“Picky Christianity” Text: Luke 16:19-31
Elpis Christian Church
May 17, 2009
Years ago, when I first came to Richmond, I worked in a Day Care Center for awhile. I drove the bus and co-lead an after-school program there. But during the morning I worked with the little guys and gals – the pre-schoolers. And one of the jobs I had to do with them was to encourage them to eat lunch every day. Now that was no easy task.
If we rolled out the serving carts and they were filled with sausage-pizza squares or deep-fried “tater-tot” potatoes it was a breeze. But – as was more often the case – if we wheeled out those same carts and they were filled with broccoli casserole or spinach surprise – well, you get the picture.
I remember one little girl who one day lifted her plate for me to dollop some food on and the look on her face communicate pure and utter disgust at what she was about to receive. I insisted that she have at least one spoonful of the vegetables and she adamantly refused. So, clever teacher that I was, I thought to myself “Well, at this age, they like to have some control over their choices…,” so – I gave asked her if she would like to serve herself. This delighted her no end. She took the large, silver serving spoon – and proceeded to doll out for herself the teeny-tiniest little serving of food that I have ever witnessed a human being consume. I mean, it wasn’t any bigger than her thumbnail- which was of course, not big at all. Then she went happily on about her business – content with her microscopic portion of veggies.
“Picky, picky, picky,” that’s the motto for many a toddler. And – sadly, it’s the motto for many a Christian. Today I want to talk about two types of Christianity. In the past weeks we’ve touched on the Prayer-Filled or Contemplative Life; the Holy or Virtuous; the Sacramental or Incarnational Life; and today we address the Spirit-Empowered or Charismatic Life. And that means we have to deal with the issue of discernment. We have to look at what it means to be picky in our Christian walk. But, as I say, there are it seems to me, two ways to be picky. One is life-give giving and empowering. The other will starve your spiritual life just as quick as being picky in the lunch line will.
Now this kind of pickiness – the one that turns its nose up at what is good and healthy for you – that is far too prevalent in the lives of Christians today. It’s the approach to the life of faith which says, “I want to be happy and healthy and get all the goodies that God offers me. But I also don’t want to be put out; don’t want to be stressed or challenged; don’t want to be too uncomfortable. And PLEASE don’t ask me to grow too much in my faith. Just entertain me, or reassure me, or pat me on the head and tell me how good a boy or girl I am. And serve me – or better yet – let me serve for myself what I would like to pick and choose out of my chosen life of faith.”
I think we are all tempted to try and live out our faith this way sometimes. We memorize scripture verses that comfort us –and forget about those verses that disturb us or challenge us. We act compassionately or boldly for our faith when it suits – and if it doesn’t we find someway around it. We switch off our brains from time to time – so that we don’t wrestle with questions that we need to wrestle with. Or, worst yet, we switch off our hearts when we need to be understanding of someone or compassionate or giving in a truly sacrificial way, in the name of our faith.
It’s especially been true that in recent years “church shopping” as become very popular for this reason. And I’m not talking about prayerfully searching for the community that is right for you – because is very legitimate. What I’m talking about those is the individual who goes from church to church until he or she finds the one that has the most entertaining worship service or the nicest facilities or the best pot luck dinners. That’s no way to follow God’s calling in your life.
On the other hand, there is a good kind of “picky” Christianity. It’s the one where you listen carefully – engaging your mind and heart alike – seeking, always seeking God’s presence and God’s will. It’s the one where you read all of the scriptures – not just the ones you like best – and you seek direction from them. It’s the life-choice wherein you see a problem in your own life, or the life of your church-community, or your family, or your chosen work, and you say, “Lord, show me the way. Let me have the courage and strength and the discernment,” – there’s that word again – “to know which step to take next. And then lead me in your way.” Last week we talked about the importance of asking that question, “What would Jesus Do?” This week recognizing that the only way we can make the right choice is my openly asking for God’s Spirit to help us decide. Otherwise, how can we possibly know whether we are making the right choices – or just giving in to our own picky preferences?
The scripture I read a few moments ago makes me uncomfortable every time I read it. It makes me uncomfortable because here, on the very lips of Jesus, is a tale of mercy and justice – of reward and punishment – and of eternal consequences. It makes me very nervous. But I dare not pick and choose and toss it aside lightly.
I need to hear how it challenges me to make the right choices in this life that lead to life – and not death. It challenges me to say that we must discern the way TO God and the way that may well lead AWAY from God. And finally, it reminds us that there are just some people in this life who won’t see the writing on the wall until it’s too late. “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets,” says Jesus, “neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Lord keep me from being one of those who just won’t see.
The alternative, though, is truly life giving. It’s empowering. It’s Spirit-empowered. It’s the willingness and the desire to open ourselves up to God’s indwelling guidance. It is the Charismatic life, not in the sense that we will all start speaking in foreign tongues. But in the sense that God will guide us and help us to make the healthy and right choices for ourselves and for how we fit into our community, church, and the world.
Catherine of Genoa was born into a prominent religious family in the fifteenth century. She lived for a decade or so as the wife of a nobleman – but she was converted to a more contemplative life of faith. And after her husband lost his fortune – they both pursued a deeper Christian life. They both went to live among the poor in Genoa, and they began working full time in a nearby hospital. After her husband’s death, Catherine went on to become the matron of the hospital. And she went on to write a number of spiritual writings which have become classics. In one of them she writes of this life of discernment this way,
“God gives us his light in an instant, allowing us to know all that we need to know. No more is given to us than is necessary in his plan that leads to perfection. We cannot seek this light; it is given to us from God only as he chooses. Neither do we know how it comes, or how we even know that it is! If we try to know more that we have been made to know, we will accomplish nothing. We simply wait like a stone, with no capacity until he brings us life.”
“Therefore I will not weary myself with seeking beyond what God wants me to know. Instead I will abide in peace with the understanding God has given me, and I will let this occupy my mind.”
Now, on the surface, that might sound like Catherine is advising we simply not think too much, that instead we just let revelation come as it might and we not spend a lot of time thinking about or seeking direction. But her own life was an example of seeking God’s will. So I interpret what she is saying this way.
We seek direction – in faith that God will help us discern – and little by little God is faithful. We may not always understand the direction he wants us to go. We may not always be resolved about what we are to learn or what we are to do. But, in the seeking, if we rest in the peace that the God who loves us will – in His own timing and in His own graceful way – show us – we will slowly, and surely grow as His children.
Discerning God’s will – hearing the Spirit’s counsel – does not need to always be an anxious thing. But we must be open and we must be ready to receive. Always picky in our discernment of God’s way from some other way; never picky in refusing to receive God’s grace when it is so lovingly offered.
Back when I worked in that day care center – I saw many a picky eater. I saw child after child who, if given a chance, would choose to take a spoon and serve themselves a tiny, worthless, portion of something that was good for them. In years of ministry I have watch many a picky Christian – and I have been one myself – try and serve myself a tiny, worthless, portion of God’s grace. Only in recent years have I come to fully appreciate how it is in being willing to receive a full portion of that good, life-giving grace that I am fully nourished and can grow. There is nothing wrong with a life of “Picky Christianity” if we are picky in the right way.
Use your mind – use your heart – use your faith – and wait patiently and expectantly for God to love you and guide you as fully as He desires. Be a picky Christian – and choose life.
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