Culture Making and Human Thriving

To be made in God’s image is to be a “culture maker.” By definition each of us is called “to make something of the world.” We talked about this last week and we will continue the discussion this Sunday morning. For some, it might seem less than spiritual, or less spiritual than worship or reading your bible. Here is what I would say to that. I think there are habits that are for our character formation and they tend to be more private. In fact, Jesus said that we should keep some habits of grace private and not parade them around. If that is the case, why?Here is why: a lot of life is private and is preparation for a public life, or a “life before the world.” I read the bible and pray as a daily thing, not so I can tell everyone how much I read the Bible and pray, but so I can re-calabriate my life and my orientation to the world that God created. This is much like what practice in football is to a real game. “We play like we practice.” It is my hope and prayer that out of continually soaking my life and affections in God’s redeeming love for me and his redeeming love for the world, what will come out in my public life, “before the world,” will be a grateful making and remaking of the world around me so that people around me are blessed and know that there is great God back there somewhere.This Sunday we are going to talk about it, but before we talk about it we will experience it tomorrow in Crawfish! The annual Crawfish Boil at St. Patrick is part of our cultural life. It is a an expression that flows from our place in the deep south, our people who have deep knowledge of cooking Crawfish, and our deep love of feasting as an expression of our deep gratitude, thanksgiving, and appreciation of the world God as given us.Not only that but there will be Chili Dogs after worship, so lots of places to feast, talk, and be human. If you are new here, I encourage you to stick around where you can enter into the cultural life of St. Patrick in “slow time” over food and drink. It is a life giving and fun place to be.Blessings,James M. Holland