that those tradgedies made in the way I see the world, have brought me to this point in my life. I think it might sound trite, but the suffering I have endured, makes it more familiar and enables me to relate better and have deeper compasion for those that are hurting. We may never know the why, but we do know the how.  How to survive, how to recover, how to move on, or how to reach out for help if you need someone to share your burden. The first step to healing is to forgive. If you haven't forgiven who ever it was that was the source of your pain, including yourself.. you won't ever get to the point of being compeletly healed. Repent (fr. Greek.. literally means change the direction of your gaze, or focus) forgive, and accept God's healing grace.

I've heard several people say that they don't need "church" to feel close to God, and that may be true for them, but I am very thankful that I have a group of sinners that I see a couple of times a week that are always willing to help me through when life's storms are raging. The body of Christ is the church, and I always find comfort there.  

Blessings!!!

Rev. Scott Raines

Pastor of Singles Ministry

St. Luke's UMC

222 NW 15th St.

Oklahoma City, OK  73103

Church 405-609-1009

Cell 512-554-1661

sraines@stlukesokc.org

www.stlukesokc.org

Is "churching" someone really a Christian practice?

I hear a lot of reasons why people don't attend church, and some of them are valid reasons. I hear some talk about how organized religion is something they don't need because of one reason or another. Most of the reasons come from a wrong, or perceived wrong that they or someone they know experienced. In today's political climate, the conservative movement has fashioned Christianity into something grossly distorted to the point of almost being unrecognizable. One of the most reprehensible practices that some religious orders still have today is "Churching" someone, or asking them to no longer attend church. That policy is based on scripture according to them, usually Matthew 18: 15-17  ¹⁵ “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.¹⁷ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector."  For some reason, some religions take this to mean that the offending person should be ostracized from the congregation. I'm not sure how they make this leap of logic, when Christ repeatedly talks about bringing pagan's and tax collectors into his fold. To  me He is saying to treat that person as someone who just hasn't quiet understood what it means to live as a Christian, and to work towards reconciliation. My other thought is that he is instructing His disciples to not give up on anyone, and sometimes they may need to start from square one, and revisit the situation. Today there seems to be more exclusion of people than inclusion when it comes to being accepted as a person of faith, which is exactly opposite of Christ's teachings. If someone doesn't agree with your theology, I've found that to be the best time for me to learn more deeply what it is exactly that I believe and why. Don't be quick to cut someone off because their understanding is different from yours, and always remember the "Greatest Commandment" Matthew 22: 37-44 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” I don't see anything about excluding anyone, or asking them to never come back to your congregation.