Big sin, little sin, what to do with sin

 

Imperfect on the outside, but still able to hold coffee hot

Men's bible study got through one or two verses in Genesis this morning; yes, we sometimes barely advance when measured by letters or syllables. It was the part with Lot and his salty wife and wine-toting daughters. We came around to the idea that sin, like Christianity itself, is relational. It does involve an individual knowingly or unknowingly (or half-knowingly) erring, but seldom is the person alone affected; others are touched, too. God does not give up on his creatures, even if human hearts are less reliable or unshakeable. So our discussion went to and fro, hither and yon to plumb the topography of sin. Here are some of the thoughts that rose to the surface.

<>Much like the microorganisms (or the Internet 'viruses') we are surrounded by, sin is an ocean we swim in. Fortunately, for most people with a shred of conscience, we can avoid or sense sin that is imminent or which just happened or which is about to take place. When our immune system is weak or compromised, though, sin can infect or at least add to burden we carry.

<>Continuing with the bodily, medical interpretation, sin is a chronic part of the Earthly (life-giving) environment. So instead of denial and judgement, what new Christians and long-time ones need is ways to keep sin in perspective: yes, you have sinned and will again, but forgiven and ask to be forgiven, then get back to the main theme: love God and also love your neighbor as yourself.

<>Substituting the word 'perfection' or purity for sin, it is fair to say that we live in a world of imperfection, disappointment, and unblessed situations. To obsess about one's risk to sin, or dangers of being muddied by life may result is putting too much effort into ridding oneself of liability; being "super-scrupulous" to the extent that one's good intentions distort the overall picture - being so preoccupied about avoiding sin as to miss life itself. As the aphorism puts it, "the road to perdition is paved with good intentions." By going to extremes to be righteous one can soon become self-righteous.

<>An action, word, or thought by itself need not inherently be sinful. Only when one's heart turns away from God is the thing sinful. In other words, tangible or external aspects do not have to be judged evil, since God can work with even extremely challenging circumstances and creatures. And one's life course may go through unpleasant and unwished conditions prone to sin by self and those all around. But it is less the external facts than it is one's reaction when tested or tempted that matters most to God; what is in one's heart of hearts.

<>Sin can be little or big in human eyes, but anything that gets in the way between God and the many creatures here is doing the same thing. Since God is beyond time and space, being infinite and eternal, things like sin's relative cost, breadth of impact, duration, or depth need not be comparative. Just the fact that a person has "missed the mark" (sinned, out of alignment, weakening righteousness) makes all forms of sin equally sinful.

In conclusion, by acknowledging sin in self and others, there is less need to draw a line to separate "us" from "them," stranger from friend, Godly or godless. When all are sinners, then it is easier to see others of high or low status with the same eyes of agape love. It is easier to invite them into the community of worship and to grow the relationships from that point going forward. In an odd sort of way, sin seems to be essential to a vibrant world of relationships and discernments in one's faith tradition and one's personal spiritual maturing process, too. Let us see it for what it is, in its many forms and harms, and then responding to it, we are free to get on with the business of God's work; of caring for his sheep - sin and all.

It is simple (love God) AND complicated (but...)

When things look simple at first, but looking more closely and with greater care, then complexity and additional ground to cover will often come into focus. The name for this phenomenon is the "Richardson Effect," Lewis Fry Richardson - Wikipedia and springs from his observation that the coastline of Britain looks to be one length from a distance, but once examined closer and closer, the wiggly contour yields up more an more linear distance to add to the total. Perhaps, the counterbalance to getting tangled up in details of complexity comes in the saying, "don't lose sight of the forest for the trees" (fixating on just one close-up instance can blind you to the larger shape and activity).

Turning to the Bible, fixating on the word or syllable level can yield up more and more detail. However, the overarching message in the Greatest Commandment should not be obscured in all the plunge into rich detail and texture of the Good Book and the lives portrayed on those printed pages. Rather than to fixate on ink on paper from one translation or another, scrutinized what is between the lines, what is not printed but still being conveyed in the examples shown in parables and conversations captured in writing. Teachings that are multi-sided, are non-logic-based on the surface, and that run counter to the habits of the current moment in history cannot be captured in lines of published text. Only by example, demonstration, and other non-verbal channels can the LORD communicate the intention and meaning.

Beyond solitary and group Bible reading, it is important to wrestle with the words ['Isra-el" is "wrestles with God"] so they fully embrace our own lives and historical setting. Thus, tangents and real-life applications, and "what if" conversations add color and depth-dimension to narrative and records given on the Bible pages. And it is valuable to be on the lookout for "God winks" outside of church worship and in all the places where you find yourself. God is at work in self and others, usually in unexpected ways. 

For city residents, the sight in not uncommon to see oftentimes men begging for money in the seconds before the traffic signal changes from red to green. It is easy or customary to avoid eye-contact and studiously focus on the stop light instead. But here is a fraction of a minute for making human contact, acknowledgement of the person's presence and value, and offering some cash or other fungible form of spending. That is a vivid illustration of bridging the gap between self and other, known and unknown, familiar and strange. But during any given day there are probably many less dramatic intersections with others that easily can follow avoidance habits. However, if the opportunity presents itself, or if you reach out to create an opportunity to see and value the other person (not begging for something to spend, but maybe asking for attention or social relationship) then there are several ways for "Thy kingdom come" to play out:

--listen instead of planning your own reply or extension from that other person's topic

--look the person in the eye, ask their name (or use their name)

--with generous admiration notice beauty in any form it takes (but don't shy from ugliness in God's kingdom, either)

--watch out for knee-jerk reaction to discount others, strangers, etc. Instead frame this as One of God's Children.

