Humility

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

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    Apostle: "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought."

    Humility includes recognizing our dependence upon F/S/HS for all things here and hereafter.

    Humility includes recognizing our interdependence within His family to keep the Church healthy.

    Again, the apostle: "To each is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good...We each have different work to do.  So we belong to each other; and each needs all the others."

    Simply, no one is any more nor any less important than anyone else because everyone is interdependent in dependence upon F/S/HS.

    Corporate health depends upon that kind of individual humility.

    Ecclesiology 101.

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    Fleshing it out in our family of faith on the corner of Lincoln and Main in Belvidere, Illinois begins with the undershepherd not preening around in garments (vestimentum in Latin which accentuates their inappropriate not to mention distracting antiquity) that would make the suffering servant blush with...

    It means the organ is no more nor no less important than the drums, guitars, and...

    It means our Chancel Choir is no more nor no less important than our Praise Team.

    It means our youth groups are no more nor no less important than our geezer groups.

    It means our radio station is no more nor no less important than our First Response Team.

    It means our deacons are no more nor no less important than our elders.

    It means our custodian is no more nor no less important than, uh, gulp,...

    Catch the drift?

    Let's go deeper.

    It means ordination - setting apart for sacred purposes - shouldn't be limited to...

    It's the priesthood of all believers for real.

    That's why we ordained brokers, bankers, secretaries, teachers, construction workers, homemakers, musicians, factory workers, and just about anybody/everybody who was ready to acknowledge and accept their call/Beruf/vocation/job/whatever-ya-wanna-call-it as entrusted/enabled by F/S/HS to fulfill the apostolic exhortations of this edition's first section on 4/15/12.

    Ordination was never intended to elevate any one over any other.

    Ordination recognizes the distinctions of interdependence in dependence upon F/S/HS for the health of the Church.

    I think that's why I've always declined to use those church lot parking spaces reserved for clergy which, I guess, is how, uh, some clergy boast their, uh, humility.

    Please don't get me wrong.

    I've done my share of preening; but rather than rationalize it, it's time for me to confess it.

    Moretheless, Kathie designed a bulletin cover for us that got it/Him. (Note from Kathie:  Bob is being too kind, I did not design the picture but rather found a graphic and tweaked it a bit so it could be used as a bulletin cover.)

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    That came to mind while reading a note from Jim Wilken (check out the link in the right column of this site): "Had lunch with my buddy Rudy today who met this morning with his buddy Kent whom Rudy gave a copy of I Just Wanna Ride (FTW).  Kent told Rudy he's always ready to go for a run or go on a ride.  But church?  Well, he can take or leave it.  The quote was, 'Church sucks.  What is there about biking that can draw people out and bring them together that Christ doesn't have to bring people together in the Church?'  I did not have an immediate answer."

    Continuing, "As I was doing the closest thing to riding that I can do to feel the wind in my face (mowing the lawn on my tractor), I thought, 'That was the wrong question.'  Here are questions we should ask.  What is it about us that will go for a run or a ride but not respond when Jesus says, 'Follow Me!'?  What have churches done to Christ that makes it easier to hang with Him while running or riding?"

    Mowing on, "I should have gotten off the tractor then; but the lawn wasn't done.  So I kept mowing as God and I kept talking.  Not that you asked, but here's the title to the sequel to I Just Wanna Ride (FTW): I Just Wanna Ride with Jesus (LTW)."

    Pressing, "We don't get to say FTW with Jesus because we're supposed to be showing His love to the world; hence LTW.  And if we are going to love the world and love the world as it needs to be loved as opposed to how it may want to be loved, then we are gonna want to ride with Jesus.  As a matter of fact, we are going to want to do everything that we do with Jesus."

    Amplifying, "It's a fill in the blank sort of thing; as in, 'I just wanna ___ with Jesus.'  If we are His disciples, then we need to do it with Him; or we don't need to do it.  Wanna bake?  Bake with Jesus!  Wanna sing?  Sing with Jesus!  Wanna feed folks who are hungry, shelter people who are homeless, and protect people who are vulnerable?  Do it with Jesus!"

    Concluding, "In case you haven't figured it out, this sequel that you are going to write has someone willing to collaborate with you.  Not that there's anything wrong with I Just Wanna Ride (FTW), but Kent's questions suggest to me that you have to press on."

    Postscript: "Anyway, that's what was going on while I was on the tractor."

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    Humility includes knowing there's always room for improvement.

    That's how our interdependence in dependence upon F/S/HS evolves in a faithful kinda way.

    Agreed.

    When the splash turns into cash and the publisher is ready for another risk, I'll be calling Jim.

    Uh, maybe He's already...

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Blessings and Love!