There is an old story
about someone, maybe an angel, asking Jesus after his resurrection what would
happen to his message on earth now. He said that the church would be his body
now, to be the message. The angel asked what his backup plan was. Jesus
replied, “I have no other plans.”
Preachers love stories
like that. It provides a platform from which we can harangue church members to
get with the plan.
Recently, in the pastoral
prayer at our church, I even mentioned that it seems God has no Plan B,
implying that the church is Plan A.
As I have thought about it
since, I regret that. Actually, the church is no higher than Plan E, which may explain
why we are so poor at carrying out the plan.
Plan A was Nature—natural
and human. “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his
eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from
what has been made…” {Romans 1:20.} Problem: Greed said the world and its
creatures are here just for humans to use to make money.
Plan B was Israel, the
whole nation, a people chosen to be “a light to the nations.” [Isaiah 49:6] Problem:
Israel was quite willing to believe it was God’s chosen nation, but chosen for
privilege, not for purpose.
Plan C was the prophets.
Problem: Who the hell cares about a prophet unless there’s a profit? So we get Joel
Osteen and his fellow travelers of the “wealth gospel.”
Plan D was Jesus. Problem:
The man is impossible, expecting all sorts of unrealistic behavior, a threat to
the social order. Must be eliminated.
So now, in desperation,
maybe even in resignation it seems, comes the church. Plan E. Problem:
JRMcF
johnrobertmcfarland@gmail.com
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