Courage to Change

On Sunday morning, Pastor Larry spoke about courage as one of the most important characteristics of a Christian. He quoted Rev. William Sloane Coffin, pastor of Riverside Church in New York: "...of all Christian virtues, courage is the most important." I don't remember courage being one of the "gifts of the spirit" often lifted up when we think of the things needed to be a Christian. I guess that says a lot about the world in which I grew up; it seems like it took much more courage to not claim to be a Christian when I was growing up.

But when I say that, I have to reflect on the sort of Christianity that is fostered by not needing to be courageous; it is a Christianity that tends to take far too much for granted. Such a faith always assumes that the Church will be there, that the doors will be open and that people will know the love of God. Such a faith is built on the assumption that being Christian is the primary "Operating System" of the society in which we live...and that the form and beliefs of all Christians are in sync with one another. I think that we, as a society, have operated under these and other assumptions like these for far too long; and that it has led to a weaker and far less courageous Christianity.

Pastor Larry also quoted Doris Lessing, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007, saying "You must find the courage to swim against the collective stream of mediocrity and never resign yourself to the limitations imposed by others." When we approach Christianity with these words, we begin to hear an encouragement to change the way we, in this country, have often lived out our faith. Let me quickly add that this is not true for all Christians in America, but many have born the name "Christian" without living out the depth of that calling.

Bishop Schnase begins his book of meditations, Practicing Extravagant Generosity, by focusing on changing our concept of stewardship to one of generosity; he says that he has to explain the concept of stewardship to his teenage sons, but "They know generosity when they see it." We are invited to begin exploring the concept of generosity through the story of nesting birds, birds who create a nest for the next generation rather than for themselves. He continues to explore and reflect on sowing seeds, acting in partnership with God, and practicing giving. Bishop Schnase uses short stories to encourage us to see generosity in new ways.

Gently, Bishop Schnase is inviting us to have the courage to begin living increasingly generous lives. Doing so will not only change the lives of those who receive our gifts, it will change us in the doing. We will be exploring at an ever deepening level what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, a disciple that not only claims the name of Christian, but one who makes a difference in the world. We are both being called and invited to have the courage to do a bold thing, even if it makes our stomachs a bit "queasy."

We are not called to be disciples of the comfortable life; we are called to be disciples who make a difference in the world, to be practitioners of self-giving love. This may represent a change from the call you thought you once heard in the church. I invite you to courageously explore what being a Christian in this light might mean for you.

One last quote: "Once you make the unequivocal internal commitment to do something--when you absolutely know this is the time and the place to act--the world around you will shift in all sorts of apparently miraculous ways to make it happen." (Sarah Susanka) Let's look for ways of committing wholeheartedly to the call of Christ; when we do so, the world will act in concert with us and we shall be changed. Be brave this week and practice acts of generosity!