Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Well-formed Maturity

Read: Romans 12:1-2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (NIV)

Back in the ‘70s and 80’s, I experienced what is still known in the Boston Bay area of Massachusetts as the “T.” The T (MBTA) is a commuter rail, similar to the DART Light Rail, has various lines covering the eastern part of Massachusetts from the South Shore to the North Shore. Some of you may have experienced the T in your lifetime.

Well, after a recent conversation with our witty youth director, Kevin, about being renewed and reformed in Christ’s image, I recalled from my feeble mind several experiences on the T while traveling to and from Fenway Park for Red Sox baseball games. I believe the route I took traveled along the Green Line from the South Shore, Weymouth/Quincy area to west downtown at Fenway Park.

I remember at each stop along the route more and more baseball fans took their spot in the commuter rail car. After just a few stops the car was filled to capacity. All the seats were taken, and passengers were stuffed in standing positions like sardines. Personal space was nonexistent for about a thirty minute commute.

The cheers and excitement of fans and supporters of the Red Sox escalated. How quickly every passenger got caught up in the excitement! In fact, it was not wise to proclaim you were a fan of the Red Sox’s opposing team of that day. In other words, you conformed to the Red Sox fans surrounding you. On the return trip, depending on whether or not the Sox won and how keyed up the passengers were after hot dogs, peanuts, and beer, it was even more important to conform to being a Sox fan.

Interestingly, when you exited the train at Fenway Park or at your home destination on your return trip, you had the free will to return to your normal position for or against the Red Sox. Essentially, you conformed to the character of the Red Sox fan while on the train and became yourself when off the train.

Kevin and I agreed this is the way we sometimes deal with our support, position, and character as a Christian. We are a strong Christians around other Christians, especially when we are at church or at a church event where peer pressure to be a Christian is high. However, as soon as we are seemingly away from other Christians and placed in a worldly situation we conform to the world.

Paul reminds us in our scripture text that our belief in Christ should permeate each area of our life, and God gives us the strength not to succumb to the world. Listen to how Peterson’s The Message says it in Romans 12:1-2:

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating,
going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an
offering. Embracing what God
does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so
well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.
Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.
Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike
the culture around you, always
dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

May we have the courage to allow God to help us not to so fit in to the culture or fall into sin that people can’t tell we are Christians. May we allow God to bring the best out of us and develop us to well-formed maturity. O God, please help us. Amen.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Jack

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