Turbo Blessing

Genesis 26

The power of blessing to Abraham shapes Isaac’s life and experience. It seems strange that he goes through the same sister/wife charade that his father did. But then you get this same sense from an ‘outsider’ that you don’t mess with this family. They are blessed because of the purpose God has for them. The crops spew up. They are so blessed they are deemed dangerous and asked to leave. No matter. They find water. The Lord reiterates his blessing on them. The outsider seeks them out again because he sees that God is with them and wants to make sure he’s good with them.

It seems to me the equivalent of this kind of blessing for the church is the anointing of the Holy Spirit – anointed for a purpose. Too often a church family exudes no sense of being so filled with the Spirit they are deemed dangerous.

It might be a worthwhile exercise for a church family to come up with one word they would like ‘outsiders’ have come to mind when they have some awareness of that family. It would reveal how much we want to give over power and control, truly, to the one who blesses. Call me cantankerous or something but I would hope the word would not be just “loving” or “friendly” or something that equally would come out sounding so innocuous. I should hope we are loving and friendly, but that doesn’t really say anything. Of course we should be loving and friendly. Duh. But what else? Jesus and the disciples after him shook their world. What would it take to shake our community and area? What would it take?

Prayer:
Lord, fill us with love and friendship so powerful we might even be considered dangerous. Through Christ. Amen.