Monday, May 26, 2014 Todd was kind enough to offer Communion for us this morning at the close of my sermon. In the liturgical preparation he likes to use, two words leaped out toward my heart: “joyful obedience.” * I can’t honestly say that in life in general and life in the Church, my obedience always been joyful. In fact, I’m a lot like Gary, one of the kids in my youth group now a man, who once said, “I don’t like the word ‘obedience’ at all. It ticks me off.” It’s just that he said it more distinctly than I might. Here’s the question: Obedience to what or whom and for what purpose? My parents were balanced in giving love and offering discipline. Mom got to do most of it, since Dad was on the road playing music much of our young lives. I had only a hint of it then, but the “this hurts me more than it does you” did come up from time to time. I never had a spanking, I had a swat. I don’t know if my folks were ‘into’ spanking or not; I do know I deserved it that day. I can’t remember the language, or the reason for my losing it. I do remember throwing a (soft) slipper at Mama. Them came the swat, and Daddy’s stern voice, “We do not throw things in this family, and we do respect one another in the way we talk. Do you understand?” Later I overheard Mama say to Dad, “Honey, you handled that better than I thought you could.” Obedience has to do with actions, and language and respect. And it should start at home. ‘Joyful obedience’ before God is something else altogether. Why would God expect or want obedience from us? For our own good, the good of others, and for respect for creation and the future for us all. Joyful obedience comes when we understand that it’s for our good, the good of others and our present and future possibilities. Really, when you think about it, what is it that God requires? It’s preachery, but I always think of two things as it relates to what God requires of us: “Do justice, love, mercy, and walk humbly with God,” (Micah 68) and “Love the Lord you God with all your heart, and mind and soul and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12: 28) If we look, we can see the reasons for obedience, and it should make us glad—joyful. The quality of the Spirit of God in our midst make joyful obedience even more attractive. As a young Christian (and that was a long time ago!) I remember a Presbyterian minister preaching at a conference and he told this story. A lovely family with a Southern plantation type home was to have a huge party one evening, and the Mom had said to the kids, “Everything is cleaned and ready for our guests, so please be careful not to mess anything up. And Jeremy, don’t jump on the mattress of the four poster bed.” But Jeremy couldn’t resist. And it was just after playing in the one place in the yard still muddy after rain two days ago. He bounced and bounced leaving his ‘imprint’, and then his Daddy came into the room “with a switch as big as a telephone pole,” and was about to discipline his son when the big brother came in, saw what was happening, and jumped on top his little brother saying to their Dad, “Oh Daddy, He’s so dumb, don’t hit him. Hit me.” I’ll never forget that, because it carries in itself the very meaning of the work of our Savior and is enough to make you want to be obedient—even joyfully so! Make it a good week. God’s close presence to bless, and God’s steadfast love to get us to the place of actually enjoying trying to do doing His will. Always love, always, Keith *Todd Watson our Associate Pastor for a bit less than eleven years, will move to a new position in July. The quality of his spirit and gifts shared among us will continue to make a deep impression on the life of Wells Church We sincerely love and are grateful to Todd.
Posted on: Mon, 26 May 2014 11:57:45 +0000
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