So Long Comfort Zone

No food fight in church this Sunday. My uniform stayed clean on Sunday, no tomatoes, eggs, lettuce, and thanks to no pets, no animal hair. Of course, it hasn't happened yet, so why would I expect or fear it to happen this week?

I was afraid a few would leave after the Scripture reading, or during my message. I was afraid that if people stayed, they would run out the door as soon as the meeting ended, without talking to me or anybody else for that matter. But, and I thank God for this, that's not what happened. Food fights are gross, someone has to clean up.I decided in training school that my sermon plans would follow through a book of the Bible, sharing in the main theme or themes depending on the circumstance and how each passage relates to or expands to those themes. It has been a challenge, but a welcome one. Over the past two years my congregation and I have journeyed through Hebrews, Joshua, Mark, Genesis, Romans, two sets of advents and Lents, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Psalms, and currently finishing up Ephesians.

I picked Ephesians for the message of unity in it, unity in faith and in the body of Christ. But when I got to the end of Romans 5, I wanted to skip it and move on. This passage talked about relationships between married couples, saying in no uncertain terms that wives must submit, yield, whatever synonym you want to place there, to their husbands.

I know all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching and preaching and rebuking (I think I may have read that somewhere), but I thought maybe this particular passage didn't really apply for our corps at this particular time, because my congregation is mostly ladies, all but my wife and one or two more, who have had marriages that came to an end. I looked at that passage, and I understand it, from the context of the time period, but I struggled with applying it to today, to my congregation.So, the first solution that came to my mind was, "don't apply it." Skip it, hop over it like you do the rocky square in hopscotch (don't judge me, I didn't like Football or Basketball and tire swings made me puke and to this day I still don't get jacks and balls, so what other recess option did I have? I don't run). Talk about parents and kids, slaves and their masters. Or, use an already written one based on another passage (which I haven't done, but have at times considered when I struggle with a passage). That was it, I had made my decision. But I struggled with that for a few days, because I had promised my people that we would go through these books together, and what would it look like, what kind of example would I set, what would I really be telling them if they noticed me skip a passage, especially a difficult passage that maybe they needed hep understanding better too.

I am always reminding myself that God didn't call me to be an officer to stick around in my comfort zone, in fact he's completely eradicated it, even when it comes to preaching. The easy way is seldom the right way, and I had to show myself to be true to my word, tackle something difficult and maybe even look a little bit vulnerable in explaining a hard topic. I gave in to my conscience, and decided I was going to get through this section of Scripture. I studied and studied, researched, discovered the cultural relevancy of the passage and found the important crux for applying it to today is verse 21 "submit to one another as to the Lord."

I addressed the passage as a two way street, a team effort of loving and obeying, caring for each other even when it means we have to compromise. When I began talking about the passage, I was afraid it would end up like the Penguin's campaign speech from Batman Returns, tomatoes, eggs, lettuce all being thrown my way. Or maybe someone storming off, or maybe someone arguing with me. When I stood up and prayed during the offering, I remember thinking in the back of my mind that Lisa should be preaching on this passage and not me.

But, I shared with them God's Word, as accurately and contextually as possible and as currently applicable as I could make it. I shared with them my concerns, my desire to skip it, which someone said, "That's okay you can if you want" which I thought was funny because her husband wasn't with her that day, so he wouldn't know anyway. I shared with them one of the sore spot passages of the Bible, and to my surprise, even though it shouldn't have been, God blessed.

We all left with smiles and fond farewells, hand shakes and thanks offered. Even more amazing, I was clean, no food on me, and nothing to be embarrassed about. Why did I freak out? I was sharing in God's Word not my own unresearched opinions. After all this time, being a preacher (yes all two years), I still have a ways to go. But here's what I know, when you deliver God's Word, as accurately and compelling and challenging as possible, you've got nothing to be ashamed of. Thank you Lord for another lesson learned, and help me to trust you more, especially with difficult subjects. Bring on Revelation!! Just kidding, we're in Exodus next, and then advent already, can you believe it?BLT says.......don't skip any of God's Word, even the difficult parts, that's where growth comes.