Along with the self-deprecating church joke about changing the burned-out lightbulb, that the Baptist says this, and the Catholic says that, and the Presbyterian and the Methodist say still something else, the Episcopalian says "you can't change that lightbulb, that lightbulb was given by my grandmother", we like the little slogan that says (in our subtle self-satisfied contrast to members of other church denominations), "We don't check our brains at the door". 

A lifelong Episcopalian, I know who and what other churches we mean to disparage with our self-satisfied humor, but I've often wondered if folks realize that it applies as well to examining our own obtusenesses. We can be pretty thick-headed and closed-minded ourselves. I remember, for example, my own self, my reaction of dismay and anger, and bolting for one of the breakaway churches when the Prayerbook was revised during the late 20th century liturgical reform. Looking back, I'm not so confident about my own brain. There was a lot that needed changing and I could not see it, and refused to even consider seeing it. 

The point is, if we really don't have to "check our brains at the door" as we like to claim, then we can d-well examine and criticize our own selves as a Christian body. So, I'm going to make a brief case this morning, of one thing among possibly many that as, supposedly, thinking people, we need to change. It was on my agenda for this past weekend's session of combined Adult Sunday School Confirmation Lite, but we ran out of Time before getting there. The fact is, if I'd skipped the Bible Trivia Quiz that we spent 15 or 20 minutes on, there'd have been time for this, but that's water under the bridge. For practical intent, our Confirmation Lite sessions are finished though I may come back to them from time to time in coming weeks, months. Maybe one session a calendar month or so instead of our usual Bible study that day.

Anyway, here's the deal. It's about Christians' egocentric obsession with sin, the comfortable off-road diversion that Christian churches have made into the main highway, of being grateful to Jesus for dying for our sins instead of being faithful to his commands:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons vin your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

   

  

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Mark:14:22-25

Matthew 26:26-29

Luke 22:14-20