God's Sorting Hat

Have you ever been called out by a hell fire and damnation preacher?  You know, one of those hard core, pound the fist on the pulpit, veins popping out from the neck and forehead, turn or burn proclaimers of God’s love and kindness?  Before they are done with you, they usually offer you their convicting challenge, “Are you right with Jesus?”


We’ve all heard of the “Come to Jesus moment” where we fess up for all of our faults, foibles and failings. The phrase is based on the concept of the moment at which you experience or display a conversion or recommitment to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.   In the secular world, a "Come to Jesus moment" also refers to a dawning or epiphany in which one realizes the true weight or impact of a negative situation or fact.  Some might call it “an aha” moment of truth where one reassesses one’s life priorities.

Most of you know my background and my pathway to ministry. Back in the day, I could not only blend in with the surfer hippies of the day, I was one!  When not wearing a clerical robe, it’s easy for me to blend in and look, well, normal.  It’s always interesting - on occasion - when I have been challenged about my “rightness with God” by a zealous evangelical who was unaware of my “born again” position with God.  I have to admit, it is fun to be a little playful with some of these “street-corner evangelists.”  

However, it’s not always on a street corner.  I once attended a funeral for a friend who had attended another denominational church, where the preacher called out the entire congregation.  While pointing to the casket, he challenged us that we had better “get right with Jesus because this (pointing to the dead body) could be you tomorrow.”   Wow!




 It's great theatrics and often very manipulative, but is it true?   Is there a point where God will actually divide us like the famous sorting hat used at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies?  Will some of us who are “right with Jesus” be sorted from those who are left behind, put into the rejected bin?

We have seen many versions of this sorting of objects based on some critical criteria for quality assurance in movies, commercial and assembly lines.  It’s the process of sorting higher quality items from lesser – we call it grade “A” or “B.”  Firsts or seconds. 

Really?  Some of us will be tapped as grade "A" sheep and others tapped as the “left behind” teeth-gnashing goats?  Sounds great if you are God’s sheep, but how do you know?  And, if not, what happens then?

What should be of interest to us is exactly what determines who’s right and who’s left. And, is there anything we might do in order to be tapped on the right side of our head with Jesus’ long staff, and thus be determined one of His sheep?

 

The answer might surprise you.  Here's a hint.  You cannot love God and Jesus just because you say the words!   It takes something more in addition.  If you would like to know the "more" join us this Sunday in worship as we explore the question, "Are you right with Jesus?"