But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted." 1 Peter 2.9 - The Message

          I love language. I am fascinated by the words we speak, where they originate, and how they change over time. I thoroughly enjoyed the undergrad courses I took at the University of Akron on those subjects. I still read books and articles on those subjects. A while ago, I was watching a video series on linguistics and language. The speaker was lecturing about words that have come into English from other languages and how those words have changed over time.
       One of the examples used in the video was the word, "silly". Apparently "silly" started out in German as "selig" - meaning "holy". Silly started out as holy? I was more than a bit intrigued about that idea. It seems that as the word moved into Old English it was connected not only to the idea of "holy" but of innocence as well. So for example, "selig Maria" ("holy Mary") changed in spelling to "silly" over time, and changed in meaning from holy to innocent to lacking wisdom to foolish!
       Wow. Somehow that all clicked for me. When that 1 Peter letter was written, the truth is that there were many who thought these followers of Jesus were not "holy" but foolish. Throughout the centuries since then there are still people who believe that we who call ourselves "Christian" are silly, not holy. Truthfully, throughout the centuries since then we have often behaved in silly rather than holy ways.
         To be called "holy" by God is a deeply sobering and joyful experience. We are holy - because God is holy and we belong to God - not because we have any power to be holy on our own. Yet we too often forget that fact, and live lives that are attempts at being "holier than others" rather than holy before God. We argue over matters that even Jesus didn't think were critical to discuss. We want to see ourselves as the exception, rather than those under God's rule of grace.
         We will argue over carpet colors, church furnishings, money, who belongs and who doesn't, all the while ignoring the very people and places where Jesus assures us we are called to serve. We begin to believe our own press releases - that our "holy" designation by God makes us somehow better or more important than those we have decided God hasn't designated as holy.
          Reading the correct translation of the Bible (that of course is the one we have decided is correct), criticizing and demeaning others, holding on to our stuff even as we are surrounded by heart-wrenching needs, are just some of the ways we can be very silly - and not the least bit holy - before God. Sadly, all this silly stuff is also very harmful and not useful in the least to our designation as God's instruments to share the Good News of God's transforming love at work in our lives; and how through our lives God's transforming love can be at work in the world.
          We are a silly people. So let's claim that title, shall we? Let's be holy in the sight of God, and silly in the eyes of the world. Silly because we are willing to risk loving even the most unlovable people, because that's what Jesus tells us to do, and after all, sometimes the most unlovable people we know are actually us. Jesus gave us three simple rules - and said that following those rules would mean that we are fulfilling every bit of God's Law and the prophets' teachings.
   1. Love God with everything you have - every fiber of your being, heart, soul, mind, and strength.
   2. Love your neighbor as you love yourself - and of course you love yourself because God first loved you.
   3. Love one another the way Jesus loves us. Fully. Completely. Willingly surrendering himself that we might have the forgiveness, healing and fullness of life that God has promised us, now and forever.
           I just love language. Be even more I really love God and I want to live into that designation God has given me of "holy". Holy people, holy together. If the world thinks we're silly - well, hey, perhaps that means we're doing it right!

"The earth is the LORD’S and all that is in it,the world, and those who live in it;" Psalm 24.1

  I am sitting in my office, watching our new custodian as he mows the grass around the church. Brad is a hard worker and he's doing a good job. As I watched him carefully mowing, weeding, and cleaning, I thought of how often we use the words "my church" to talk about the place we worship. Claiming our place of worship as "my church" can often be helpful - allowing us to take delight in caring for the building and grounds, and all that is therein. Of course we want folks to feel that this is "their church" - so that they will feel engaged in what happens here. 

    Yet... there is another way to understand that phrase. "My church" can become such a possessive that we shut out others with preference for those we have decided are worthy to be among us.  A building can become an idol, one that we fiercely protect and expend our energies keeping to ourselves, without room for change or new faces to participate. 

    Of course, as followers of Christ we know that the "true church" is us - the body of Christ. Yet that term "church" is used to describe the buildings where we gather for worship more often than it is used to describe us, at least in some places.

    For United Methodists this"my/our" language  is a particularly sticky statement. Many times boards and committees will speak of "my church" or "our church", forgetting that they are simply holding the building/grounds/contents in trust for The United Methodist Church, not themselves. Our facilities exist to the glory of God and so that there might be a United Methodist presence in the faith community, not so that we can do as we please with it. This is important, because this truth needs to direct our actions and our efforts as disciples of Jesus Christ. We are here, as United Methodists, to share our understanding of God's grace and salvation at work in the world through us as the body of Christ in this place. Opening our hearts, minds, and doors to the wonder of God's unfailing love means that we actively move in the community to seek out those who are in need of the healing and wholeness - the salvation - that God offers in Christ. When we get caught up in "my/our church" thinking, we forget that those we are called to serve exist outside this place and we need to meet them where they are with open arms and willingness to accept them where they are for who they are, trusting that God will do the rest. 

    Recently my spouse and I were talking about our house in Akron. As we talked, the thought occurred to me - we don't really own that house or that property. We have paid for it - but rather than a purchase it is really a long-term lease. One day we will be gone, and someone else will hold the title - the long-term lease. We can't truly own it - because we can't take it with us! Wow. That was a humbling thought. As I shared that thought with Fred we reflected that we don't really "own" anything in this world - because most of it will exist long after we are gone - or will be gone long before we are. The above verse from Psalm 24 came to my mind. Everything, everything belongs to God, not to us. We simply have a lease for as long as we are here to use it.

     Knowing that God is the owner of all that exists - the earth and its inhabitants - ought to ignite in us a deep desire to take good care of what belongs to our Father, and work together as God's dear children to help others to understand such a generous God who is willing to share abundance with us.  Recognizing the generosity of God ought to cause us to give back as generously, even as we know that we can never outgive God.  As members of the body of Christ we know that our time, our tithe, our talents and our service are the best ways that we can say "thank you" to God. Perhaps if we could let go of the "my/our" pronouns, and remember that everything belongs to God, we could become truly grateful and grow as disciples and as the body of Christ in whatever place we find ourselves. Then the saying will be true, "Today salvation has come to this house" and Jesus the Christ will dwell in our hearts and our lives forever.