LRC, Houston - the weekends-free church in Houston, Texas

I’m done for now. (MONDAY, I will begin a 3-part series on Jesus’ parables) This has been the longest topical series I’ve ever done because the Bible is inexhaustible. It’s as fresh every day as we allow the Spirit to be in out lives. One of the principle points that I’ve made earlier is that the Bible is basically what the church says it is. That’s logical because the church has chosen the Bible to be just that. But what IS the just that, and who IS the church anyway? Is the church a denomination? Not easy questions, but let me give you my answer.

Let’s begin with the Bible saying that the church is the COMMUNITY of Jesus Christ!

And then let’s add the two commandments that Jesus gave us and KISS (keep it simple stupid). A group of people (of whatever size) come together to form a “community” of people who LOVE GOD (1st commandment) so much that they have to LOVE OTHERS (the second commandment) regardless of their differences.

They don’t divide over differences! How novel!

They love each other “through their differences“. And when people outside the community see that, they are curious. Why wouldn’t they be- it’s so un-church like y’all! Variations need not result in violence. We don’t need more terrorist cells, but more spiritual communities that know how to love one another in and through their diversities. How in the world will we be able to embrace this world of diversity of people if we can’t even embrace or tolerate differences in how people interpret a verse from the Bible.

May we allow the Bible to transform us through and by the Spirit.

May we revisit the Bible with new glasses (attitudes) and with the aid of the Spirit!