There is a three-part chain of Facts (look them square in the face) >Truth (without clear distinction, all is muddied sameness) >Trust (only on a solid foundation of facts to build truth can trust grow). By seeing others not as falling short of one's comfort level and standards, but instead as holding value "as is," then the rich texture and complexity that comes from looking closer and more carefully around God's word and God's creation can fill your heart ever more deeply and at greater length; just as the "Richardson Effect" show that complexity comes from closer seeing. Simple truths (God is love) are bedrock, but looking more closely and with greater care makes the full complexity come into focus - not to obscure the Simple Truths, but to magnify them in myriad instances.

Etymology 'evil' and 'regret' in Genesis 6:5-6

image search "etymological dictionary" (screenshot)

Tuesday Bible Study this week began with God's great disappointment with human inclination to fail at righteousness and to fall into corruption and violence. Later God give Noah measurements for the Ark and the passenger list, then made the rain. After extinguishing all other life from land and air except aboard the ark, things fair up and Creation has a restart. The original passage of chapter 6 was written down first in Hebrew, but here it is in the NIV in English translation as, "...every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled."

One question is about the source word 'evil'. Leaving aside Hebrew word choice, along with its root and relatives, as well as (then and now) connotation, perhaps some clue about the nature of 'evil' can be found from English in the dictionary. Likewise of the fundamental meaning of regret; regretfulness.

[credit: Primidi.com, emphasis added] ...The root meaning of the word is of obscure origin though shown to be akin to modern German Das Übel (although 'Evil' is normally translated as 'Das Böse') with the basic idea of transgressing.

Comment: breaking boundaries and exceeding limits, being improper or not right [righteous, rectitude] are some of the allied ideas. So the quote, "thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time," seems to point to the built-in propensity to veer off course, miss the mark, sin. Thus "evil" is not the absence of blessing or goodness or holiness. Rather, it is accidental, inherent, or intended steering off course. Elsewhere 'satan' or 'fallen angel Lucifer' is asserted as the embodiment of evil and master of worldliness. But here in Genesis, it is God's estimation that [before the flood, at least] evil is basic to human hearts.

Looking at regret's etymology, [credit: etymologeek.com, emphasis added] ...re (again) greter (Old French: weep, mourn, lament): Emotional pain on account of something done or experienced in the past, with a wish that it had been different.

Comment: Here is God emoting. Since mankind sins at the level of heart, never mind the exterior physical world, that decision to give breath/animating spirit [ruach in Hebrew] now in Genesis chapter 6 is the source of God's feelings of regret over past action.

In the context of Noah and the great flood to extinguish almost all of life, including the human ones, and start again with a view to less evil and more righteous instincts, these two terms - evil in human hearts and regret in God's own heart suggest a few things. One is that evil is inherent in living experience. Temptation is present in all places and times; there is potential to do evil, but also to do good. Therefore, the first advice is to pay attention and be alert to opportunities to go beyond one's own small existence and do good with and for others. At the same time, beware of false opportunities in self and others to do evil. Another observation that comes from examining 'evil' in people and 'regret' felt by God is that an essential, fundamental and vital tension exists between evil (man's ways) and righteousness (God's ways). If the condition of life were ONLY evil or ONLY righteousness then there would be no tension; no life, no risk of failing, no reward from getting in right relationship with God's ways. And while it sometimes looks like there is so much that is bad in the world and that things seem not to change, according to the principle of "dynamic equilibrium" (think of treading water: maintaining some equilibrium with head above water, but beneath the surface there is a whole lot of motion), the surface can look like it is not moving, while in fact several different forces are in tension to produce the appearance of equilibrium. Likewise, perhaps, this tension exists between human hearts (inclined to evil) and God's ways (righteousness) to produce the central life-filling experience of so many generations before and after the one we belong to.

After the Fall – God is love in faith in action

 

"Foodman" (2021 Yinka Shonibare*) illustrates "by sweat of the brow"

Eating of fruit from the forbidden tree caused separation of Adam/Eve from God; banishment but not eternal damnation. Time and time, again, God’s justice is meant to put things back into the proper order; realignment, not retribution or vengeance in its purpose. To judge is the step needed to make adjustments that reform or lead to repentance (turning away from the error of one’s way). The other kind of judgement – not to discern and decide, but rather to condemn and penalize, does not serve God’s justice by which right(eous) relationship between Creator and creatures is restored.

Taking the model of parent and child among mortals, by forcing the child to remain dependent and constrained from free passage into the World, a fully formed love cannot grow. Only by letting go of the child little by little can the parent hope that the child will come back in love voluntarily. Equally of God and the Garden of Eden: only by ejecting them from the Garden can they truly come to seek after God of their own free will.

During weekly Bible study of these lines in Genesis one guy wondered why God allowed the Fall to happen. Where is the part in the Lord’s Prayer about “lead us not into temptation”? Another guy offered the interpretation that past, present, and future are equally present at the same time for the infinite being of God. So the Fall was not the end of the story, but only the beginning. Yes, the root of human mortality and burdens begins with the forbidden fruit, but then all the rest of the generations and “begats” lead to the events of the New Testament and the centuries since then.

