Frank R. Fisher, Obl OSB
Sin 10/23/2009
 
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    "Live in fear of judgement day and have a great horror of hell. Yearn for everlasting life with holy desire. Day by day remind yourself that you are going to die. Hour by hour keep careful watch over all you do, aware that God's gaze is upon you, wherever you may be." - Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 4.

    Wow, what a thought. Who would want to spend every day of their life being afraid of hell and knowing that you may be judged at any instant? Some people look at these words and think monks are those who literally hate themselves; that they are people who withdraw from the world in order to concentrate on their self-hatred. Nothing could be further from the truth. Benedictine communities have often been gifted with their share of grumpy people. But the monks I know are more often brimming with love and life.

    Benedict's words simply remind us that we are broken. Sin is a natural state for us. You might even say that the doctrine of original sin simply points out that sin is not original. It is inherent in human beings. Reformed theology agrees with Benedict's point of view. The Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Confessions reminds us that we are all capable of ultimate depravity. But if that is so, how can we avoid God's condemnation?

    There is an old story, one whose author has escaped me, about a man standing before the gates of heaven. St. Peter tells the man that a point system has been put in place. Each person must have earned one-hundred points in earthly life in order to get into heaven.  "Well," the man said, " I was a minister for fifty years." "That's one point," St. Peter replied. "I went on countless mission trips to the third world," the man said.  "That's very good," said St. Peter. "That's another point." "I sang in the church choir for all my career and even sang on key," the man desperately blurted. "Wonderful," said St. Peter. "That makes three points." In despair the man threw himself down before the gates and shouted, "only by the grace of God will I get in!" "That's one-hundred points," Peter replied.

    In order to fully follow Jesus we must keep in mind our total dependence on God's grace. We do not earn salvation on our own. Only by the grace of God will we ever be allowed to approach the throne. But thanks be to God, that we have been gifted with God's grace.
 
 
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"Place your hope in God alone. If you notice something good in yourself, give credit to God, not to yourself, but be certain that the evil you commit is always your own and yours to acknowledge." - Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 4.

People often ask how I can be both a Presbyterian and a Benedictine. One of the answers is the remarkable similarity of our teachings. The Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Confessions . says we are all capable of utter depravity. As a Presbyterian I believe there is nothing we can do that is good enough to justify ourselves with God. Even the love of Christ is a God given gift as we are not capable of it on our own. As a Benedictine I believe in constant conversion; the process of falling from God's path but through God's grace finding a way to return to it once again. This process of falling and getting up again will continue for the rest of my life.     

This Sunday I'm preaching on the story of David and Bathsheba. You know the story. David seduces Bathsheba. Bathsheba gets pregnant. David has her husband murdered. I doubt any of us could call such an action anything but evil. But despite such evil, out of the marriage of David and Bathsheba came their son, Solomon.

Thank you Lord, for the good you do through each of us and your grace which brings us back to your path when we stray.