Gospeling

I have been thinking about what it might mean to "write our gospel." Unlike early Christians, we have the means to write readily at hand! The "how" of writing lies in the availability of really nifty means of communication. With the internet, websites and blogging can carry the message more easily, cheaply, and speedily than anything the early disciples of Jesus could ever imagine, for that matter more so than my evangelist grandfather could have. It is the "what," the content that is the tough part.

That claim might seem strange given the fact that dozens of translations and thousands of copies of the Bible are found across the country. It would appear that all we need to do is choose one and paraphrase it or, like Thomas Jefferson, edit to meet our needs. But, I am convinced that those actions or others like them won't suffice, won't deal with the worlds we face, the crises of religion, ethics, politics, environment, and spirituality that confront the disciples of Jesus and the inhabitants of this world. No, we need to figure out what it might mean to recover and reclaim Jesus.

Having said that, I have to admit that I'm not quite sure how to go about that. I am intrigued that Paul either didn't have or didn't feel the need to make much use of the story of Jesus beyond the fact that he was crucified. It took at least two major crises -- the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. and the death of the first generations of disciples -- evidently to trigger the writing of the narrative gospels, that is to begin to create the story of Jesus, the man and his message.

Maybe that is the key, a crisis! I think we have one on our hands. Consider six years of an incompetent, lying, and hypocritical presidency. Consider rising global warming. Consider shameless corporate greed and a growing health care problem. No, I am not getting apocalyptic on you. I am simply saying that it is time to start figuring out how to tell the story of Jesus to this world. Apparently his earliest message had to do with re-structuring how we are to live in this world because the reign of God had already started. If that is what Paul meant by the "new creation," then his exhortation still holds. Live like God really is present in life, not just our own life but in LIFE. Be courageous enough to proclaim that love of neighbor should be the guiding principle in the body politic as well as among the people of God. Maybe the first words of our gospel have to be after all, "Repent, for the reign of God is here!"

Welcome!

Welcome! Almost 35 years ago, Redlands UCC was born with a spirit of adventure and pilgrimage, believing that a very creative and loving God is our companion on the journey of faith. Our annual covenant writing has created a community that values the written word, and one that is attentive to the movement of the Spirit each day. Today, we continue to hear God speaking through a variety of sources and in an infinite number of places. In the summer of 2005, while discussing our "Still-Speaking God," one of our members suggested we write our own gospel. Another added, "Let's create a blog!" Thus, God spoke once again...

We invite contributions to this dynamic gospel...from those who wish to reflect on their own journey of faith, to write about the companionship of the Divine in their lives, and to have positive dialogue with other seekers. Remember: "gospel" means "good news" ~ we ask that your contributions reflect the good news of the Divine in your life. Blessings to you on the journey!