JUGGLING THE JIGSAW

SYLVESTER THE SAINT IS OUR MAIN CHARACTER, IN OUR STORY AND IS A LITTLE PUZZLED AT THE MOMENT, HE'S VERY INTERESTED IN RELIGION, BUT HE'S CONFUSED. HE'S NOT TOO SURE HOW TO FITS TOGETHER ALL THE BITS AND PIECES THE CHURCH HAS TAUGHT HIM OVER THE YEARS. ONE THING HE IS SURE ABOUT IS THAT, IN CHRIST, HE IS A SAINT. HE KNOWS AND BELIEVES THAT BECAUSE OF WHAT CHRIST DID FOR HIM HE HAS BEEN MADE RIGHT WITH GOD. HE HAS BEEN FORGIVEN. HE BELONGS TO THE SAVIORS FAMILY., 1 COR.1:2,3. EVEN SO, AT TIMES SYLVESTER FINDS IT HARD TO FIT THE BIBLICAL PICTURE TOGETHER FOR HIMSELF.
AND TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS HIS FRIENDS ASK HIM ABOUT HIS FAITH AND CHURCH LIFE. TO BEGIN WITH, THERE IS THE BIBLE. ALL CHURCHES AGREE IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT BOOK. THEY PREACH FROM IT IT, QUOTE IT, USE SEVERAL TRANSLATIONS OF IT, AND THEY TELL YOU TO READ IT. HOWEVER, IT'S NOT EASY TO READ. WE BEGIN TO READ IT WITH THE BEST INTENTIONS, BUT SOON FIND IT TO BE HEAVY GOING. WE WONDER WHAT MUCH OF IT IS ALL ABOUT, AND HOW IT FITS TOGETHER. JUST HOW DO WE READ IT AND MAKE IT ALL FIT? IT WOULD BE GREAT IF ONE COULD DEVOTE ALL OF LIFE TO SERVING GOD. HOWEVER, DOES THAT MEAN ONE HAS TO BECOMES A PASTOR "REVEREND" MINISTER, PRIEST- OR WHATEVER THEY CALL HIM?  WHAT MAKES THESE PEOPLE SO SPECIAL?  ARE THEY REALLY DIFFERENT FROM YOU AND ME? WELL, MAYBE IF ONE CAN'T BECOME A FULL--TIME PREACHER, MAYBE ONE CAN SERVE GOD BY SINGING IN THE CHURCH CHOIR. THAT'S AT LEAST SOMETHING! JUST WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG THESE DAYS? HOW MANY COMMANDMENTS ARE THERE? MOST AGREE THERE ARE TEN, BUT THEY NUMBER THEM IN DIFFERENT WAYS. SOME SAY THERE ARE ONLY TWO, AND SOME ONLY ONE. SOME SAY THEY GET THEIR COMMANDMENTS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. SOME SAY THEY GET THEIRS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT, OR ONLY FROM JESUS. SOME SAY OUR CONSCIENCES SHOULD GUIDE US, AND NOTHING ELSE. HOW CAN A PERSON BE SURE?  WHO OR WHAT ARE ANGELS? HOW MANY ARE THERE? DOES EACH ONE OF US HAVE ONE OF HIS OWN. WHAT ARE THEY MADE OF?  DOES EACH OF US HAVE ONE OF HIS OWN?  WHAT ARE THEY MADE OF? CAN A PERSON SEE THEM?
 HOW DO THEY TRAVEL?  WHY DOES THE  CHURCH TALK SO MUCH ABOUT MONEY?
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE PUT IT IN ENVELOPES WHEN THEY GIVE IT IN CHURCH?  WHO GETS IT? THE MINISTER? WHAT HAS MONEY TO DO WITH RELIGION ANYWAY? WHY DO PREACHERS TALK SUCH A LOT ABOUT DYING? DEATH SEEMS SO GLOOMY AND FRIGHTENING!  SOME SAY WE CAN BE HAPPY ABOUT DYING. HOW? FUNERALS ARE OFTEN SAD AND DEPRESSING. JUST WHAT IS RELIGION ALL ABOUT? IT OFTEN SEEMS LIKE ONE BIG JIGSAW PUZZLE? SYLVESTER NOT ONLY HAS PROBLEMS FITTING TOGETHER WHAT GOES ON WITHIN THE CHURCH, BUT ALSO WITH RELATING "CHURCH" THINGS TO "OUTSIDE" THINGS. HIS PROBLEM IS TWOFOLD. HOW IMPORTANT IS CHRISTIANITY IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER ACTIVITIES IN LIFE? 
DOES CHRISTIANITY HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT HOW WE THINK AND ACT IN SPHERES OF DAILY ACTIVITY? ACCORDING TO MANY PEOPLE CHRISTIANITY SHOULD PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN "ALL OF LIFE?"
LIFE AS "THE TOTAL PIE." GOVERNMENT ON A LOCAL, INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.
EDUCATION. A PERSON NEEDS TO OBTAIN KNOWLEDGE TO DEVELOP SKILLS TO USE IN MEANINGFUL AND SATISFYING WAY.
MONEY. WE ARE ALL FASCINATED BY MONEY; THEY LIVE AS THOUGH IT IS ALL THAT MATTERS. THOUGH IT IS HARD TO GET BY WITHOUT IT.
LEISURE: WE ALL NEED LEISURE TIME TO 'RE--CREATE OUR BODIES AND MIND.
WORK: SOME LIVE TO WORK. OTHERS WORK TO LIVE. THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE THEIR HEART IN WHAT THEY DO.
RELIGION: SOME THINK "RELIGION " OR "CHRISTIANITY" IS ONLY A PART OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD FROM OTHER THINGS THEY DO.
 MOST PEOPLE AGREE THAT A PERSON NEEDS AT LEAST SOME RELIGION....... OTHERS LIVE AS THOUGH ALL THAT MATTERS IS RELIGION--THEY ARE SO HEAVENLY MINDED THEY ARE OF NO EARTHLY USE. HOW DOES IT ALL FIT TOGETHER?
 ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND LIFE. HE HAS MET PEOPLE
 WHO SEE LIFE IN BITS AND PIECES,
  WHO DIVIDE LIFE INTO COMPARTMENTS,
 WHO TALK ABOUT THEIR "POLITICAL INTERESTS,"
                                                   " LEISURE"   INTERESTS"
                                                   "  BUSINESS INTERESTS"
                                                    " CHRISTIAN  INTERESTS" AND SO FORTH.
SYLVESTER FEELS MUCH HAPPIER THESE DAYS BECAUSE HE IS LEARNING TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.

      THE WRONG QUESTION IS:  HOW DO I FIT CHRISTIANITY INTO ALL THESE OTHER THINGS?


        THE RIGHT QUESTION IS: "HOW DO ALL THESE OTHER THINGS FIT INTO CHRISTIANITY?"  SYLVESTER HAS PLACED THE WORD OF GOD AT THE CENTER OF HIS WORLD. TAKE CARE! THE BIBLE IS GOD'S VEHICLE FOR REVEALING HIMSELF.
AT THE CENTER OF THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE, THEN, IS SECONDARILY A BOOK, BUT PRIMARILY A PERSON, GOD HIMSELF.