Kelly - Colossians 2

Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath Day (v. 16).

This line, and the following sentences confuse me a bit. They stab at the conflicts the church had as it entered into non-Jewish arenas. How do you know what is essential to the faith, and what is window dressing? Here even the Sabbath Day seems to be listed as non-essential.

I follow along with Paul's logic - that it is Christ's word we listen to, not "the world's" --- but how can we ever hear Christ's word apart from the way that Word is made manifest in the world around us?

Is it true that I should not let anyone judge my inner faith by my outward actions? In part, I know that my inner faith and my outward actions are not one and the same. But if I do not allow others to judge my actions - particularly those in the community - how can I be held accountable? Inner faith and outward actions are intertwined and mutually feed upon each other. And as we seek to grow together, there is a point in which I must grant the community some permission to judge my actions.

What we eat and drink may not be kosher, but they definitely are tied to our faith. Matthew and Heidi's diet is tied to their faith. An alcoholic's drinking is tied to his/her faith (yay for grape juice option at communion!). Keeping the Sabbath is tied to our faith.

I want to grow in faith - and I need the help of those around me to do so. So, go ahead, judge me. (a little)