I will make you kosher
My favorite line
So in August ubfriends started a book club. The book was A Fellowship of Differents by Scot Mcknight. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, good choice Joe! There is so much to write about from it, but I would like to share only my favorite part of the whole book here. On page 139 it says, “If some said, you must be kosher to eat with us, Jesus said, eat with me and I will make you kosher.” There, that’s it. This is my favorite line in the whole book.
The Third Way
In this chapter McKnight is talking about loving members of the LGBTQA community in the church. Traditionally, there are two approaches towards the LGBTQA community: affirming or non-affirming but here McKnight offers a third way. He asks the reader,
“What can we learn of the cruciform life in fellowship with those who experience and suffer from same-sex attraction? Our posture cannot be one of pity; it must be one of mutual fellowship in the cross and resurrection of Christ, the kind of fellowship where we minister to one another (pg. 139).”
This is an approach of mutual fellowship, communion. Communion is about coming together around the same table and doing life together no matter what your sexual orientation is. Christ brings us together. Christ breaks down all barriers.
Two Principles of the Third Way
The author continues to describe the third way. He states its main pillars. First it is the progressive nature of our own growth in redemption. And second, it is the importance of the local church as the context for that growth.
Life is a journey and so are our lives of faith. It never stops. We are always growing and so we must be committed to each other’s growth in redemption. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Sometimes people don’t want you to carry their burdens. Sometimes people never say thank you or appreciate you for carrying their burdens. My point is carrying a burden is never easy. Burdens are heavy, but this is what we are called to do. According to Galatians it is the law of Christ.
And secondly, the local church is vital. This point is not exclusive from the first because it is in the local church we see the progressive nature of our growth. The church is meant to be a fellowship of differents. McKnight calls the church, “God’s grand social experiment.” This safe environment of acceptance and love is where growth can happen. Growth comes from fellowship.
Christ’s Example
If you haven’t read the book this is the thesis right here. The author’s point is that the church is a fellowship of differents (hence the title). This means we look different, talk different, vote different, work different, smell different, etc., but we are still in communion with each other. Christ makes us one. Christ never imposes the stipulation that we must act, think, speak, like him before he accepts us. Christ accepts us as we are. He invites the non-kosher Gentiles to the table and through fellowship with him, the Gentiles become transformed. This is the only way towards growth/healing/transformation- communion with Christ and each other. It’s so beautiful; this is grace. May the church be a room of grace.
Do you agree or disagree? How has your experience in the church been? Have you seen the room of grace lived out in a community? Do you see fellowships of differents around you? Did you read the book? What was your reaction?
Additional Resources:
This clip depicts fellowship that brings about healing.
Thanks for this article, MJ. You said,
He invites the non-kosher Gentiles to the table and through fellowship with him, the Gentiles become transformed. This is the only way towards growth/healing/transformation- communion with Christ and each other. – See more at: http://www.ubfriends.org/2015/09/13/i-will-make-you-kosher/#sthash.g1WfGE4l.dpuf
I think that this sentiment lies at the heart of Christianity; Christ inviting others into a community which is centered around him so that personal and corporate transformation make take place. This is an awe-inspiring goal which, in practical day-to-day terms, I have found to be a very messy, extremely revealing and often times discouraging process. Though substantive joy and clarity about life are often the fruit of undergoing this struggle. Honsetly, I haven’t found the church to be a place where this kind of struggle is welcomed, but rather in the confines of my marriage and relationship with my children. When two people commit to one another and allow Christ to be the center of that commitment it becomes very clear that his goal is nothing less than the radical transformation of both lives. And additionally his aim is to make that bond between the two even stronger and to base it upon an increasingly realistic picture of each person. The result is that they can’t help but accept a sense of beautiful solidarity in which they are inextricably knit together as real, living, spirit-filled people who are struggling to make sense of life. But it’s not a safe process. It requires real vulnerability and most times admissions of being wrong, mistaken or selfish. It entails real empathy, as Brene Brown says. In my opinion, the church in general is simply not ready for this kind of intimacy. I have no idea when it will be, but for now I am embracing the process of growing closer to God and reality through the precious family that God has so graciously given me.
“I think that this sentiment lies at the heart of Christianity; Christ inviting others into a community which is centered around him so that personal and corporate transformation make take place.”
Ding ding ding. This is the heart of Christianity and it is the heart of the church. It is the essence of the church, despite common consensus or individual experiences. The church is about coming to the table, joining in holy communion with Christ and each other. There are a lot of misconceptions of the church. The church is not a building/place where tithes go/social organization/political hub/gossip hub/community center/etc. It’s where Christ reigns supreme and his mandate to his followers is: Love one another.
George Koch’s chapter on “Living with believers (ch. 6)” states it quite succinctly:
“We keep finding other things to do that look busy, important, or holy, but ultimately are a misdirection for our lives and intentions. We avoid the often thankless work of loving each other as Jesus loved us. . .
-Fighting is more exciting- and is aided by . . . adrenaline . . .
-Worship is more fulfilling. . .
-Music fills us and drives away the cares of the day. . .
-Prayer focuses on God. . .
-Bible Study reveals to us God’s heart and counsel. . .
-Theology captures our imagination. . .
-Even fighting heresy can be fun. It’s invigorating, sometimes maddening, and it fires off neurons and adrenaline and much more. It excites us. . . Here’s the point: Being a Christian would be much simpler without having to deal with you. And also without Jesus. He complicates my life even more than you do (44).”
Being a Christian i.e. being a part of the body of Christ is extremely, “not a safe process” as you put it. Confessing that one is a sinner is not a safe process. Accepting Christ as Lord is not a safe process. Jesus “complicates” our lives as Koch says. Trusting God is a constant state of disorientation. Living by the Spirit is hard; you don’t know where you are going. But it’s exciting.
When you write, “In my opinion, the church in general is simply not ready for this kind of intimacy.” It poses a question in my mind. How do you define church? And that’s also the question I have for McKnight, how does he define local church? I have this type of intimacy with my small group and certain people in my church, but not everyone. (There’s some people whose names I don’t even know.) Intimacy is not something you can have with 20 million people, so how does that work? How can a local church facilitate this type of community, when the church’s track record is pretty bad? (And I’m not just talking about UBF. Just talk to a PK or an MK.) It’s ironic that the church which is supposed to be a place of healing, growth and transformation often is not. But sometimes it undeniably is and that’s why the Church is still going 2000 years strong, by the grace of Jesus.
Great questions, MJ. I’m still thinking through the things that you’ve posed. When we start our discussions on the book i think we’ll get a lot of good feedback in this area. Coming soon…
Great article. I need to read the book.
Ditto.