Missing the Mark of Faithfulness

Those who know me know I think Pistis is best defined as faithfulness, which I understand as being the act of discerning what God wants one to do and the willingness to do it. So what does that mean for Hamartano?

Hamartano is understood to be "missing the mark" initially in archery, but then applied to other aspects of life, and in faith became "Sinning."  So if the mark we miss is Pistis, then Sin becomes either "not discerning God in what we do" or "not acting on what we have discerned."  Both of these options are things that would be hard if not impossible for anyone but the primary party to fully know.

Thus when we focus on the personal "Sin" of others, we ourselves are missing the mark of faithfulness that points throughout gospel and all stories of scripture to Justice as our primary call.  Only in a just world may we even begin to be able to see others actions through shared lenses of faithfulness.  As long as the world is not just, we can never clearly see the movement of God in another.

So if we are to believe God's grace is limitless, we must seek that which makes it up within ourselves: justice, love, peace, and mercy. Seeking those things of God and then acting upon them is at the core of Pistis and thus we must place them first in all we do.  We may never fully accomplish this and avoid Hamartano, but when we realize this tension is inherently personal, it allows us space to more clearly see God acting in the world and seek to join in that work of bringing about God's kingdom today that is so central to our faith.

A Poem Against the Powers of Control and Division

A Poem Against the Powers of Control and Division 

- I could have set this to a tune, but I think it's more in need of a Dr. Seuss style artist than music.

©2013 A Williams

We like it when things we can cleanly divide

For all things to sit on only one side

That which is evil versus that which is good

As we have determined, just as You “would”

For you've told each of us the other to love

And of laws handed on down from above

So this person should go on, be with like minds

They're not connected to our tie that binds

But this one would be better off joining us

Since they think this way, they won't make a fuss

They're better than them you can see it so clear

Bring them on over to be with us here

We are God's real church, as it's been throughout time

We've figured out every reason and rhyme

So come on over and try some of our wine

It's so much finer than on what they dine

For Obviously we're in God's image here

Just look at us, we are right, it's so clear

All can see, God has made it plain as clear day

We are the winners, there's no other way

The fruits of the spirit, so fine and so true

You'll find them in us, all bad we eschew

The fruits of the flesh? You are kidding me right?

We're not divisive, not here for a fight.

Maybe if we'd all just look a little bit deeper

And stop picking sides, playing grim reaper

Maybe we'd see we're full of fruits of the flesh

Not of the spirit who will still refresh

Step out of the places of power, control

Give up all safety to love's single soul

Risk all that we have to find God's unity

Admit we need “them” for community

Some thoughts on the Church Going Forward (Are we the primary home of spiritual nourishment?)

The Church is a bit like the family farm that is now surrounded by subdivisions. We may still serve the "family" well, but we're now disconnected from the community around us. Those outside see value in what we have, but more often they just pass by wondering about the old family that seems out of place, or maybe complaining about the old broken down tractors (programs) that they see in our front yard. We keep going along living life the way we do because it seems to work “for us” but with a call to the world as well as each other, we have to realize that our neighbors, who we used to chase cows with or who provided the fire wood that we now have to cut ourselves in exchange for veggies aren't there anymore. The community of the world we are part of has changed and we have to change as well.

Think if you will of when your neighbors move, the new neighbors still fill the same “position” but they most likely serve in different roles within the community. As such, the community changes, if the person who mowed the lawns moves away and the new neighbor doesn't own a lawnmower, someone steps into that role, or everyone has to figure out a way to accomplish what the need. You don't have to be the person to mow lawns, but at minimum you have to now mow your own or hire someone else.

So how does this apply back to the church? Well let's go back to the farm analogy: If we as the church began as a place that supplied the local community with a needed service, but have as time has changed become disconnected from the changing needs of our community, we need to consider what the community currently sees us as. If we are the now “family farm” taking care of itself mainly and seen a place filled with things from a time gone by, we're no longer doing what we originally aimed to do. We have stopped being part of the community, so how can we take what we have and better be what our communities now need?

