June 5, 2005
Romans 12:1-3
1. 9Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. 10Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
11Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, 12cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. 13Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
Eugene Peterson’s translation of Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Chapter 12 – catches the essence of Christian behavior.
Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. You’ll be changed from the inside out.
2. Last week, if you remember, we discussed Paul’s whole idea about justification by faith … and how faith is both a matter of “belief” and of “trust.”
The theme for this year’s Annual Conference in St. Cloud this past week was “Growing Spiritually as we Journey Together.” And the Text was Romans 12.
One of the speakers talked about orthokardia … that’s a new word, I thought … orthokardia …
Now… the Greek word orthos means straight or correct. So, ortho is often combined with various words, especially in medicine such as orthopedics which especially means the treatment of bones and joints.
Or ortho can be combined the word praxis to become orthopraxis. Praxis is another Greek word which means practice or behavior. In other words “correct behavior” which is distinguished from orthodoxy.
Orthodoxy, especially in religion, means correct theory or belief or ideas. If you are orthodox, then you have the correct belief about God. And if you don’t then you are, of course, unorthodox.
For instance, at one time in the world, there was only one church -- the Roman Catholic. But after 1054 there were basically two Christian denominations: The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Catholic means universal and Orthodox means correct. So there were (and are) -- the Universal Church and the Correct Church. And then, after Martin Luther, there was another schism and the creation of the Reformed or Protestant Church – of which Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians and all the rest belong. And the Episcopalians are sort of half Protestant and half Catholic (or something like that).
3. So, there are three ways of looking at faith in God …
(a) – Orthodoxy – which is the question of correct belief
(b) – ortho – praxis – which is the question of correct practice
(c) – and now orthokardia …
What is ortho-kardia? Well, as you might guess, kardia is another Greek word for the heart. Like in cardiology – which is the medical study of the heart.
Ortho-kardia is not a real word … actually … but it is an interesting idea … isn’t it … because it implies that somehow we need to have our heart in the right place … and we know that somehow religion pertains to the heart … as well as the mind … don’t we …?
After all, wasn’t it John Wesley who said “he felt his heart strangely warmed?”
This great breakthrough, which he attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit, made him, in modern day terms, more of a whole person … one could say … for up to that time … Wesley, in accordance with his upbringing and his rather disciplined perfectionistic personality had striven to arrive at salvation through orthodoxy and orthopraxy … correct belief and correct practice …
What he lacked, of course, is the sense of God’s love … which is more a matter of the heart … than of the mind or of the correctness of moral behavior … He lacked … God’s grace … another word for unconditional love …
4. Another word for this … which is currently popular … is found in the concept of Emotional Intelligence … which is based on the book by Daniel Goleman which has know become a bestseller and is also well on the way to being a new self-help concept … and a fix yourself project … So, we want to be careful … but, I don’t want us to ignore this … either … for, as Goleman points out …
Emotional intelligence, as Goleman points out: is more than a smile and an encouraging word, it’s a set of abilities that distinguish star performers from average leaders.
And, when it comes to leaders, the big topic of discussion at the Annual Conference this year was, of course, the new Bishop – the new leader. This was not of course a matter of public discourse, but in private conversations …
For one of the main things at Annual Conference, at least for me, is to meet and greet old friends. Especially, when you live in Bemidji, it is the chance to talk with people I don’t ordinarily see the rest of the year.
And so, in whispers and hushed discussion over lunch and in the hallways … the question came up … What do you think of Bishop Sally.
5. And so she was being evaluated … on the basis of many things … but especially, the three I have mentioned:
ortho doxy – her beliefs
ortho praxy – her actions and behavior
and ortho kardia – her emotional intelligence …which is a gathered sense of her that is subjective … and which is weighed as much in the heart as in the mind … and in the eye …
In other words: IS SHE REAL? What kind of person is she? That’s what people wanted to know…
Well – overall -- the verdict was good … Sally got pretty good marks … for she is very energetic … funny at times … and she seems to really stand behind what she says … and compared to previous Bishops – a very good preacher …
Well, time will tell, of course … but as far as ortho kardia goes … her heart seems to be in the right place …
And, in a way, it was a reminder that we are all being evaluated, aren’t we … by others … whether we are aware of it or not … It’s like getting a cardio gram every day … all the time.
Think about it … !!
5. Now this heart business is sometimes the hardest thing of all to evaluate … isn’t it? For while we can see the outside of a person in their actions … and in their words … how can we see what is within them?
How can we really understand a person’s heart?
And yet, that seems, quite often to be the purpose of Jesus teaching … as he condemns the Pharisees, for instance, for praying in public and pretending to be “holier than thou” – and this also seems to be at the “heart” of Paul’s message to the Romans …
And yet, this same message about justification by faith … has often been misinterpreted down through the centuries …
For there is a tendency in of all of us … don’t you think … to look around and see what other people are doing and try to do what they do … isn’t that right? And after all, isn’t that what we are taught in school and by our parents … and everywhere. And don’t we have … all kinds of messages coming at us … saying … do this … do that … these are the rules … we are bombarded by messages … everyday … about what we should eat, wear, and how to think and who to vote for …
And we all want to fit in … be popular …get along … not stick out in a crowd … isn’t that right.
But what does Paul say … what does Jesus say …?
2Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
6. In other words … don’t try to justify yourself according to what other people say … or do … justify yourself according to what God would have you do … and you will not be dragged down … the lowest common denominator …Instead, be yourself … be “real” as they say … be the person God intends you to be … But, how do we do that?
