Morris News Article--(In case it doesn't make it to publication)

Pastor’s Perspective

Rev. Nathan Mattox, Morris First United Methodist Church

This past Sunday, I sat in an adult Sunday school class at the church here in Morris. We were discussing a chapter of 1 Corinthians that dealt with a controversy in the church at Corinth over eating meat that had been sacrificed to the patron gods of the area. There were some in the community who insisted that Christians must refrain from this meat, while others in the same community insisted that the freedom found in Christ compelled them to disregard the taboo against eating such meat. (1 Corinthians 8) Though we may no longer be troubled by the concerns over dietary purity in our day and age, it was certainly a “hot-button” issue in the early church. Paul’s advice, though about a particular circumstance in a particular community, transcends time and place to speak to us even today.

Today I was looking at a book that a parishioner let me borrow, Morris Historical Highlights: Early 1900’s to 1991. I have been struck by the sense of community that this town has—and evidently, that sense of community has a long history. It was fascinating to see the first school bus in Morris, a long coach pulled by a horse in the early 1900’s, and the dapper gentleman who drove the “bus” in a bowler hat. There were also photos of a bustling Main Street. Community is something that is very important and valuable. Now, most of us simply take off to Okmulgee’s Super Center for all our needs—what used to be the norm for our community is no longer. Where do we find community in a modern world?

This pastor and the Apostle Paul hope that you find a sense of community in your church. If you don’t belong to a church, you should visit one and see if you feel welcomed by that community. Paul’s advice to the Corinthians was to not let squabbles over “hot-button” issues divide the community. He said that a humble heart is worth more to God than a mind that knows what is right and wrong about everything. Paul knew that it is the little things that cut away at the fabric of a community.

At the Sunday School class I attended, the issue of prayer in school came up as an example of a “hot-button issue.” As the conversation unfolded, it was apparent that there were different ideas and opinions on the matter. Though several folks were passionate about their side of the issue, the conversation remained respectful. It is important to remember that there are central ideas in faith that tend to be ignored when we drum up controversy over wedge issues. Jesus himself was asked the most important thing about faith—he said “Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22: 36-39) In his farewell address in the Gospel of John, he said “Love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) Oh, how often and how callously we sweep aside the important things so that we can feel the addictive thrill of righteous indignation motivated by issues we think are so important.

I know many people my age (I’m in my late 20’s) who are turned off from having a faith life because they see Christians as being hot-headed know it alls about everything. They see Christians at each other’s throats about divisive issues. They see hypocrisy, they see hatred, they see rage, and these things overshadow the faint-hearted “second-thought” of loving each other. After Jesus commanded his disciples to “love one another” in John, he said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Paul knew it was enough to focus on the essentials of faith. He asked the Corinthians to consider each other’s stumbling blocks and to not provoke each other. He asked those who ate meat to refrain from eating meat in front of those who didn’t as a way to strengthen the faith of the whole community. He asked for the community to have some give and take on such a hot button issue. Imagine if we were to give up the insistence that we are absolutely right about an issue and recognize the complexity of it. Prayer in school, freedom of expression, sexuality, abortion, immigration, etc. etc.—imagine if we gave up arguing about all of these things because for some they are a stumbling block to faith. What would we have left to focus on? Perhaps we’d get back to basics and get back on the path of the most important commandment. Imagine that!