April 29, 2024 – A

We live to see what we can get by with--
just like Jesus,
who was called "a glutton and a wine-bibber,"
which was the term of the day
for "beyond parental control."

Jesus was beyond anyone's control,
and his turning over the tables 
of the moneychangers during 
the high festival season of Passover
was the last straw
and got him crucified.

That was a "bridge too far."
He couldn't get by with that much.

But his example shines brightly for us all:
Live to see what you can get by with!
Push against the limits!
Question authority (and everything else)!
Live by your own standards,
and with your own contradictions.

That's the way we did "church"
in all the congregations I served,
asking, "What needs to be done?"
and finding ways to do it,
no matter what,
"outside the box" though it was.

Doing what needs to be done
requires operating outside the norms
of the chain of command and the Book of Order.

How many Books of Order did Jesus violate?
How many Books of Doctrine did Jesus trash?
Be so bold!

But, be right about what needs to be done!
If you are right, be a law unto yourself,
and let the chips fall where they may.
Knowing that crucifixion is always a possibility.