Book of Faith - The Apostles' Creed

With the return of fall, we are back in conversation.  The group decided to take a little detour by discussing the Apostles' Creed.  Unlike the other great creeds, the Apostles' Creed does not have an exact date though it begins to appear around 104 A.D.   The creed was a fuller explanation of the faith than "Jesus is Lord".  The early church began to encounter interpretations of the faith that stood outside of what was understood as the gospel.  There were those who proclaimed that the God of the Old Testament was not the God of the New Testament.  There were those who proclaimed that Jesus only appeared to be human.  There were those who proclaimed that Christians had secret knowledge. Against these claims, the Apostles' Creed arose as a response.  In many ways, all of the creeds were battle documents equiping the faithful to meet the spiritual challenges they were facing in the world.  By seeing the Apostles' Creed as a battle document helps it to come alive in a very different way.  To see the creed is such a way invites us to ask what our the spiritual  challenges of our day and age that need to be address by our faith.  This served as the starting point for our exploration and conversation.

The group named a number of spiritual challenges.  First, we live in an increasing secular world.  It's more than soccer on Sundays.  Talk of God in not a part of the conversation for most people.  The need for the language of faith in ways that speak to people in our time becomes even more important.  Second, we live in a world where loneliness is a significant issue.  We are interconnected in a thousand different ways through technology and still feel alone.  The creed speaks of God connecting us and forming us into a community, a family.  Sin is what pulls us apart.  God and the work of the Holy Spirit is what brings us together.  In one way or another, we have all experienced that work of the Spirit, whether we call it the Holy Spirit or not, when we are brought together or are reconciled with another.  Third, we live in a world where the faith is either polarizing or vague.  The creed helps us to articulate who we are without being judgmental.  For me, the faith has been the answere for my life.  I share it because of what it has meant to me.  I make no demands of another.  The clearer my understanding and experience of my faith, the more patient and gracious I become.  I do not need to prove myself or my faith, I simply witness to it.  

Peace,
Pastor Summer

Book of Faith - Ephesians 6:10-18 - The Two Battles

We talked about Ephesus being one of the first Christian communities.  The language of the letter seems a little strange for Paul, though it is Pauline in its theology.  Paul usually addressed specific issues that were impacting the churches that were receiving his letters.  Ephesians is more general, though the points are significant.  Paul talks about putting on the whole armor of God.  This language sounds a little strange to modern ears, but the group felt that the imagery was very powerful to the community that received this letter. The power of darkness can be overwhelming.  For the early church, they certainly felt that power.  They had no army, no political clout, no social standing, no great wealth.  How could one stand against the powers of the world?  The imagery of armor had significance.

We then talked about doing battle against evil, the darkness of this world.  Left to ourselves, we will fall short.  It is only with the power of God that we can stand.  We talked about experiences where God (the Holy Spirit) helped us to stand.  As an example, my father walked into a riot that had broken out in the prison he was serving as chaplain.  In the cafeteria, black inmates were on one side and white inmates were on the other. It was a tinder box ready to explode.  My father was warned by the guards not to go into the cafeteria alone.  My father's answer was that he was not entering alone.  God was going with him.  He walked into that situation with the armor of faith and that armor made all the difference.  My father does not remember what he said, but the situation was defused.  My father gives all the credit that day to God.  He was just an instrument of God's grace.  It is that kind of empowerment that Paul lifts up in his letter.  An empowerment than can come to all of us through the Holy Spirit.  An empowerment that can have us face the evil of this world.

The Book of Faith will be taking a vacation during the summer and return in the fall.  I hope you have been following the blogs so far.  I hope you will join us again in September.

Peace,
Pastor Summer

Book of Faith - Genesis 1:1-10 - In the Beginning

Genesis is a fascinating book.  Written after the exile, Genesis addresses the question of beginnings.  The book is filled with stories that were told through the centuries and were then compiled in a wonderful tapestry.  In the first two chapters, we have two creation stories.  In the first chapter, we have the priestly telling of a cosmic God who speaks and creation happens and God's creation is both good and beautiful.  In the second chapter, we have a more ancient telling of the story where God does not speak but fashions creation with his own hands and breaths life into that creation.  Both of these stories are great and both of them need to be told.  These stories, like all stories, shape who we are and how we understand ourselves. We look at the world around us and see the gracious hand of God.  For our group, we understand that there is power in these stories.

This led to a discussion of stories.  Stories are a part of the fabric of our lives.  There are faith stories, but there are also national stories, family stories, and personal stories.  Sometimes the only way you can tell the whole truth is by telling a story.  I could describe my grandfather to you.  I could tell you that he was strict, not demonstrative, faithful, hard working, opinionated, and giving.  That description would paint a partial picture, but not the whole truth.  The best way would be for me to tell a story.  My grandfather would work quietly all year in his wood shop behind the garage making wooden toys for all the children in the neighborhood.  On Christmas Eve, he would deliver those gifts anonymously to all the homes.  He never wanted recognition and he never wanted thanks.  That's my grandfather.  In one short story, more truth is conveyed that in a whole list of adjectives.  The beauty of the Bible is that the Bible is a book of stories.

Stories have a way of speaking to us in the living of our lives.  We talked about the creation story in the first chapter.  Not only does the story speak of our beginning, but the story also speaks of possibilities in the here and now.  The God who moved over the water of chaos and created the world that is both good and beautiful is also the God who can work with the chaos of our own lives with the promise of creating something both good and beautiful.  This is a story people need to hear.

