Read Pastor David’s thoughts from last week’s scripture.

 

Last Wednesday, I received a text message from a friend that read, “I like the Psalms much better than Genesis !!!” My friend is not alone. Genesis can read like an E. L. James novel. The stories of Genesis delve into matters of fratricide, illicit rendezvous, treacherous betrayals, and strange quid pro quos. Frankly, humanity comes off looking like a sordid, contemptible lot of characters. Who would want to hang around the likes of people such as us?  God.

 

God welcomed a ninety-nine-year-old, want-a-be patriarch to become whom God later would call a friend. God offered a straightforward invitation to Abram: “…walk before Me and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1, NKVJ). Now, when you read ahead in Genesis, Abraham doesn’t come off as a blameless sort of soul. In one instance, Abraham placed his wife, Sarah, in a perilous position by disclaiming Sarah as his wife. This is not the kind of chivalrous act a blameless husband would likely pull.

 

However, and despite Abraham’s antics, God never rescinded God’s offer of friendship to Abraham. Moreover, God doesn’t insist that Abraham clean up his own act. God doesn’t chastise God’s friend by demanding that Abraham try or work harder at being more righteous like God. God simply calls Abraham to walk before God and be blameless, which more accurately can be interpreted to mean, “Walk in my presence with me, Abraham, and the power of my righteousness will be infused into your life.”

 

Last Sunday, I told the St. Paul Community congregation that the greatest mistake many Christians make is to try and be more like Jesus. Earnestly, no person is capable of ascending to such lofty heights of character, mercy, and unbounded love. Instead, both the Old and New Testaments encourage God’s people to walk with Him.

 

Perhaps you’ve already heard that we become like the company we keep. This is the Good News Jesus came to offer the world. Jesus welcomes everyone to come to him and be his friend (and by virtue of Jesus’ relationship to the Father, God’s friend, as well). And, as your friendship with Jesus evolves, so too, will your character, sense of mercy, and unbounded love. By simply hanging with Jesus, his life of grace becomes yours.

 

Christian song writer, Chris McClarney, echoes these thoughts with the following lyrics: