mls@cbnewsm.att.com (Mike Siemon) (10/05/89)
My last note exhibited its own passions and obscurities. One thing may not have been clear that I would like to emphasize: I do not mean to discourage anyone from keeping a 7-th day sabbath, or a Sunday sabbath for that matter. My *only* objection to the practice is the dangers of separating ourselves from nonobservers, and especially the temptation to consider this separation as superiority. Remember the words of our Lord: "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven... when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." [Matthew 6:1,6] Taken literally, such words would seem almost to forbid *any* liturgical or otherwise public religion; such sayings lie behind a feeling I have that Jesus was essentially hostile to such religion as human beings are addicted to. What does religion have to do with following God's will? And please note that OSTENTATIOUSLY withdrawing from public life to "go into your room" and pray is surely condemned by these words as much as public prayer! Yet of my own weak human nature, I know that I need the aid of others, the presence of Christ among two or three of us gathered in Christ's name, in order to have the strength to pray and to seek God's will in any way. So, as I live with this paradox in my own liturgy, I am happy enough to grant a similar paradox for those who find they need Sabbath observance to maintain their life in Christ. But always remember the danger of spiritual pride. -- Michael L. Siemon The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; cucard!dasys1!mls and you say "Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, att!sfbat!mls a friend of tax collectors and sinners." And standard disclaimer yet, Wisdom is justified by all her children.