Humans want a series of tangible reference points, unmoving moments of accountability, things to aim for. Static snapshots in the life of Jesus, or in the Genesis stories and elsewhere can be imagined and held firm eternally. But God is about process, something that contradicts the snapshot way of thinking through things. What to us looks like a rigid situation is a transition or process in God’s larger process and long view. One consequence of God being a process and not a statue is that the governing, master principle that guides the hand of the Creator is love; “God is love” (1 John, chapter 4:8). For his Adam/Eve the loving thing to do is let go of them, allow them to sin, have faith that they will eventually feel lonesome for God and will seek after Him and please Him.

If we accept that “God is Love,” and that he allowed events to lead to a Fallen World (indeed, allowed Lucifer to do his worst), then it follows that what matters most is love; not outcomes, not results, not fixed blueprints for what the world should look like. The process (governed by lovingkindness; Metta) and attitude (hearts made soft) lead the way forward, not knowing exactly how things will turn out. As such, when love is in the driver’s seat, it takes faith to go onward day by day, never knowing the destination, the route, or signs of having arrived. In other words, always saying YES to opportunities to express love among strangers and friends opens up ever more connections, relationships, and possibilities. This is the reverse of what managers, administrators, and other human authorities learn to do when attempting to reach a certain goal. Rather than branching into more and more possibilities, the principle is to say NO in order to narrow down the choices until at last only one way of processing is streamlined. 

In other words, God’s way (love’s way) is NOT to control but to let go so that voluntary relationships thrive instead of contractual and obligatory ones. Love’s way is NOT to foreclose possible relationships but to open up more and more connections. The result of the Love Way is to have a consistent principle of governing decisions and direction of travel, but without a fixed destination. That sort of business model, organizational culture, or mission statement may not attract many investors, but it is what makes God the Creator (not humans in charge of things).

*see original, full-size photo at https://flickr.com/photos/anthroview/51980654224 

Sweet spot at intersection of impatience and forgiveness

Many observers say that aging seems to go with narrowed mind, rigid habits, less flexible movement, and general orneriness as experienced by those who interact with the person. Of course, viewed from the inside out, the incremental changes that come day by day do not seem to make one feel different to the self-images from younger days. In parallel to this general trajectory toward crotichiness there is also the path of deepening spiritual maturity and the ability to accommodate seemingly contradictory statements (cognitive dissonance). Accordingly, there may be a growing capacity to be forgiving of self and others, and an ability to slow down long enough to utter, "thank you, LORD," at times of delight or moments of irritation and annoyance. 

The intersection of the ornery trajectory and the loving trajectory can make for a sweet-spot that produces a wonderful tension. One's mind and body go slower but one's heart goes deeper than before. Of course, not everyone experiences both of these directions singly or together; and not everyone lives into old age, either. But for those who do live on and who can identify and appreciate this counterbalancing narrower impatience with deeper patience, then much goodness can be said about it.

After all, the opposite of love is not hate (it is possible to hate something about a person while still holding them dear). Instead, the opposite of love and open-heartedness is fear and a close-pressed heart. So there is a great possibility to praise God in times of frustration while aging, even as the developmental arc leans toward short-temperedness. To an outside observer, maybe that abiding contentedness looks a lot like equanimity. But on the inside this expansiveness and letting go of self and defensiveness is a welcome release from the Vale of Tears and stresses of struggle in life's pushing and pulling.

Ideally, this elderhood sense of abiding joy will be "spiritual fruit" that naturally ripens from one's core nature; what lies in one's heart. But more realistically, perhaps, it takes some planning and intentional effort to walk and talk something like Jesus did, living out in human form the central idea that God is Love, as told in the Quaker song, "How Can I Keep from Singing," ---love is the Lord of heaven and Earth. By dwelling in that intersection where aging brings impatience and risks of frustration while maturity also brings deeper hearts and care of others then God's abundant life of love that overflows to others becomes normal and natural. It is the sweet-spot between impatience and forgiveness.

Inverting “love thy neighbor”

Most of Jesus' public ministry shows him as a giver, rather than receiver of love; an embodiment of "love thy neighbor as thyself." And yet there are cases when the action of giving is of limited value; for example, in the story of the Widow's Mite: she gives her few coins, while a wealthy donor drops in a high-value coin. However, the face-value is less important than the heart-value of the person making the offering. If one's heart is not really in it, then the action is hollow. In other words what is in one's heart is what matters, not the physical action or its success or failure. So long as one has a Servant Heart, then any action – large or small, public or unwitnessed – has meaning in God's reckoning. 

But inverting the commandment to Love Thy Neighbor, the examples of Jesus shown in the Gospel are much scarcer. There are so many instances of Jesus reaching out to others or responding to the requests made of him. Far fewer are the cases when he is the recipient of others who are exercising the commandment and treating him as their neighbor, worthy of giving love to him. So much attention is put on training one's Servant's Heart, one that is strong and also meek like an ox; in which meek is not another word for weak, but means strength that is harnessed for a purpose. Very little attention is put on training one to be a graceful receiver of the gifts from others. 