Well, one of the things it takes is emotional intelligence … which is really about being aware …
And just how aware are we? How do we become more aware?
Well, one of the speakers at the conference said that being aware involves three things:
A. being aware of ourselves …
B. being aware of others …
C. and being aware of God’s presence … in the world …
And it turns out that becoming aware means paying attention:
7. You have all heard of Tom Bodett, the guy who advertises for Motel Six … about “We’ll leave the light on for You.” Well he has a little story about people who pay attention. He calls them “The Group That Notices Things.”
Bodett says that there is a distinctive group of people who notice things and who distinguish themselves by a special kind of attentiveness to others around them. He tells of woman who shows kindness on the highway by pulling over when he evidences a manic and frenzied need to pass. Have you ever done that? In another example, a lady at the store with a cart full of groceries and kids who appears to be in a bad mood, but when he meets her at the checkout counter and Bodett has only a pack of gum, she invites him to go first. She shows she is a card-carrying member of the GNT’s—“the group that notices things.”
Bodett notes that it is as easy to be part of the group as using your turn signal in traffic—doing simple little things to make it a little easier for others.
Now it seems that although very few are admitted to the GNTs—the roster is always open! Bodett urges his readers to look around and give it a try and he notes that you shouldn’t worry about making a spectacle of yourself in such kindness because no one outside the groups will notice!
So how about it … are you ready to sign up to join the Group that Notices Things?” How about belonging to the GNTS?
8. Now if we want to be in the GNTS we need to practice. Practice is very important if we are to become more aware. Not that this practice is supposed to be an end in itself … but rather it is a way of training ourselves to be more aware … of ourselves … of others … and of God.
So, here are four things that will help you grow in awareness and help you be part of the GNTS:
A. First, by Practicing the means of Grace
These are some things you can do:
Attend worship and participate in Communion …worship increases our awareness of others … and makes us aware that our faith in God is not just about ourselves and no one else … Ever think about that? We come to church thinking mostly about ourselves and we go away being more aware of how our faith is involved with others …ever notice how that works?
Works of Mercy – helping others by serving in the soup kitchen … helping out at church … doing meals on wheels … and many other projects … increase our awareness … and help us to see ourselves as part of the wider world of God’s concern …we start out to help others and we are changed in the process … how does that work?
B. Secondly, by hearing the stories
Stories of faith …which we hear through reading the Bible … and through worship …where we learn about God’s word and also by hearing the stories of other people’s faith …through witnessing and sharing our own life experiences … with others.
C. Thirdly, by following a rule of life … which involves personal prayer …
How often do you pray? Here is a simple guide:
a. pray when you wake up … “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
b. pray when you get to work … about what you are going to do that day … the people you will be seeing..
c. pray at noon, when you eat lunch … pray for the whole world … for the needs of the world
d. pray when you are leaving work … give thanks for the day… and for the tasks accomplished
e. lastly, pray at bedtime …
Think of how practicing prayer will increase your self awareness, the awareness you will have of others … and your awareness of God … again, we start out to pray about ourselves and we end up being aware of others and of God.
D. The Fourth thing you can do to increase awareness is to participate in a small group
Such as a …bible study …or the choir … the UMW … Faith and Fellowship … the men’s coffee group … and many of the other groups in the church … or even going out for dinner after church … or many other groups in the community …
For being part of a group … opens you to greater awareness …of yourself and others … which implies that you can’t be belong to the GNTS alone. We grow through others.
9. Now, according to modern psychology and neurology it is more and more clear that our brain is a habit forming device … and that repetition also increases our capacity for learning …
Our habits - it has been discovered - follow neural pathways … and so … by practicing greater awareness … we develop habits … of consciousness … and we get better and more proficient.
So, it’s not just religion … it’s scientific … imagine that!!
Which is also why bad habits are hard to change and why we need to work at developing good habits …And this involves critical thinking … because awareness and emotional intelligence is not just about emotions or feelings but also about perception … So, we must not be deluded about trusting in God and think that we don’t have to do anything … or that we can just get away with anything … or that just because it “feels good” we can do it.
That is not what Paul is talking about when he says we are justified from within ….No, for Paul it all begins with God … and this is essential … as he says … it’s important that you understand that it is not we who are bringing goodness to God … but that God is the one who brings goodness to us …
Understanding ourselves, Paul says, is about knowing who God is and what God does for us … and not by thinking about what we are and what we are doing for God.
When we understand that … we understand that it is from within that we are renewed … not from without …
And spiritual renewal means that it is God’s spirit which acts upon us … and that is how we are enabled to see things more clearly … and to be energized to do good … and to love one another …
And this is not a once and for all thing … but as Methodists we believe that this is a journey … a journey of faith which begins when we realize that it is God who justifies us … who loves us … and who, in Jesus Christ calls us into fellowship with Him and with one another …
11. So faith … is the beginning of the journey and as the theme of the Conference was “Growing Spiritually as We Journey Together …”
And we sang this song …
Come go with us … the journey is long …
Come talk with us … give meaning in life ..
Come eat with us … and share our bread ..
Come, stay with us … for the evening is nigh …
Come, live with us … and share our gifts …
Give us bread for the journey …
Guide us on our way …
Make us one with each other ….
Lead us home …
12. Today, as we celebrate the communion … let us take bread for the journey … let us eat together … let us grow in awareness of ourselves, of each other, and of God … in our lives …
Let our hearts be put right with God … let our hearts be put right with one another …
Let us journey together as we grow in faith … Amen.
