If not churchianity then…

Today’s reading is a response to the parlous state of our church, where we appease those who oppose us because we are afraid of losing their approval, something that Christ did not do.

If you look at the lectionary today you will find that Christ is teaching in the temple and damning his listeners. You get a sense of the reactions — from the high priests trying to suppress him to the people thinking “if this is wrong, why is he not on a stake by now?”. It continues this theme.

But instead, let us ask “what now should we do?” — which is why we are back in that very dense book called Hebrews.

Hebrews 12:12-29

¹²Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, ¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

¹⁴Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled. ¹⁶See to it that no one becomes like Esau, an immoral and godless person, who sold his birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷You know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, even though he sought the blessing with tears.

¹⁸You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, ¹⁹and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. ²⁰(For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.” ²¹Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”) ²²But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, ²³and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

²⁵See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! ²⁶At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.” ²⁷This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what is shaken — that is, created things — so that what cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; ²⁹for indeed our God is a consuming fire.

Strengthen you arms and lift up your head. There is opposition to the path of righteousness, and this opposition is trying to make their ways not only legal but compulsory.

12. “Governments would likely be pressured—and perhaps agree—to revoke the tax-exempt status of churches or other non-profit religious organizations that refuse on religious grounds to recognize same-sex marriages or to provide benefits to same-sex couples on the same terms as husband-wife couples.”

13. “Governments would likely be pressured—and perhaps agree—to investigate, prosecute and punish people in wedding-related businesses for refusing on religious conscience grounds to assist with same-sex weddings.”

14. “Government licensing agencies would likely be pressured—and perhaps agree—to investigate and punish counselors for refusing on religious conscience grounds to counsel same-sex married couples on the same terms as heterosexual couples.”

15. “Religion-based conflicts between public schools and parents would likely increase as children are taught about sexuality and marriage in ways that contravene parents’ and students’ deeply held religious beliefs.”

We have to be strong in our faith and in our life. To live in a biblical marriage, with a husband loving his wife and accountable for her, and his wife submitting to him out of obedience to Christ — is now deeply subversive, to the point where it is seen as abuse. Any parent who has to deal with the state curriculum is facing difficulties — not with theories like evolution, but with compulsory Gramscian Marxism, where being labeled a hater or any of the varieties of this will get you expelled. Tolerant this world is not.

But we obey Christ, not any state, on these issues. Not any state. For all states will fall away and crumble: eventually the State of Utah and the USA will be one with the British Empire, the Soviet Union, and the Caliphate.

Pursue peace and holiness. Well, I am not ever that holy: if it is not gluttony and lust then my besetting error is a snarky version of wrath. But we are to pursue holiness: we will not get there. We are looking to a better place, to a heavenly realm — where by any justice we should not belong.

We need to live with others, and do right for others, and help others, including those who are opposed to us. But we do not have to agree with others, nor compromise our beliefs for the feelings of others. That is not peace. That is tyranny. Besides, holiness does not tolerate sin in ourselves… and that way of living will repel those whose conscience is pricked but choose not to bear the fruit of such an event, which is sorrow, then repentance.

Do not refuse the teaching of Christ. In this time, the words and work of Christ are simply ignored. We need to obey Christ. This will place us at odds as the teachings of Scripture (which are health, and light) are at odds to the ways of this world, which lead to despair.

Dear woman, you are taught to be independent, to avoid “ruining your life” with early marriage or having children young, to go to university and have your own career, and to avoid home-making. You are taught to be economically self-sufficient, to not be “controlled by your man”

In other words, you are taught to make your own life miserable. The jackals are trying to destroy your happiness, your sense of belonging, and your future family so they can economically exploit you. This may seem outrageous to you, but before being outraged, please finish reading, and consider the information I present. I don’t expect to change your mind now, but if I plant a seed of an idea, maybe you will germinate before you wind up miserable, exploited, alone, and beyond the point of no return.

Before I begin, know this: women nowadays are profoundly unhappy. Their unhappiness has been steadily declining for the last 4 decades. A quarter of all women use some sort mental health medication, and a quarter of women age 45 or older uses antidepressants. Women use antidepressants 2.5 times more than men and antidepressant use is rising rapidly. Nearly a quarter of women will get a depressive illness in their lifetime.

Women, particularly older women, are literally drugging themselves to escape the horrors of their life.

There is a very high chance, man of God, that if you say this to the woman whom you love, while you are courting, that she will be repelled, and run. But, and this is hard — you have to stick to that word which has been given. We do not have knowledge of what our changes in society will do over the long term — but they have not been that good.

This is what we should be doing in the church. The world has never been that aligned with us. It is time to not act as they do.