There are times when a helping hand is offered, money or material is brought to share, or words of kindness or counsel are delivered. A greedy heart might seize these things for personal advantage. An ungrateful heart might brush aside this opportunity to engage with others on the receiving end instead of the giving end. But a graceful heart would be used to bowing to the generous spirit in which the unselfish, neighborly gesture is made. Whereas the role of giver requires a decision and follow-through, possibly intruding into another's life, the role of receiver is less often an anticipated event and instead comes about as an unexpected, unasked for moment of delight. A giver is an active agent, but a receiver has to react to something that is out of their hands. And so, it is worth putting effort not just to encourage a Servant's Heart for loving one's neighbor as oneself, but also to learn how to be a graceful receiver of other's care. 

Acts 20:35 tell us that "it is more blessed to give than to receive," and yet, giving on an impulse or after careful decision is perhaps the easier of the two. One's heart must be humble when offering to others; but also when accepting what others may give. 

Here is the context (from the Biblegateway.com for the edition of the HWP, Hawai'ian Pidgin English) 

"I rememba wat da Boss Jesus wen say, 'Da guy who give, he stay mo good inside den da guy who get.' " 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2020:35&version=HWP 

Too often the commandment to Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself emphasizes the giving, not the receiving. But both of these require one's heart to be in it, not hollowly going through the motions. Only what is in the heart matters to God, not the actions, not the success or failure resulting for all to see on the outside. Count Leo Tolstoy's thin book, The Kingdom of God is within You, embodies this truism that the heart is what matters for God's kingdom to come. 

Book, https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4602  background,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kingdom_of_God_Is_Within_You 

Since a sincere heart is the language that God speaks, it is worth gathering together sayings (in English; maybe other languages have other angles of view, too) about one's heart: heartfelt, heart-weary, heartbroken, heavy/light-hearted, heartless, having a heart, your heart is in it, and so on. Related is a set of quotations ABOUT the human heart in poetry and prose, https://sayingspoint.com/heart-sayings/ 

A few of this list of 80 quotations follow, 

"One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter." —James Earl Jones 

"A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge." —Thomas Carlyle 

"Those who don't know how to weep with their whole heart, don't know how to laugh either." —Golda Meir 

"The heart has eyes which the brain knows nothing of." —Charles H. Perkhurst 

"If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded." —Maya Angelou 

"The only lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart." —Rumi 

"Let your heart guide you. It whispers, so listen closely." —Unknown 

"The best gifts come from the heart, not the store." —Sarah Dessen 

"You change your life by changing your heart." —Max Lucado 

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." —Confucius 

 

Clearly, it is not just Jesus who is concerned about what fills people's hearts as it embraces or it gets in the way of one's lifelong relationship with God and all of the living things belonging in Creation. 

Christian - in a nutshell

 

The legalist experts of the Old Testament tried to trick Rabbi Jesus into saying the wrong answer when they asked him to name The Greatest Commandment given by God to shape the lives of people. He answered that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart and mind; and, to love your neighbor as yourself [not neighbor above oneself; nor self over the neighbor, instead both equally important]. By fulfilling the second part of his answer, in effect we are pleasing God; God is implicitly being honored and praised by fulfilling the "neighbor" commandment. Among many powerful illustrations of caring for one another there is the Good Samaritan story. An image search for free clipart turns up many iterations, including the ones here.

Baked into the commandment is the question, "who is MY neighbor"? And with the images shown here we have the answer: EVERYONE is your neighbor (etymology is 'neigh' or near + bur or fellow resident). Viewed in tandem with the Bible's assertation that the God of Abraham is not exclusively for the Jewish people, but instead is for all nations, the Good Samaritan story presents somebody passing by the person in distress, and in spite of their ethnic and religious differences, still this person takes care of the one that is hurt.

 

The ordained minister and later children's TV host, Fred Rogers, of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, put the matter of "who is your neighbor" [how far does one's response and responsibility extend to others] in the form of an invitation, " Won't You Be My Neighbor"? (in other words, we can be friends, not strangers, right?). So when there is doubt about who one's neighbor is, it can best be formed into an invitation: Won't you be my neighbor? Some may reject the invitation, but others may accept the invitation.

 

Thinking back to the Greatest Commandment and also to the most basic expression of what Christian is: in effect it is the Good Samaritan parable. Notice other people and give them your respect [literally, RE + SPECTATE, or "see again" and "take a second look"]. When there is need or distress, offer comfort.

In contrast to this "nutshell" illustration for living a life of Christ-the-servant, a city church moving into the premises of a dwindling church organization made great efforts to personally invite neighbors along many of the surrounding streets, going door to door and a month later following with a colorful 6" x 9" postal card announcement of services and invitation. At the same time a prominent section was marked, THE BIBLE WAY TO HEAVEN. The subheadings were each supported with a few sentences. (1) Recognize your conditions, (2) Realize the penalty for sin, (3) Believe Christ dies for you, (4) Trust Christ alone as your savior. Sadly, though, the parable of the Good Samaritan is nowhere to be seen.

New model church in 2022 - putting new wine into a new wineskin

Thinking of the Bible scene where the Satan tempts Rabbi Jesus by offering The World to him, I am thinking of the observation by others who say that the Devil is not likely to wear horns, tail, and pitchfork. Instead, the Evil One may take the form of this screenshot featuring the compact Internet device in many pockets and handbags. Smartphones promise a world of information, remote control of money and products or services, and eternal memory. It is able to give an answer to any question - validity to be determined, though. In many ways the smartphone deceives, distracts, and steals time and attention little by little, leaving individuals and organizations poorer as a result. By itself it is an inanimate object, but in the hands of experienced and inexperienced users it can cause great harm by immediate impact, by indirect effect, by intentional deception, by self-deception (confirmation bias; echo chamber). All this risk and harm comes with wondrous abilities, too.

