Finally, A Good Decision By The Supremes

As reported by CNN, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously last Tuesday that a small congregation in New Mexico may use hallucinogenic tea as part of a four-hour ritual intended to connect with God. Justices, in their first religious freedom decision under Chief Justice John Roberts, moved decisively to keep the government out of a church's religious practice.
Federal drug agents should have been barred from confiscating the hoasca tea of the Brazil-based church, Roberts wrote in the decision. Upon learning this MorningGlory2 requested that I post "on this little gem" she found over at Rhettorical. Ok, I'll take requests.

I'll be honest, I wasn't that fond of the movie version of The Chronicles of Narnia. Stay with me, this is going somewhere. I understand that the movie is allegory and all, I really do. But that's my problem with it. I just want to hear the Gospel as opposed to seeing it up on a big screen. But this was just a personal problem and I do recognize the movie was well done.
There was one scene in the movie that I thought should have been just a little bit longer. It was the scene when the children were first told of Aslan ( the Christ figure ) by Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. The scene from the book went as follows:

"Is, is he a man?" asked Lucy."Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion - the Lion, the great Lion."Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy."Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

The Movie left out that one little line about Aslan not being safe, while still being good. What Lewis is saying is that the God of Scripture is not a tame God. He's just yes, He's fair yes, but He's not tame. Just ask poor Uzzah who was struck dead just for touching God's stuff in 1 Samuel 6:6,7 . That's not tame folks!

It makes my skin crawl to go to the local ballpark on "church day" and listen to players give testimonials about how "JC" or "the J-man" changed their life. For crying out loud, this is the Lord of heaven and earth that these guys are describing like one of their drinking buddies.

There are a whole host of reasons for this I guess. But I lay the lion's share (pun intended) of the blame on the sorry state of Christianity in America today. When the majority of our churches, and yes a good number of Lutheran churches as well, run their Sunday services like a self help seminar, what else is to be expected. People sitting in the pews are being told as long as they try really really hard, God will bless them with everything their hearts desire. When all that people hear, is the dribble about what they can do for Jesus, is it any surprise that they view the crucified and risen Lord and Savior as one of their "buds"?

So what does this have to do with the recent decision by the Supremes? I think it was a great decision. I do, honest. I think nothing would be better than if neo evangelicals started passing out some of those special shrooms before worship began. Maybe then they could see God in, with, and under the Sacraments. Can't you just see them staring at the baptismal font or at the Eucharist and saying "Oooh, maybe it's not just a symbol." Maybe after seeing angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven coming literally out of the woodwork, they would understand that the nice God they wanted to go golfing with later that day, is not the God of Scripture.

As strange as it sounds, the church should now stand up and thank the Supreme Court. They have actually started the process of bringing back a healthy fear of God. I never thought I would say this but, God bless the United States Supreme Court!