Enote from Pastor Andy

Friday, March 15, 2013

Dear Eastridge Family,

This week we witnessed the Roman Catholic Church elect its new Pope.  I was interested to read about what the new Pope said in his first public Mass.  It was reported that, “Pope Francis urged the Catholic Church on Thursday to stick to its Gospel roots and shun modern temptations, warning that it would become just another charitable group if it forgot its true mission.”

He continued by saying, "We can walk all we want, we can build many things, but if we don't proclaim Jesus Christ, something is wrong.  We would become a compassionate NGO and not a Church which is the bride of Christ," he said, speaking in Italian without notes.

"When we walk without the cross, when we build without the cross and when we proclaim Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord.  We are worldly," he told the massed ranks of cardinals clad in golden vestments.  "We may be bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, all of this, but we are not disciples of the Lord," he added.

When I read these words I said, “Amen!”  We the church are more than some charitable organization we are the Bride of Christ.  We have been given a task to do, what no other government or charitable organization can do.  We have been commanded to make disciples of all nations.  Following Jesus means we will be about that task.  If we are not making disciples we are not following Jesus.  It is that simple.

The temptation is to say, “Right on!  The Roman Catholic Church needs to straighten up or the Nazarene Church needs to change its ways.  Eastridge church needs to do this or the church needs to do that.”  My questions is, if you are a follower of Jesus, what are you doing to obey the mission of Jesus?