The Law...What Shall Be Done With the Law of God?

This Sunday, I am preaching about the Ten Commandments.  It is the second in a cycle of sermons this summer offering an overview of the bible, from one pastor's perspective.  The tough part is in the consideration of what the Law still has to offer in light of Jesus Christ.  I grew up in a Calvinist tradition where the Law pre-Jesus condemned us for our inability to obey it, but post-Jesus, teaches us how we ought to be reshaping our lives in the presence of Christ.

I got really excited about a bible-nerd discovery connecting the Ten Commandments to Jesus' summary of the law, loving God and loving neighbor. 

But it is truly challenging to apply my conclusions to the popular judgments that are so much part of Christendom.  This is not simply another rant about how so much of Christendom condemns the LGBTQ Community, not simply that, but it is more broadly focused.  When judgment is passed about something, what is the Church doing with the law?

I should define terms here, a little bit.  Christendom is the sum total of the Christian cultural and societal presence in the world, at least it is to me.  Liberals, Conservatives, Fundamentalists, Christo-communists, you name it.  Some are great, in my opinion, some are wacky, in my opinion, some are dangerous, in my opinion.  We are all gathered together under one roof.

The Church is a more organized part of Christendom.  For me, it is the assembled voices of pastors and church leadership.  Kind of what shows up in the news, I suppose.  It is drawn from Christendom, but is not exhaustive of Christendom. 

If the Law of God has changed roles, as I argue, from the condemnatory tool to the formation tool that I believe it is, then we have a new world order to bring into being.  Speaking in the name of God to condemn is an awesome responsibility to undertake.  And I am really no longer sure that is what the Church is called to do. 

The responses are already forming in my head, 'if not us, than whom?'  Is everything then acceptable?  What are you, crazy?  But Jesus died that I might live.  He did not die that I might condemn someone else to death.  There are some big questions to shape here.  I hope you will walk with me to seek to shape them.