What does this have to do with church life in USA since 2005 or 2010? Around that time adults and many children began to do more and more functions of daily life online. Eye-candy of color, sound, and motion tempt the user's attention. Outrage loops and algorithms tracking one's patterns of responding stirs emotions by proxy. And a mix of blind faith (not entirely confident how the apps work, what they extract from one's life) and unnatural self-confidence (because it says so online; am I right or am I right) contributes to greater and greater dependence on the device, each year or two building an appetite for a faster, stronger, more useful (and expensive) model. The net result of all this personalized bubble and imaginary independence is that churches grow smaller as young people occupy themselves in other (virtual) places and older people complete their lifecycle to join the heavenly host.

Everyday many mainline, once well-funded and endowed institutional bodies of believers shrink and fall off the vine, leaving remaining worshipers with a choice between seeking another group to worship with, dabbling with online or TV or radio preaching and teaching, or by doing nothing that has been structured and is built upon tradition. 

Since the society is changing, in great part because of Internet both mobile and based on PC at work or home, a new vision now is needed of church belonging, worshiping, maturing, and expressing God's love of friends and strangers as with oneself.  Churches before the Internet counted on a pyramid of financial and volunteer support: a wide base of light participation, an important middle core of moderate involvement, and a small number of big givers of time, talent, and treasure (money). Now in 2022 the total size of the pyramid is much smaller for many formerly well-established organizational "pillars of community" and "weavers of the social fabric." And the shape is maybe closer to a skinny rectangle with a smaller base of light participation, a proportionately bigger mid-section involved in much of the day-to-day functions of a body of believers, and a small layer of big contributors. With mainline Protestant church attendance dwindling, rather than to fade away, perhaps there is a way to redefine the shape of active church life, not measured by terms from earlier generations.

The society is less inclined to hear, to seek out, or to respond to "God is love" and "Jesus saves" than 30 years ago. And the flow of money into the coffers is less in total and competes with subscriptions, taxes, fees, and costs of food and shelter and transportation. Meanwhile 25% of USA households have children living in poverty on average, some places much less, other places much more. And gun violence and car crashes are the biggest threats to growing up. So with fewer people to attract, and less money from those present, but with never more urgent needs to address (poverty, illness, loneliness, lack of attention to what one says or feels, spiritual desert filled with mirages of distraction, lots of widows -single-parent families- and orphans, substance dependencies and anxieties, dangerous air and water), the question is how can CHURCH redefine itself as a new bottle for the new wine of Christ-followers eager to live their beliefs and touch the lives of others, even while praising God's abiding presence and direction. In other words: what could a new model for congregational life look like, tailor-made to fit these times of constant flux and transition seemingly unable to rest or stabilize?

In the church-planting times of St. Paul there were synagogues (after Temple destruction in 70 A.D. only synagogues) but many times the believers gathered ad hoc in a house or maybe outdoors. After 2000 years the idea of church turned into something really big, formal, hierarchical, institutional, and exulted. Paradoxically, it was exclusive (the gate is narrow; I am the Way) but also inclusive (intended for everybody). A majority of citizens registered with one church or another. When they moved, they requested a letter of transfer to verify their good standing. Post-war in the 20^th century the abundant food and fellowship events were a balm for PTSD after many years of killing and brutality. Now those basic elements of the nostalgic church are weakened, reduced, or gone altogether. Rather than to lament the loss of previous traditions, and to strive valiantly to make things great again, it is far better to seize the moment of change as an opportunity to reformulate the dedicated, committed body of believers in all demographic points in life to carry on the most important functions of church life, while not aspiring anymore to recreate old structures and effects.

In the good old days, the annual cycle of church holidays, functions, committees and boards, fellowship and flower dedications, program of music, Sunday school events, and so on would involve each congregant in different ways and during different phases of life. The doors were open to all to join in, whether pursuing a membership class or not. However, seldom would a stranger venture a visit without a preexisting social link to people already present in the pews - relatives, neighbors, workmates, and friends might take an interest or respond to an invitation to worship or attend an event. In 2022 there now are far fewer worshipers, but still some of the core functions can proceed in new ways: Preaching and teaching can take hybrid form (both online and in-person; as a congregation and in small groups for Bible or book study). Praise and thanksgiving feels most satisfying in person, but some indirect joy comes at a distance online. too. Engaging in outreach beyond the walls of the church is more complicated when people's routines are scheduled by consulting online events and notifications and last-minute invitations. Instead of groups of people to engage with, today the communities are virtual and fragmented across many places. But since the modern-day sorrows are so many and so entrenched, problems not solved by throwing money but by giving attention and care, then still now there is a need and opportunity to be God's hands and feet, ears and eyes. Life events and rituals still occupy an important place, so that can continue into the future, too.