Next week:  Mark 9:14-31 - The Power of God and the Power of Man

Peace,
Pastor Summer

Book of Faith - Phillipians 3:12-4:7 - Message in the Stars

We have changed direction and are using Frederick Buechner's The Magnificent Defeat as a guide.  This week, we explored Buechner's sermon on this passage from Paul's letter to the church in Phillipi.  It's considered Paul's letter of joy.  What is amazing is the letter was written from prison.  Paul, it seems clear, loved the church in Phillipi.  He loved their generosity of spirit and gifts.  That does not mean that he did not have concerns.  He worried that some in the community felt that had made it.  They were saved by the grace of God in Jesus and nothing more was needed.  Many of those who felt that way to looked to Paul as a shining example of someone who was the "perfect" example.  Paul makes it very clear that he was not perfect and that he was still on the journey of becoming what God wanted him to be.  The group talked about how that expectation of being more than you are can be both encouraging and empowering.  We talked about teachers who saw more in us than we saw ourselves.  By extension, God sees more in us than we can imagine and calls us to live into that greater image.  We are all on the journey and we all have a ways to go.  May the journey continue for everyone of us.

Next, we turned to the sermon itself.  Buechner preaches how we look for the presence of God in large script i.e. the message in the stars.  Buechner is persuasive in saying, even if we had proof of God written in the stars, it would not be enough.  The real question is "So what?".    The group talked about the presence of God that takes place in our lives every day.  Often, we do not notice that presence at first.  When we come to realize that presence, the more often we experience that presence in the future.  We also talked about that awarenss being a gift from God, the gift of faith.  We  talked about bearing witness to that faith rather than teaching the faith.  One of the keys is finding a touchstone for conversation.  What has a person experienced that is real to them which suggests something holy is happening?   I often ask the confirmation class when and where they have experienced God in their lives?  Many times, they have no clear answer, but when we talk about their lives and the most meaningful moments that have occurred, we often find one of those touchstones when I can say, from my understanding of the faith, that was a moment of grace, that was the presence of God.  

In the weeks to come, we will be continuing to use The Magnificent Defeat.  You can order one of the books through the office even if you can't come on Wednesday.  Next week, we will be studying In the Beginning: Genesis 1:1-10.  Join the conversation!

Peace,
Pastor Summer

Book of Faith - John 13-17 - Discourses and Prayer

Unlike the other gospels, John includes a long discourse by Jesus at the Last Supper and a prayer.  John does not lift up the final meal, but includes the washing of the disciples feet.  The group was taken by the imagery of Jesus' washing feet, which would have been the job a servant.  The group felt that this act may have had a greater impact on the disciples, at that time, than the bread and wine.  Having Jesus washing their feet must have moved them deeply.

The group found the discourses of Jesus not easy to interpret.  The feeling was that these were the words of John given to Jesus.  John wanted to speak to issues facing the church in his time.  The church was no longer welcome in the synagogues.  The church was alone in the world and often rejected.  The cult of John the Baptist was still around and thriving.  And the gnostics were planting the seeds that Jesus was not human and could not have been truly incarnate.  Against these three, John wanted to speak.  Through Jesus, the disciples were told that they were not alone, that Jesus was sending the Holy Spirit.  Jesus reminded the disciples that John the Baptist was subservient to Jesus (a theme repeated earlier in the gospel).  Jesus tells the disciples the God is in him and He is in them.  There is an organic union between God and them, between spirit and flesh.  The incarnation is real and they would be carrying out the work of God in the world.

The group found that the prayer of Jesus centered on two themes, unity and love.  For the gospel of John, the hallmark of the community of Christ, the church, was captured in those two themes.  The world would recognize the church by the church being united and by the church being a community of love.  John's hope and vision of the church did shape that early community.  They were know as the "people of the way".  The world did notice that they embodied a different spirit that was reflected in caring for others, inclusion, and service.  That hope and vision of John still shapes the church today.

We will now be moving into the final moments of Jesus' life.  You are invited to join us on Wednesday at noon at the CEB.  We are continuing with chapter 18.  Join us in exploring this great story of Jesus as told by John.

Peace,
Pastor Summer

Book of Faith - John 13 - The Certainty of Christ

The winter weather and Christmas celebrations have delayed a new entry, but we are now back in pocket.  Our goal is to finish John by Easter.  We have now arrived at the Last Supper.  The most intriguing aspect of John's telling of the events is that he does not include the Eucharist.  Instead, he tells of Jesus washing the disciples feet.  The group felt that this act, which was to be done by a slave, may have had a deeper impact than the supper on the disciples.  Jesus begins the meal as the host. The disciples look around to see who will serve as the servant to wash their feet (the expected practice at a meal).  Jesus takes them by surprise and strips down to become the servant.  No wonder Peter initially refused.  Jesus becomes a living parable of the servant leader that is to be a model for his disciples and the church.  The truth is that the church has been a greater witness to the Gospel when the church has been a servant leader rather than a political leader. 

The other point of conversation was around the image of Jesus.  In the gospel of John, Jesus is so certain.  He knows what's going to happen.  He knows how people will react.  He knows the timetable for every event.  He is never surprised. He never doubts.  He never struggles.  This Jesus seems very different from the Jesus of the other gospels.  In those gospels, Jesus seems more human, more approachable, and more like us.  We agreed that we need all four gospels to tell the story of Jesus.  We like the Jesus of the synoptic gospels, but we also appreciate the certainty of the Jesus in John.  There are time when we need that certainty.  When we make the declaration that Jesus loves us or Jesus forgives us or Jesus goes to prepare a place for us, we want the certainty.  We don't want any doubt or wiggle room.  The certainty of those declarations speak deeply and profoundly to us.  We want that certainty of Jesus.

As you can see, the conversation continues.  You can still join us.  We will be meeting next Wednesday at the CEB at noon or you can follow the blog.  We will be moving into chapter 14.

Peace,

Pastor Summer