Sunday's Message

Dear Family,

The message, for Sunday, is titled, "The Paradox of Orthodoxy." According to the online dictionary, Orthodoxy is defined as, "the quality or state of being orthodox," which led me to look up orthodox, so that we might have a clearer understanding of what orthodoxy is. Orthodox is defined as, "conforming to established doctrine, especially in religion." In other words, Orthodoxy are those foundational principles that each religion/faith attach themselves to. For the Church of the Brethren, some of those might be the peace stance, the simple living understanding, and our dependence on Spiritual revelation through the Word and community. Orthodoxy: that which marks us unique.

So if that is what orthodox means, what does paradox mean. Again i turn to my trusty online dictionary for a literal translation: a statement that is seemingly contradictory or against common sense. Now when we look at the message title, "The Paradox of Orthodoxy," it might appear that i have a deep disdain for orthodoxy, but perhaps there is another way to look at it. Perhaps it truly doesn't make sense to look at orthodoxy through the lens of common sense and tradition, because what if common sense and tradition are false? What if the lens we have been looking through, all along, really are scales that hide us from what is true?

Or yet another question might be? What truly is orthodoxy? What are actual tenets of the Christian faith that we cannot live without? What has been added by church tradition, possibly discoloring what was truly meant to be the Christian faith? How do we know what is true versus what is false? So many questions lead me to raise the point that orthodoxy, like so much of our lives, is based on human tradition and experience, which makes orthodoxy truly a paradox.

The text for this Sunday is Matthew 6: 5-15, i invite you to read this section from Jesus' sermon on the Mount. This is the famous section where Jesus begins to deconstruct the orthodox religion of first century Palestine. In that time, Jewish men and women memorized what was called "The Eighteen Benedictions," and they would recite these prayers three times a day: in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening. Now. They would stop and recite these prayers wherever they were, some times loudly, drawing attention to themselves.

This was the standard practice, or orthodoxy, of their time. The religious leaders probably taught it. The worshippers followed, to every minute detail, what their trusted religious leaders told them to do. And yet, Jesus says this form of orthodoxy really doesn't make sense. This praxis honors the one offering the prayer instead of the One receiving the prayer. When we, no matter if it is tradition or not, attract attention to ourselves, over the One we worship, we have made a mockery of what is true. Many times throughout church history, we have witnessed the absurdity of orthodox religion. Whether it was the obscene practice of indulgences, which promised, "With each new coin in the coffer clings a new soul into heaven brings." It was church doctrine that one would pay a tax in order to rescue a loved one from purgatory. The church leaders taught it as foundational and Christian, making it orthodoxy. The church leaders wanted to honor themselves and their churches, without honoring God. They made something doctrinal which never was meant to be.

Like the public prayers that draw attention to ourselves. But Jesus doesn't stop there. He not only calls out the Jewish leaders, but He calls out the Gentile ones as well. It was again a standard practice within the Pagan religion for Gentile worshippers to stand around and utter a bunch of words that didn't make any sense or have any relevance. Why? To make themselves feel superior. They took honor away from the One, so that others would look to them for leadership.

Here is where i took one to the chin, because i often offer many names to God while entering prayer. But according to Matthew, Jesus makes it clear that is not necessary. I have been taught, through church practice, that we should offer multitude of Names and adjectives to describe God, because God is so much bigger, but in essence, i have diverted attention from God, while attracting attention to my own language. I have become one of the religious leaders that loves to hear my own voice, without recognizing the Author of my voice.

The beauty of Jesus is that He doesn't leave us without guidelines. He takes orthodoxy and turns it on its head, so that it no longer holds water. But then Jesus gives us a foundational prayer that we are to use, which makes this prayer a tenet, a practice, and dare i say orthopraxy. Meaning doctrinal practice that is used in religous ceremonies. In essence, i get the sense that Jesus doesn't want us to throw out that which is foundational to our beliefs and identity, but that Jesus wants us to honor the Creator of those beliefs: God the Father. Jesus illustrates this with the LORD's Prayer. It is short. It is sweet. It names our dependence on God. It addresses God in His most intimate name: Father. It reminds us that God is in control. His will matters, not ours. Jesus redirects our attention from ourselves to God, which really makes the most sense anyway.

But Jesus doesn't end there. He adds a little lesson on the end to illustrate the power of our faith. Brothers and sisters, a prayer without meat is like the empty words the Gentiles offered to the air, so Jesus makes it clear that we are not to simply pray these words, we are to grab a hold of them and own them. What are these words? "For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavnely Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

At the heart of the Christian faith, at the heart of all Christian orthodoxy, is the power of forgiveness. Beginning with God forgiving us for all that we have done against Him, but then also we forgivining each other, no matter what has happened. This is the key. This is what should be thought of when people think of the Christian faith: they are a bunch of people who love and forgive, no matter what. But can that really be said of us? If not, then we again have witnessed and experienced the paradox of orthodoxy. Forgiveness doesn't make sense. Love without boundaries doesn't make sense.

And yet, if we refuse to do these, God will withhold His forgiveness from us. I have done plenty in my life to deserve punishment; i think its time i lean on the foundational practices of my faith:
love and forgiveness. I dont want to face God without knowing God's love and forgiveness await me. Amen...