In summary, what exactly is different between the new model(s) church and the old model of "boards and committees" and pledge-drives with fund-raisers? Worshipers today are fewer but now are more eager for personal growth and seek opportunities to try out their stronger spiritual muscles. The physical footprint (and carbon footprint) of the church infrastructure is smaller and more multi-purpose, much like nimble workplaces and flexible family life, too. Smaller, lighter-weight, faster to respond to opportunities and emergent needs, more alert to peer (collaborative or mentoring/mentee) churches, and with thoughtful online presence, too. These are some characteristics suited to 2022 different to 2000. Proactive in-reach (not hosting outreach events but directly, purposefully reaching in) sets apart the new model church in society, too. Each of the festering and persistent social problems listed, above, needs a different plan of in-reach, but surely there is a way for God seekers to be present as witnesses to listen and learn, to respond and contribute.

Concluding thoughts on a new model for being a Christian and belonging to a new model of church in our times: (1) resist the urge to grieve the old ways or to recreate those times in disregard for 2022 social needs and conditions, (2) revisit again and again this conceptual work of fitting the core Christian functions into a new body shape tailored to the new society [kaizen =continuous improvement, readjustment], and (3) rest in God's love, knowing that human effort is limited but God's effort is unlimited. Not many people live to see a moment offering fundamental reassessment and reformulation of what we call church life. This chance to work things out, not to merely survive, but to thrive, is something not to squander but to wrestle with like Jacob did in the night before the morning light came and God named him Israel ['wrestles with God']. Dreaming a new shape of "doing" church is something to do now.

Quirky USA interpretation of Christian traditions

Immigrant societies like USA, Republic of South Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zeeland depend on personal identity derived from achieved status (occupation, creative output, enterprise success). This contrasts with "the old country" where who you are is not confused with what you do. You are a member of a family lineage and location. Identity is BE not DO-based. When meeting a person in the context of an immigrant society, one of the first questions is "what do you do," not "who are you."

Social scientists have explored some of these curious characteristics. but there are ramifications for Christianity, too, since the central idea is relationships. God is love and serving others is based on knowing them personally, not anonymously. For immigrant societies where a culture of (tangible, visible, external) achievement (including 'virtue signaling') is so prominent, it is relatively easy to make friends. But those friendships often are shallower than counterparts in non-immigrant societies. Foreign visitors to USA, for example, or people who mingle with expatriate USA citizens often remark that these North Americans are "so friendly" but that friendships are easily discarded to make room for the next one. By extension, it would seem that the relationship-foundation for Christian love of one's neighbor and indeed of one's Creator is also quick to form, but easily discarded. 

The second observation about USA immigrant-composed social patterns is that ego seems more prominent; one is A Person before one is Belonging to a Group. Imagery of "rugged individuals" and "making one's own luck" and "pulling oneself up by the bootstraps" are examples of this praise for single-handed protagonists. On the one hand, when "I" is so inflated, at least some people will become self-aware of this and therefore take steps to establish habits of seeing and hearing that dwell on non-self or minimal ego. That is likely a small fraction of the popular culture, though. When movies and folklore are hero-centric, young people take this as normal and worth aspiring to become. To outsiders it might be comical to see people striving to be the biggest and best, as if respect or worth comes from peer accolades alone. With regard to implications for Christianity interpreted in USA, the idea of Jesus washing the feet of his apostles and underscoring humility is just one more "topsy-turvy," paradoxical illustrations of growing as a Christian.

Naturally the seemingly simple teaching of Christianity that God is Love, and that one's highest calling is to love one's neighbor as oneself has a slightly different accent in each society and language and historical moment; perhaps there are systematic different angles of view for men versus women, too. But sticking to the immigrant societies where identity is problematical (required to be expressed; not something born with) and built upon Ego and Achievement, and where friendships are temporarily formed with little friction, these few observations in this article suggest that the USA version of Christianity has several quirks. Among these peculiarities is the burden of Ego getting in the way of a Servant's Heart. Many selfless Christian brothers and sisters can be found in USA, too, of course, but as a national scale generalization this preoccupation with promoting oneself does stand out. Likewise the relationship heart of Christianity takes on a different form in USA where relationships are so readily made, but also readily abandoned.

The habit of noticing God at work in the world, present in all places

Huff Park wetland from observation deck (Grand Rapids, MI)

Habits may form with sustained effort or by accident. When it comes to looking for opportunities to act as God's hands or feet out in the world, far from the Sunday church pews, many people are unaccustomed to seeing their world that way, at least at first. In this first photo, it is not too hard to look across a large patch of natural habitat, especially when it wakes up from winter sleep as the days grow longer, and hear the many forms of life - in sights, sounds, smells, and textures. The multiplicity of Earthly creation is  a vivid expression of God. The life force sends sap up into the cold branches finally touched by the springtime sun. Birds pair up to build nests and lay eggs. Bees do bee things. Surely, the author of the universes (multiverses?) is present in all of this. But moving from nature preserve to places dominated by human manipulation, like the nearby residential streets, God's presence is not as directly and immediately obvious.

Westward view of newly sold church; elementary school beyond that

The bare trees line the city street with overhead utility wires singing in the gusty wind. An American flag flaps in front of the house at the right edge of the photo. Perhaps some residents attend church worship services nearby or due to Covid transition online, they continue on this Sunday turning their attention and intention to things of God by means of Internet. Other neighbors on this street may no longer affiliate with organized forms of religion or maybe never did. The slender steeple in the distance belongs to a church that dwindled during Covid restrictions and demographic aging out or retirement migration away. So a different body of believers of a different denomination decided to leave their existing location for this address in the north part of the city. Partly in view behind and beyond the church is the neighborhood elementary school. In all these places - street, homes, church, and school God is present, whether acknowledged, looked for, or overlooked by ignorance (or possibly denied from animus). Continuing on this tour of city life and looking out for God, the last picture shows a section of a busy road nearby that hosts a number of businesses, some franchises and others local creations.

