Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For the judgment you give will be the judgment
you get, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Matthew 7:1-2

 

Brunswick UMC Family and Friends,

 

We live in a world in which it has become fashionable to judge other people
and declare that they are either good or evil. Political bumper stickers are a
great example. When we see a vehicle with stickers, we tend to decide
whether or not they are a good person based on those stickers.

 

This tendency toward judgment is prevalent within Christianity as well. I
have heard Christians declare that people of other religions are all going to
hell. I have also heard Christians say that the LGBTQ+ community is going to
hell. I’m sure there are Christians out there who are certain that everyone but
themselves will go to hell.

 

I suspect that these purported “Christians” who make such judgments have
not spent enough time reading the Bible. They seem to have missed the
instruction that Jesus gave to all humankind on the topic of judgment. Jesus
tells us not to judge others. Period. Judgment is for God—not us. Jesus states
this in a number of places including the above example from the Sermon on
the Mount. Jesus is very clear that true believers do not judge others because
the judgment we render toward them will come right back at us. Again—
Judgment is for God alone! Our mission is to simply be kind, loving, and
helpful to all people and in doing so we emulate Jesus.

 

You might have noticed the growth happening in our church recently. More
people of all ages are attending worship. Our Sunday school rooms are filling
up. More teens are getting involved. I believe that this growth is due in large
part to the kindness and openness people encounter when they meet us.

 

My hope and my prayer for this congregation is that we will continue to set
aside this Christian tendency toward judgment and simply welcome everyone
into our midst. On Sunday mornings, introduce yourself to people you don’t
know. Talk to the people who cross your path each day. Get to know them,
nurture a relationship, and when the time is right, tell them about your faith.

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Let them know what you believe and why you believe. Also, listen carefully to what they believe. Then, maybe even invite them to church, or to a meal, or some other church event. This is how a church grows. But more
importantly, this is how the Kingdom of God grows.

 

In summary: let us not judge others. Let us be kind, loving, and generous toward everyone. Finally, let us talk
to people about our faith (in a non-judgmental way).This is how we bring folks into God’s Kingdom.

 

Blessings to All,
Pastor Matt