Sabbath Psalms - Doing Good

Psalm 125:4 Lord, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. (NIV)

            The great Jewish scholar of the 20^th century, Martin Buber, once said that atheists exist to show religious people how to be good. Their acts of charity and humanity are not done to please God or to fulfill a religious obligation. Atheists help others because they are genuinely concerned about the needs of vulnerable people and are not looking for any reward in return. Buber concluded that if religious people wanted to honestly help others, they should do it as if God didn’t exist, making themselves responsible for the wellbeing of their fellow human beings.

            It is a very challenging thought and if today’s verse is to be applied that way, it means that religious people should pray for those who do good in their communities no matter what religion they follow, or even if they follow none at all. Far too often we promote our own congregational or denominational missions and proudly revere them as badges of compassion and courage which honor our sectarian beliefs and churches. But what about the numerous good works that take place outside of our faith communities? Shouldn’t we also seek ways to support and honor them for what they positively accomplish? And, according to this highlighted verse, shouldn’t we be asking God to bless their good works too, liberating ourselves from the narrow notion that only God-fearing people can achieve things which please God?

            In our present broken and divided world, we need to change what we’re doing and see other people in a different light. Just because they don’t believe in what we believe, doesn’t mean to say that we should belittle their good deeds or castigate them for being atheists. They may be doing more to make the world a better place through their sincere compassion than we can with our rigid religious rules. As Martin Buber pointed out last century, they may still be able to show us how to be good and do good things in our community and the wider world.

Point to ponder: Which charities do I support outside my church?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, challenge our narrow-minded ways and grant us a new vision of where good is being done beyond our churches. Help us to be mindful of the good causes in our communities that could also do with our support and love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Church Growth devotion: Just a Generation Away - Judges 2:19

Today’s readings: (click on links)

Judges 2:16-23

1 Corinthians 14:13-25

Just a Generation Away

Judges 2:19    But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

I've heard some people say that we are just one generation away from the end of Christianity. I really don’t believe that, however I do understand the sentiment.

Every church has the responsibility of passing on the faith to the next generation. If any congregation wants to survive, it needs to take this seriously. For instance, during this year, 4000 new churches will open; however, 7,000 churches will close. There are many reasons which cause church closings, but amongst the most common is the reluctance or inability of an older generation passing on the faith to an upcoming one.

One of the saddest closures that I ever experienced in Tennessee occurred when an older white and wealthy congregation closed its doors. The reason? The community where the church resided was now full of immigrants, but instead of handing over the church to a brand new generation of local worshippers, the original members shut down the building and ended its ministry. I believe that was shameful and very unfaithful, but perhaps the present community is a whole lot better and stronger without those kind of ‘Christians’ anyway.

The challenge of continuity that all congregations face depends upon how willing church members are at both inviting and welcoming new people to church. If it’s all left to church staff or ‘someone else,’ then the church will plateau and growth will stagnate. However, if the good folks in the pews take up this challenge and encouragingly invite families and friends, colleagues and neighbors to church, then the congregation has a much greater opportunity of continuing its Christ-given mission.

Questions for personal reflection

When was the last time I invited someone to church? Who could I presently invite?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, the Church belongs to You. You call our congregations into being in order to present a faithful witness of Your Gospel and Kingdom in our communities. Help us to care about being dedicated to You and give us opportunities to invite others to Your church where we serve. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask a question or make a comment about today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s latest chess drawing called “Opposites.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3700/10336642203_97a3010332_b.jpg