Plainfield Avenue was an Indian road pre-colonization

Just like the nature preserve, God is in the air and the creatures living in the occasional decorative tree or landscape shrubs. God is in the architect's hands, the builder's attention to detail, and the customer's greeting in reply to the shopkeeper's welcome. The busy commuter's belong to God's kingdom and whatever joys and worries (or lack of same) fill the person, God is there, too. 

It is all very well to project God's creative touch and boundless love for all the creatures, but at the same time there is danger in willfully imposing interpretations onto every little thing. It is not mistaken to believe and accept God's hand in all that we can sense, and even in things we cannot sense. But it is a mistake to collapse and conflate the complicated life stories, circumstances, context, and psychological baggage carried by many people. All those details do matter, and in the mind of the observer or in the mind of the person moving about the world, maybe those details trump any credit that God owns. 

Getting into the habit of seeing God all around is healthy and fulfilling. But that habit should not come at the expense of disregarding all the personal and particular details that are present and sometimes in direct conflict with God's Will. The very best way to notice and appreciate God's abundance and eternal, unrelenting love for all the creatures inhabiting this creation, is to start looking, start appreciating, and enjoying God's abiding presence in ordinary times and places, as well as in the rare moments and settings. Yes, do get used to seeing God everywhere big or small. No, do not impose God-only vision onto everything without also acknowledging the presence of personal and worldly dimensions, too.

Fruit of the Spirit in a personalized light

Fruit (of the spirit) clipart search - what valuably matures.

Galatians 5:22-23 famously lists some of the ways that a loving heart is expressed in day to day situations, gradually growing more fully as one's love matures. Each of the outward and inward facets of a loving heart can be scaled to modern life and daily routines. In this exercise, below, two different translations lead, then in blue there is a daily-life application to consider or to fit to one's own terrain.

 The Fruit of the Spirit
is translated the following way in the New Revised Standard Version - at https://www.biblegateway.com/

[Hawai‘i Pidgin rephrased lines, Fo Da Galatia Peopo 5:22-23]

22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit [But if we stay tight wit Godʼs Spirit,]

is love, [he give us plenny love an aloha fo everybody.]
-----<in daily life; example> View strangers and friends all in a warm light, worthy of admiration

joy, [He make us guys stay good inside.]
-----<in daily life; example> Look in wonder at the glorious things all around, but be not blind to unglorious parts, too

peace, [He make our hearts rest inside.]
-----<in daily life; example> Be grateful and accept there is much beyond your control, responsibility, knowledge.

patience, [He help us wait fo da odda guy an stay cool.]
-----<in daily life; example> Step out of your tiny frame of reference to see impatience as a trigger for looking Godwards

kindness, [He help us tink good bout da odda peopo,]
-----<in daily life; example> So little is left from your time on earth, so count the small acts in your power to do as treasures

generosity, [an like do good kine stuff fo dem.]
-----<in daily life; example> Count the small acts in your power to do as treasures

faithfulness, [He help us do wat we promise.]
-----<in daily life; example> Integrity comes from speaking sincerely, like you mean it and fulfill it

23 gentleness, and [He help us make nice to peopo an do um wit good kine heart.]
-----<in daily life; example> Act only in good spirit, not from obligation or shame

self-control. [He help us stay in charge a ourself.]
-----<in daily life; example> As with gentleness, first calm yourself before engaging others

There is no law against such things. [No mo rules dat say you no can do all dat kine stuff.]

Consonant with Galatians 5, many of the chapters in Oliver Burkeman's book, "Four Thousand Weeks: Time management for mortals," put into perspective the short time frame most people fall into, whether they know it or are in denial. By keeping the passing days in perspective, so much of the Fruit of the Spirit stands out as the best way to go through one's days, numbered as they are like the hairs on your head..

Putting several metaphors together to form a bigger picture

Underlying and assumed in some of the imagery arising in the Men's Bible Study each week are hints at what kind of kingdom and connection to God each person has and why that matters. Another way of putting this exercise at trying out "x-ray vision" to look at the metaphors is for the purpose of glimpsing "the nature of personal relationship (knowing) to God" and all of creation.

<> The place of sin. On the one hand we learn that Jesus as sacrificial lamb of God has paid for everyone's sins (past, present, future). So how should we identify and respond to sin still today? METAPHOR: each person steers their own sailboat on the sea with prevailing wind direction dictating how to trim the sail. By adjusting sail and rudder, your path can be straight and true. Sin is the buffeting distraction that takes a person off course. Therefore, while grace generously accepts a person with imperfections and failings included, the sins and temptations and distractions do not stop. Instead, the person seeking to be righteous in God's way must be vigilant and readjust, moment by moment to avoid steering off track.

