Jeanette Renouf

My Dear Friends,

As I read today’s New Testament readings about reward and punishment, I am again reminded of our human need to create God in our image instead of struggling to understand what it is to live as created in God’s image.

Jesus teaches us by his actions and life what it is to be the image of God. We see a healing, forgiving, loving God, not a punishing, revengeful God. Not a God like Santa Claus, who keeps a list of who is naughty and nice—rewarding the nice and punishing the naughty. Author Anne Lamott has written: ”You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.” Yet, in our humanness, we have forever tried to create God in our image. As the nations of Europe became Christian, they then fought and killed one another for the next 1000 years in the name of God.

Perhaps part of the saving grace of today’s lessons is in Joshua where he prevails on the people to follow God’s word if they are to be saved. Clearly, this is not easy or we would have done it instead of creating our own gods whom we could follow—at least sometimes.

Who wants to follow a God who leads to crucifixion? We rarely consider the cost of discipleship; it is not a popular subject. Historically, we can see that some of those who truly followed Jesus paid a high price. That was not because God was punishing them but because our culture has created its own gods.

We see the cost of discipleship in the lives of Martin Luther King, Gandhi and many of the earlier saints, including most of the apostles. No wonder we are reluctant to truly follow this Jesus, to be the image of this God. Where is the reward in that? Today’s psalmist is lamenting his pain and suffering and pleading for God to heal him, to release him from his suffering. He is paying the price for trying to follow God and feels God is punishing him for his failures. But it is the culture, society, that is punishing him, not God. He will get well and try again to be faithful to God’s word and image, to pay the cost of discipleship.

We are again being encouraged by our presiding bishop and diocesan bishop and others to be followers of Jesus. This will require taking stands and actions that are perhaps not popular. We are encouraged to prepare ourselves by reading God’s word, Jesus’ words and actions. Knowing that we always abide in God’s love, are we prepared to pay the price?

It is critical that we support one another if we are to be a beloved community of God. Can we do this? It will not be easy and will require much prayer to accomplish being an image of God in today’s world.

Peace and Love,

—Jeanette Renouf