Hey, That's Not Jesus!

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” (Mark 7:8 NIV)

Cecelia has taken communion ever since she was old enough to hold out her hand to receive it.  And she has always called it "getting some Jesus."  She will walk into the church and see communion set up and exclaim, "Oh yay!  We're getting Jesus today!"  Almost always, the bread is in the form of wafers.  Sunday we had real bread.  As we sat in our pew waiting our turn to go forward, Cecelia noticed the real bread and said, "Hey, that's not Jesus!  It's bread!"

How quickly we grab onto traditions and make it our religion!  If it's not organ music we say, "That's not Jesus!"  If we admit mistakes and as a result become more inclusive in our church and ministry, people shout, "That's not Jesus!"  Sometimes it can be as simple as moving the piano to the other side of the sanctuary.  There will still be folks who shout, "Hey, that's not Jesus!"

But almost always, it is still Jesus... just Jesus in a different way than we are used to him.  We must learn to separate tradition from faith or our churches will die.  When our heads are trying to tell us that "that's not Jesus," we must dig deeply into our hearts in prayer and meditative listening.  Where would we find Jesus is the situation?  What would Jesus say if he were talking to the pharasees who loved their traditions?

One thing we have learned from the stories of Jesus in the Gospels... he is always surprising us by showing up in unlikely places.  It may be bread instead of wafers, but he is still the very same Jesus, offering love, grace and hope.

Lord Jesus,
Open our hearts to your presence even when we think you can't possibly be there.  Amen.

Joys:  Finally... some real Spring!; sleeping with the windows open; a nice long walk