<>Result versus process. Too often a person evaluates their worth in God's eyes according to quantifiable results. Some lives can achieve more on Earth than others, as judged externally. Likewise, humans readily rank some sins as being larger or smaller than others, despite the teaching that all sins are equal in God's eyes. ANALOGY: Just as all sins are equal (not 'fair' in secular thinking), perhaps all accomplishments are equal in God's eyes, too (not 'right' in secular thinking). The reason for sins being equal is that anything big or small that takes a person's focus off God, gives the same separation of self from Creator. The reasoning for accomplishments being equal is that God's measuring stick is for one's heart; the intention one strives for. The actual performance may vary, but what is in the person's heart is what counts; not the external condition achieved. The story of the "widow's mite" showcases the primary attention to what is in the heart, not the size of a person's coins. And the story of the workers harvesting grapes joining at different hours of the day, but being paid the very same wage (not 'fair' in secular logic) also illustrates how God measures things differently to humans' way of seeing things.

 <>Free will versus God's time-vision. One way of seeing God's nature is the matter of time. Short-lived creatures like people separate past from present and future. But others have pointed out that infinite power and presence of God, and eternity puts past-present-future as co-existing, rather than the linear experience of human life. According to human logic it seems at first contradictory that God allows human choice and voluntary response to the offer of grace given, but at the same time knowing all the hairs on a person's head & numbering all the days of one's life. Foreknowledge differs from preordaining or predestination, of course. But perhaps this METAPHOR shows this intersection of omniscience and free will. Imagine a river flowing (God's plan) from point A to B with each person in a small boat afloat and padding as much or little as they wish (free will). The individual has the power to move sideways, go upstream, stop all together, collide or avoid obstacles - each course of action has consequences, but the river does not cease or does not separate itself from the vessel that the person is powering. The result is that God is always with the person, no matter the choices (or lack or thinking and effort made) by each soul.

<>Active participation in God's kingdom versus not. While grace is given to all and redemption has been paid for all, not everyone has heard the Good News. Others have heard, but reject or are in disbelief, or worse, are indifferent. And yet, it has been said that God makes use of all things. Apparently even Lucifer has a place in the scheme of things. Certainly, evil, malevolence, burdens, abuses, and all sorts of terrible things go on. Similarly, God accomplishes his will despite or in spite (or to spite?) the obstacles that humans fixate upon. METAPHOR: medicines contain ingredients listed on the label as "active" ingredients (corresponds to God's people who actively seek His Will, 'feed his sheep', and love both friends and enemies). But the same medicine also contains "inactive" ingredients, and possibly some necessary catalyst that may introduce bad side-effects. This mix of active, inactive, and maybe even harmful elements in the social landscape is a kind of illustration of how God works with all, whether the person is active or inactive (inert).

<>Wanting to understand God's way, God's will. It is natural for eager followers of Jesus' model and readers of God's Word to want to progress and see their understanding differ to earlier stages of knowing God. But by definition a finite being cannot encompass or understand an infinite Creator. That does not mean one should give up or stop the attempt to dig deeper and wider, or to apply something learned to new settings. METAPHOR: basketball players use a "head fake" to cause the opponent to go in the direction the player's head appears to lead, but in fact the player moves in the opposite direction. In other words attention and awareness can easily hold onto the wrong thing. When it comes to understanding God's way and God's will, much like the 5 blind men in the South Asian folklore, we each hold onto a different part of God's truth, thinking that we have a firm and complete understanding. And yet others seem equally convinced of their own, very different, view of things. In sum, from our limited capacity to grasp truly big and complicated things, we can slip from righteous to being self-righteous. And the fact that our knowledge and experience is incomplete is not the part that matters (even though that is what we fixate on). The part that matters is (a) the attention paid and effort spent to seek even more understanding, and (b) not letting go of the little piece that we are grabbing onto - while admitting humbly that our grip is far from the whole picture.

<>Striving to sin less versus striving to love (loving-kindness) more. It seems logical that getting closer to God can be improved by sinning less often (keeping on track; in touch; tuned in) or alternatively by loving (agape love of one another; neighbor equally to self) more. METAPHOR: sin is part of the earth atmosphere, like nitrogen or oxygen (or seasonal flu virus, oceans of rhinovirus in common colds, or now Covid-19). So mitigating risk is the strategy; not eradicating it. We do live with sin, but we can minimize transmission and serious reactions. Showing God's love to friend, stranger, and even one's enemy perhaps is a related strategy of displacing the available locations for sin to arise and grow. In other words, rather than obsess about lists of things NOT TO DO, it may be far more effective to emphasize things, yes, to do: not worry over admonitions but instead pursue positive steps. These two standpoints are connected. They are not either/or approaches.

Looking back at these figurative ways to grapple with some of the prominent characteristics of God's ways and God's kingdom, what is the overall picture that emerges from the assumptions baked into these images and metaphors? First is that God's logic is far from human logic. Anybody who wants to get to know God from the episodes written in Old and New Testaments should notice and find value in purposes that seem alien or unfamiliar to normal habits of seeing and thinking of 2022. Next is that God's love for his creation and its creatures is abiding; any separation from God comes from the human side, not from the rest of the creatures; not from those who actively seek out his presence. As well, people best know God by getting over themselves; listening and watching more than talking and striving (ego, pride, self-righteousness). This includes the over-reliance on verbal  skills of reading, debating, analysis. Those are sharp tools, but God is much bigger than all that. We can confuse goals with processes and vice versa. We may judge a failure when God sees an opportunity. Doubtless there are more metaphors that serve as data points to uncover some of the underlying features and functions inherent to God's being, presence, way, and will. But the ones above make some good starters.