Classifications of Disbelief.

Two grrreat messages this weekend, church was about when we disagree with our brother on non-essentials of the faith. It was about how the legalist, the one who needs rules and needs to see them imposed is really the one of weak faith, but that the other is in danger of looking down upon such a person. Been awhile since I've seen myself as a legalist, but I fear I am a bit. Why hasn't EVERYONE seen things the way that I have and come to the same conclusions and convictions on them all? Gawrsh. Question me? And I will Defend.. cause...well.. I need to...right?

But I am also the other. I am the person saying "Tsk, tsk, silly you and your rules that do not save you. I am enlightened and have freedoms and they run amuck. Mu ah ah..
mm aha ah. I ran over a lady in a motorized cart, see, and God forgave me. Ah Ahem..yes.."

Still, very good to be reminded of the freedom part.

Meaty P also broke this down rather nicely last Sunday as well, and talked about the Jewish people who were waiting and wondering why things were the way they were and what they were doing wrong and why they didn't have the messiah they were waiting for.

The escapists wanted nothing to do with the messed up situation in Rome, hermitized themselves, washed their hands and ran out in to the woods to sing kumbah yah.
The zealots were the crazy violent folks who were convinced that the messiah was coming to kick butt to set up his new kingdom, so they were training to take by force what was rightfully theirs.
The pharisees were sure that we as a people were just mucking it up by sinning, so they decided that they would follow every letter of the law to such a degree and do it so well that the messiah would have no choice but to come and grace us with his prescence.
Then there were some conformists, who just sorta blended into the world as romans, they kinda denied who they belonged to, and became tax collectors and government officials, riding the road to personal gain.

Man am I just every single one of those people? I'm the best at escaping. Just run, just start over, just boot and rally. Clean the slate. Wrong. People are messy. Life is hard, fun, sad, happy, hard, and real. Deal with it. You aren't perfect.

I'm a conformist next. Of course that's what you should do.. come on it's what ANYONE else would do in a similar situation..no 'good person' would fault your behavior. Hmm.. what would God himself say? I am to be set apart, being made holy in glorius messiness. All awkward and gnarly at first, being washed and my scales being removed in plain daylight, for everyone else to see and know that HE is God and I am just a welfare recipient with no merit of my own to claim. Just fade to black.. NO gotta be out there light shinin through the cracks in this clay pot. Gotta choose him when my security, my personal gain, my reputation are on the line. (Aw.. do I hafta? Yes.)

I'm not a religious zealot. Never been into bombing abortion clinics. Not my style. However, can relate to the desire for injustice to be righted and sometimes will go to great lengths to see that happen sometimes nixing grace and common courtesy in the process...
Yeah I got nothin..

I've been the Pharisee, but you see, this was the one that stood between me and knowing Jesus (the real one) for so long, the one pointing out wrong all the time, and making you feel like crap for not attending the thirteenth annual methodist youth conference as a delagate to encourage fine upstanding youths to greatness in church, and makes my dad feel bad for walking into church late and for playing golf on sundays (he does play a bit of golf) but I somehow think ripping his clubs out of his hands is not going to endear my dear dad to sit at His feet. So this one I guess, is the one I've tried the hardest not to be, perhaps at times at the expense of truths that are just hard to speak sometimes. However, I am that man in my heart.

Lord, teach me to speak the truth in love without thinking I earned the right to speak it by being good. Teach me to love without expecting anything in return. Teach me to pour myself out as a drink offering for others. Teach me to trust you fully. Teach me to not beat myself up for my shortcomings, you never expected me to be self-sufficient. Teach me not to think other people are nuts for wanting to be my friend.

Take me scales off Cap'n, I'm a 'right scallawag...