Michael Corleone’s words in “The Godfather” (Part 3) not only live on in film history but possibly in our own experience. Just when Corleone thought he was making a life outside of the Mob, he can’t completely get out. And just when we thought we were out – of a relationship, a commitment, an illness, or a pattern of behavior, these things “pull us back in” in ways we may not completely understand.
I think they also apply to church, at least for me. Many times I have been SO done with it all: unimaginative liturgy, exclusionary language, irrelevant preaching, people staring at their phones.
But then there is a Sunday where everything lifts me up: exquisite music, inspired preaching, a sense of community and energy and shared meaning. It “pulls me back in.”
The blog “Journey with Jesus” puts it this way: “We may embrace the consumer mindset, trusting that we are free to join up, and free to quit as personal preference dictates.” Free to miss summer church, free to attend if nothing better comes up, free to let others set the table, do the dishes and plan the programs. All true. Yet we’re also there to worship God, to hear the Scriptures, to praise. It’s not all about what we get in the short term.
The lessons for this coming Sunday challenge a “Lone Ranger” mentality. “Abide in me,” Jesus says. (Note he doesn’t way “believe” in me.) Stick around; get to know us; dig into the Big Questions. Sing. Pray. You are always welcome and we will always support you if you let us know what you need. Abide.
I’m making you an offer you can’t refuse!
See you in church.
Barbara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmX2VzsB25s
