IKON THIS WEEK 4.4.06: ABOUT FOOD OFFERED TO IDOLS

At ikon we're still teaching through Paul's letter to the new Christians in the city of Corinth (1 Corinthians) in our series titled, "A LETTER TO SIN CITY." And we're in the middle of some weird stuff we really don't deal with today: food for sale at the supermarket that was just blessed by a god we don't believe in. I've never once stood in the check out line wondering if I should or shouldn't put that pork chop back in the freezer section because it was sacrificed to a golden cow god just days before. Never.

But what chapter eight, the chapter we're talking about this week, does talk about that I have much experience with are the twin sisters legalism and license. One sits on a shoulder pounding her fist and yelling, "DON'T LISTEN TO THOSE PEOPLE MAKING RULES FOR YOU LIKE THEY'RE GOD! THEY CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT TO DO! YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO..." And the other sits nervous on my other shoulder, her notebook open, her pen writing feverishly every rule I must keep, checking each one off as I do. Her voice is quieter and shaky but relentless - "And don't do that either, that's dangerous - might offend somebody. What if Jesus came back while you were in that place doing you know what?"

So which voice do we listen to? How do we decide when rules are to be heeded or tossed aside altogether? Shoot, how do we even know what the rules are? Seems like everybody - especially Christians - have a few more to add to our already long list. If you're in the Nashville area and you see the world in stark black and white you might get a little irritated this week at ikon - but you're welcomed anyway. If you see no black and white anywhere you'll also have reason to squirm - but you're welcomed to. I'll squirm with you both as we have our ideas of right, wrong, love and community reshaped - and discover whether we should eat food offered to idols. You know, in case that ever comes up at the HEB or Publix in the future.