I think of farms in the area where I grew up, some fenced themselves off more in order to avoid having people complain about escaping cows and will live as long as the family does and then certainly die out (if not before). They aim to maintain for themselves. This is certainly not our call as the church. Some others have sold off much of their land, using profits to try to become something new, or just living out their lives still separate from the community that has grown around them. Also, does not line up with the churches call. But there is one other way I've seen that seems to maybe have lessons we as the church can learn from.

Some of these farms have found themselves just like the one I started this article with: A family farm with rusted tractors and old barns surrounded by subdivisions and planned communities. They heard the mumbling of the neighbors, they saw that they weren't connected, and they looked for ways to be part of the world surrounding them. This meant getting rid of some tractors, cleaning up some barns, and repurposing themselves to continue to serve the community that they were now part of. Some became homes to farmer markets and auction houses. Some found their space to be in great demand for community carnivals, concerts, and other entertainment and slowly repurposed buildings and land to be more and more formal entertainment space. In both these cases there's still some working family farm land attached, but the family is also connected to the community through the other things it does, and in doing so the community for the family has increased. We as the church have many things a community needs, but we must first take the time to look and hear what our specific context needs and try to fill in that void IF we can. Regardless, the process of being neighbor begins by our willingness to go out, be aware of need, and offer help.

We are not just here to take care of ourselves or those who come to us, and we are not a business selling God. We are a neighbor helping here to help and serve. A neighbor who needs to get back out and see that needs have changed and stand in those places of need just like we each were created to do from the beginning. The world sees us as behind, but we don't have to catch up, we just have to reconnect.

LHW - The Already and Still Yet to Be

The Already and Still Yet To Be – Text by A Williams ©2013

Tune: Kolding

Life's verse dwells in already and still yet to be

When we think we've fond answers we lose clarity

Our choices move us on innumerable paths

Where we hope to one day see all clearly at last

We wonder, we wander, dialogue and discern

Longing for connections and from others to learn

Where God is moving in and as part of our lives

Seeking the divine clearness so God's way will thrive

We're pursued by the Spirit in all that exists

All creation is seeking though doubt it persists

Finding questions and answers through actions of love

For the Kingdom's today as forever above

Lenten Hymn: In a Time Without Alleluias

In a Time Without Alleluias by A Williams © 2013

Tune: Wingate

In a time without Alleluias

When the world seems without delight

Souls are filled with solemn silence

For in darkness joy takes flight

In a time without Alleluias

Seeming so far away from peace

Creation seems still and stifled

Struggles on without release

In a time without Alleluias

Love seems broken and nearly gone

All our powers simply failing

to help us continue on

In a time without Alleluias

Hope for hopelessness is found

Naught on earth can keep love silent

Or God's mercy underground

The time returns for Alleluias

When we face all the dark inside

For we cannot do God's justice

Til to self we've truly died

We'll sing full the Alleluias

When at last we can clearly see

The world just as God intended

Love adorned in majesty.

Faithful Sojourners

Faithful Sojourners – Text by A Williams ©2013

Tune: Beach Spring http://www.hymntime.com/tch/mid/b/e/a/c/beach_spring.mid

Commanded by our creator

to do justice with our lives

Go deliver oppressed peoples

with God's righteousness our guide

refrain:

We Rejoice with those rejoicing

Weep along with those who weep

Live in harmony with each other

Thus all God's commandments keep

Stand with those who have been victims

of much theft and violence too

tossed aside by all around them

they call out to me and you

Care for those the world abandons

Left alone in a strange place

lost and looking unto others

just to find a friendly face

Faithful sojourners together

we seek to do the right thing

show all honor, peace, and mercy

and in part God's justice bring

Shed not blood nor carry anger

all are full of God's great love

Made whole in the divine image

serve on earth for God above

A Hymn for Community

A Hymn for Community – Text by A Williams ©2013

Tune: Consecration http://www.hymntime.com/tch/mid/c/o/n/consecration.mid

Here we stand confessing all

All we are and all we lack

We confess the love of God

but when called we still hold back

Struggling to hear God's word

hard for us to understand

we try but so often fail

to do as our God commands

Sent into the world to serve

Seeing all as a neighbor.

Earthly symbols of great love

Fully found in our savior

We're the body, hands and feet

Called to show another way

for all people in all lands

to live life from day to day

We the Church will stand as one

when we go our saviors way

we cannot but change the world

when we seek God's will today.