For heavens sakes

Heaven can wait was a movie in the 70’s about a football star that died unexpectedly. The problem was that heaven was surprised too. It was a mistake because it was not his time to die. So, heaven made up for it by putting him back on earth in another body. I find there are people who live their lives trying to avoid heaven. I wonder if God wants us to avoid going to heaven for as long as possible.

            That might seem like a stupid statement. God wants us all in heaven, right? We should desire living in heaven over being alive on this earth, right? The ultimate goal should be to live here on earth forever. When Jesus came to earth, he could have walked around saying “you’re going to love it in heaven.” I bet he teased his disciples saying “man this earth is nothing compared to heaven.” The problem is that Jesus didn’t do that. He talked at great length about what we should be doing here before we go there.

            The other day I saw two headlines. One said that a preacher in America proclaimed that homosexuality is a sin. I challenge him to prove that in the Bible. It says that acts like that will not enter heaven but it also says murderers and thieves will not enter either. Oh, then Patrick you’re on the gay side with this mess. No, it’s not my bag but are they sinners? Yes, they are and everyone else too. In romans Paul says we have “all” fallen short.

            The second headline was that church lands on a Sunday this year. Funny, it lands on Sunday every week. Yet, this Christmas Sunday is the 25 of December. Not only is it Christmas day but it’s church day too. This guy wrote that church should not be canceled just because it’s Christmas. So, what does being gay and having church on Christmas day have in common? They both prove that Pharisees are still alive and well in modern times.

            What does God have to say about this mess. And, what the heck is a Pharisee? A Pharisee is a religious ruler in Jesus day that sinned like crazy but ran around making sure he looked holy and everyone else acted holy. God pointed out that when Jesus was hungry he ate. One story has him being rebuked by those Pharisees for eating grain from a field on a Sunday. Picking the grain was considered work and that was a no, no. Another incident has Jesus warning people to beware of the sin in their own lives rather than pointing out others bad habits.

            How and if you go to heaven or not is between you and God. A homosexual might go to hell. A heterosexual liar might join them. A church pastor that has a secret sin might join them too. What is a sin? Usually I say it’s anything that will harm others for your gain. Things like a lie, murder, stealing, and dishonesty all might land you in hell if that’s the life you prefer. If you prefer same sex in bed that is between you and God. If you love to steal, then that is between you and God. For any church to preach about sin is like a lion preaching to all the other animals in the wild to kill with prudence. Animals don’t kill with compassion or prudence. People sin without compassion or prudence either.

            Once every seven years’ church lands on Christmas day. We could celebrate Jesus birth on that day because it’s a seven-year special. I get that. Yet, 51 weeks of the year a pastor is dedicated to Sunday. Ushers, musicians, child care, and many other church functions are dedicated to church every Sunday. Your telling me that one Sunday every seven years can’t be canceled. Your telling me that once every seven years’ church can’t rest. What your telling me is that come hell or high water the church must function regardless the circumstances. Sounds like a fat Pharisee standing on the edge of a grain field yelling at hungry people to stop eating on Sunday.

            I don’t get it. Why must Christians point other people’s sins? I don’t get why church comes before family. Doesn’t God put family first? The trinity means yes, he does stupid. Jesus mentions to a Pharisee another example of them giving money to the church but letting their parents starve. Does tradition, honor, and correctness in holiness comes before doing what is right. I said sin is doing anything that hurts someone for your own gain. What do you gain from making a pastor work every Sunday for ever and ever? What do you gain by blasting people for sins that aren’t even yours? It might mean that the modern-day Pharisees will not enter heaven because Jesus also said in Matthew 5:20 “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

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