Liminality

The church is a by-product of Jesus becoming king . . . not the reason for it.  When we get caught up in church politics, church life, church decisions, church functions, church this, and church that, we miss the greater message of the gospel.  We forget that the church is a by-product of Jesus’ ministry . . . not the reason for it.  Jesus’ ministry is social, communal, and justice filled.  If we want to "be" the church . . . if we want to be the hands and feet of Christ, then we need to replace our understanding of church "doing" with church "being."   But how do we do this?  I think to answer this question we must turn to gospels.   It shows that Jesus came for a social revolution.    Jesus’ states, “What you do unto the least of these, you do unto me” (Matt 25).  What you do for the local community, the services you offer for the greater and common good, the love you give to the unloved, the attention you give to those who never get it,

Jesus is no longer king over Atlanta.  Y’all didn’t know this?  Oh it’s true.  Two weeks ago in the news, Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, here in Atlanta, was crowned king by Jewish leaders as well as his church body.   As a matter of fact, they held a special service last week in which they brought out a Jewish Holocaust scroll, stood Bishop Long in the middle of the stage, wrapped the scroll around his head, screamed in the microphone that he was being cocooned in the word of God protecting him from attacks coming from all sides all the while preparing himself to emerge as king.  Then they opened the scrolls and out walked Bishop Long with his arms opened and the church roaring with ovation.  He’s there king.  And it gets worse.  They proceed to bring out a throne, set it on the stage, invite Bishop Long to sit in his rightful place as a king.  They hand him the scroll only to pick him up and march him around the sanctuary!  They have their kin