If you don't agree with me in our discussions......

[Betty]

Greetings to all in my cyberspace.....
 
Hard to believe that summer is basically over, i.e. vacation time and kids off of school.
It feels weather wise today like a sultry July evening.
(Feels wonderful actually, sitting on the deck with nothing but the crickets' harmony in the air)
 
This warm air points out something a bit disturbing for us.
A big ice chunk of Ellesmere island broke loose this week.
Not good news for the global warming situation.
One would be hard pressed to think that global warming had effected the weather this summer in Ontario. (wet and cool most of the time)
 
These are all points worth talking about.
And if you don't agree with me in our discussions,
well then we could discuss something else, and
if you don't agree with me, then we could talk about the listeriosos scare not being as relevant in our world as so many other things, and
if you don't agree with me, then we could talk about how the running mate for John McCain (Sarah Palin) in the U.S. election has some interesting baggage she is carrying with her, and
if you don't agree with me on this , then we could talk about how the pending election call for Canada is ill conceived and not in keeping with Harper's set election date agenda ... and if you don't agree with me on this issue, ...
then this weeks gospel lesson (Matthew 18:15-20) might help us sort things out.
 
This selection from "The Message"
15-17 "If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend. If he won't listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won't listen, tell the church. If he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God's forgiving love.
 18-20 "Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there."
 
So what is it that Matthew is telling us that Jesus is relating to us in this reading,
Most of the time, we are not going to agree on many things of this world.
And that is all right, because, no matter what, I will be with you in your disagreement.
It was like Jesus expected that there would be fighting in the early church.
he was certainly fighting against many things of his church, (i.e. the Jewish synagogue)
 
I can't think that there are any churches around who are surrounded by some forms of conflict in their midst.
How well they deal with that conflict, shows the community how spiritually healthy they are.
 
In my experience, most churches get a failing grade in that measurement.
 
Hope you can prove me wrong and .... if we disagree, then Matthew 18 will help us along our way.
Because I know, that, "when 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, I am there with you."
Thanks be to God.
 
Can't wait for Sunday, when you are invited to come and hear more about this "Honest-to-God-fighting"
 
May God's blessing rest on you this day,
Celebrate the rest of your week
In the spirit of the living God,
 
Prayer:
Gracious God, bless us as sojourners in this life.
May Your presence be near us, support us, challenge us, love us.
In the name of the Holy One we pray.  Amen.