As I’ve been preparing for this Sunday’s teaching, I have continually been coming back to Philippians 2:14-15. These verses say, “In every thing you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them.”

These are powerful words that have a lot to say to us. I will explore these words in greater detail on Sunday morning. I’m wondering what thoughts come to your mind when you hear these words???

For me, I’ve come to find that too often the things we complain and argue about are often the small things. We let our minor differences create major problems. Rather than humble ourselves and realize that we’re majoring on the minors, we take minor things and blow them up. These small things end up causing division, quarrels, controversies, and an unhealthy environment. For an example, I know a person who left his church because of a fight about the color of paint used in a Sunday school room. And, when he shared this with me, I think he thought I was going to tell him he was right!

What do you complain and argue about? Why?

Now, I’m not promising to go with the results…However, I truly would like your input.

This Sunday, I’ll be following up our message on seeking out God’s healing. There are a couple of directions I’m thinking about heading.

One is to talk about how as healed and forgiven followers of Christ, we are not supposed to let the triumphs of the wicked weigh us down. Instead, we are called on to do the good that God has called us to…without grumbling and complaining. I’m thinking a good sermon title would be “No Whiners.”

The second path is to talk about how as healed and forgiven followers of Christ, we are called to pursue unity, peace, humility, love, and compassion. We are called to focus on doing good and avoiding evil. And, we are called to always be prepared to give an answer for why we have hope. A potential title for the message is “Unity…Peace…Compassion…Humility…Love…Are You Kidding Me?”

So, what do you think? “No Whiners” or “Are You Kidding Me?” What do you think we need to wrestle with?

In order to find out the direction I go, you will have to join us for worship at Center Chapel on Sunday morning (or simply check out the website and watch the video).

Who are the people you avoid? Who are the people that if you see them on the street you attempt to avoid any kind of contact (verbal, physical, eye)? Why do we avoid these people?

In Jesus’ day, he seemed to spend a great deal of time with the people the religious folks avoided. Sinners…unclean folks…this is who Jesus would hang out with. Yet, I spend most of my time with “good, clean religious folks.” There’s a big gap in who Jesus was/is and who I am.

I’ve been dealing with a couple of texts this week that have me thinking about the people I avoid. Why do I avoid them? Is it my own fear and insecurities? Am I too concerned about what the church would think if they heard I was spending time with the outcasts of our day?

Jesus called His followers to go into the world and make disciples of all people…not just the clean folks…not just the people who are “just like me”…not just the people I’m comfortable with…the call was to share the Good News with everyone…even the people that we desire to avoid. Sometimes, the people I most desire to avoid are the very people who desperately need to hear the Good News. And, that’s a tough word to receive.

Recently, I’ve found myself trying to figure out what is wrong with Christianity. While there are small pockets of the Church that seem to be healthy, vibrant, and growing (especially overseas), overall the Christian Church seems to be losing ground. And as I’ve been trying to figure out this great problem, I’ve found myself coming back to one word…action!

While I’m not going to take the time to do a lot of in-depth research on this, it is my considered opinion that action is the main difference between healthy, vibrant, growing churches and sick, dull, dying chongregations. Where we see action, we find life. Where we see inactivity, we find death.

There are movements in the church trying to address this very issue. We are trying to revitalize dead churches. And, at the same time, in areas where we find the churches are beyond resurrection, we are attempting to plant churches. If the revitalization and planting processes are not surrounded by action, the churches will eventually fade away.

For some, death is a quick process. For others, it’s quite drawn out. The death of a church is too often linked to a failure to act. Churches forget the call to care for the sick, the needy, the wounded, the disenfranchised, the over-looked, the outcasts, the poor, the orphaned, the widowed, the least of these. We get caught up in self-care (what have you done for me lately) and forget that life is found in what we are able to give.

Many come to church and nod along in agreement with sermons that call us into action. But, by the end of lunch, we’ve already moved past the message and onto our selfish plans for the week.

So, is it the churches fault for not providing sufficient ministry opportunities? Potentially. Or does the problem lie with those of us receiving the word? We hear the call. We understand the call. But, we fail to act on the call.

Of course, action is about more than saving a dying church. Action is about bringing life and joy to our world! Action isn’t about church growth and financial gains. Action is about loving God and loving our neighbors in practical and tangible ways.

As the Church, we have to figure out how to move people from knowledge to action. We have to discover how to make sure that messages that stick are translated into our daily lives. Action is the tangible proof that we get it.

As I’ve been thinking about this, I’ve stumbled upon some phrases dealing with action. I’ll share a few with you.

Love needs to be proved by action. – Saint Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul

Once one has experienced LSD, existential revolution, fought the intellectual game-playing of the individual in society, of one’s identity, one realizes that action is the only reality; not only reality but morality as well. – Abbie Hoffman, Revolution for the Hell of It (you don’t have to do LSD to realize that action is essential)

Action is one of the most efficient instruments for bringing about the triumph of ideas among the masses. – Major Fidel Castro Ruiz, speech on August 10, 1967 (a somewhat unexpected source)

The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. – Albert Einstein (how many times do we pass up opportunities to do good?)

“Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can”- John Wesley (some wise advice)