“Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.” One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!”
There is death among us.
I eat from the pot thinking it won’t kill me. My poison stew is sectarianism. I am far too divisive.
Jesus of the Gospels raged at sectarianism. I can’t recall an instance in Scripture when He called it anything less than it was. It was Godless religion.
Love—the very definition of God—was missing from the sect.
The sectarians built a religion without God and demanded that others be their disciples. The unholy bunch thought—and wanted others to think—they were holy.
Without God there is no holy. Without love, God is missing.
The Pharisee’s church and Sadducee’s church fought with each other but they were the same. Their rules differed while the recipe that produced the stew of rules was the same.
Both pots of soup resulted in a judgmental spirit toward outsiders.
The recipe of their poisonous stew is far too easy to reproduce in the 21st Century.
I am familiar with the recipe. I brewed it more than once.
I will share my recipe with you if you will promise never to use it. The best use of my concoction of poison soup is quickly wadding it into a ball after reading, flatten, and run through the shredder.
To make good sectarian stew I make sure I follow tradition instead of the heart and teachings of Jesus.
Second, it will make a stronger brew if I am careful to lead my own life instead of walking in tune with the Spirit.
Third, I am careful not to allow the use of fruit in my recipe. Spirit fruit would take the kick out of the stew.
Fourth, I notice I can focus more on the stew if I refrain from the time consumption of reading Scripture. Besides, Bible reading—especially the gospels—serve to weaken the ingredients. If you must add Scripture to the stew, it works best to limit the recipe to the use of proof texts selectively chosen. That will add extra punch to the poison.
Fifth, I find it enhances the stew if I listen only to the pulpit in my church. What could anyone else know? After all from the pulpit of my church always flows perfect understanding with every lesson.
Finally, I am careful not to include ponder time in the ingredients. It would only ruin the stew if I spent time thinking.
Don’t forget to quickly wad the recipe into a ball, flatten, and run through the shredder.
Stay tuned.
Gary J. Sorrells – Reflecting on Cross Church
God Reflection 