a little evangelical fervor

Sunday August 31^st,  Romans 12: 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Think about this list from Paul.  Verse 9, religious right and tea party all the way……. But wait!  Verse 10, well they could be talking about us, the religious elite, the raging Pelagius, who have all the right answers and have earned every bit of grace they have unlike some others.  Verse 11, o yeah!!  That’s the religious right because it certainly is not the Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians or Presbyterians.  Verse 12, Oh Yeah!! Defiantly the religious right, upbeat music, prosperity gospel, we have it right and they have it wrong, definitely the religious right.  Verse 13!!!! What the hell is Paul talking about!!!  What if the world did just that?  What if the world loved that which was sincere, chose good over evil, loved and honored one another, was alive in Christ and filled with hope and prayer, practiced hospitality and cared for those in need?  What if?  What if congregations did that even a little bit?  What if?  Most people reject Christianity because it deals with hot button issues rather than love issues.  We are more concerned with who someone loves than with how someone loves.  But what if??  The New Enthusiasts in Christianity has verses 9-12 down, us mainline protestants, not so much, and we should.  Verse 13, we understand it even if we don’t practice it so well.  Perhaps we could have a synthesis, a little evangelical fervor, a little mainline protestant understanding.  Then we could be the church!!!!