I know, I know...more birds. Today is the Seventh Day of Christmas. Seven Swans A-Swimming remind us of the Seven Gifts of the Spirit. Now, all my Pentecostal friends are probably ready to wage war arguing that there are more than Seven Gifts of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 mentions nine gifts. More gifts, as well as those mentioned in 1 Corinthians, are mentioned in Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11-12 and 1 Peter 4:10-11. Theologians will often divide these gifts between "administrative" gifts, "sign" gifts and "operative" gifts.
In the early Church, what we call the Old Testament was pretty much the only Scriptures that was used as the New Testament was being written. Many early Church theologians developed much of their ideas about the Gifts of the Spirit from Isaiah. According to the early Church Fathers, Isaiah 11:2-3 listed the gifts of the Spirit as those which were bestowed upon Christ. When a person was baptized and brought into the mystical Body of Christ, the Church, all were bestowed the same seven gifts. They are listed in Isaiah as wisdom, understanding, counsel, might (courage), knowledge and the fear (awe) of the Lord. In the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas, one of the most revered theologians listed these six plus the gift of piety or reverence. These seven gifts were given to all believers. They do seem to be universal gifts and are the marks that should be exemplified in the life of every disciple of Christ.
Too often, Christians will exonerate themselves from certain works by saying that they do not have certain gifts. Elders will excuse themselves from teaching citing that they don't have the gift of teaching. Though this might be true, all Christians have been given the gift of understanding and counsel. The Spirit brings to us the gift of courage to stand for the Truth of the Gospel in all times and places. This is an admonition given to us my many of the New Testament writers, notably, the Apostle Paul. Would the New Testament call us to certain works unless there was a certainty that God, who has begun a good work in us, will see it to completion (Philippians 1:5-7). Be encouraged. God is calling you by the power of the Spirit given to us liberally, to be an evangelist, a teacher, an encourager, a servant of the Kingdom. Does that mean all are called to be Ministers, Elders or Deacons? No. However, God is calling you to live into your baptismal gifts. Use your seven gifts to serve the cause of justice, peace and to call the world to the knowledge of God through Christ Jesus. Use your seven gifts to the glory of God.
I don't know about you, but the bird theme is growing comical. Six Geese A-Laying marks the Sixth Day of Christmas. Generally, when we think about the creation narrative in the book of Genesis, most will tell you that God created the universe in 7 days. Depending on how one wants to interpret the theme of the Creation Story, God actually created the universe in six days. This is the teaching the six geese are to serve as a reminder. For our reflection today, I would respectfully take issue with both the song and with you Bible scholars out there who might argue with me. Consider for a moment that the reason the seventh day is included is that which God did is essential to the creative process. That one thing? Rest!
In our current culture of cell phones, wi-fi internet and constant contact, rest is elusive. I am told that one of the things that made the United States a great world power is the work ethic of her citizens. We now have a work force that counts itself lucky if they are able to secure two weeks vacation per year. The irony remains that European workers, who enjoy at least four weeks per year in vacation are considerably more productive per unit per hour than US workers. Perhaps the Creation Story reminds us of both an eternal paradigm as well as a global paradigm that rest is integral to productivity and creativity. It is not a mistake that the Laws given to us by Moses call us to rest on the seventh day as did our God. Consider that your preoccupation with work and "stuff" may actually be hindering you from being the creative and productive person to which God is calling you. Work hard, do your best and take time to rest. Enjoy your family, time alone in reflection, worship in Church, a good book or whatever it is that relaxes you. God created us. God knows all that we need. Part of what is essential to our well being is rest. Remember the six days God worked and remember too the Seventh Day, when God rested.
Even if the majority of people can't remember the gifts from the other days, everyone knows what my true love gave to me on the fifth day. Five Golden Rings represent the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures, commonly known as the Pentateuch or the Torah. For modern Christians, we often become enthralled with the history of God's people before the Exodus and are unable to get through the rest of the books as they outline, what for many, is a tedious outline of the Law and what the ancient Hebrews had to do to receive forgiveness of their sins. For the Christian catechist, that is, the one who would have used this song to learn the Christian faith, the Torah is a symbol of humankind's fall from grace and, as Paul teaches, that which shows us our need for a Savior. Romans 3:19-20; 5:12-12; 7:7-8; 10:4 and Galatians 3:15-25 outline the purpose of the Law as that which shows the need for a Savior.
In our culture, sin has become a series of offenses that violate our conventional beliefs of appropriate conduct. Throughout the history of the Church, theologians have debated the state of humanity. Most all agree that sin is not only wrong actions, but a state in which humanity exists. But what difference does it make to you and to me?
There is an old story. If a gold coin is dropped on your head, will it kill you? The answer rests not in the size of the coin, but how far it drops before it hits you. If it were to fall from a building and strike you on the head, it would be fatal. The old adage is intended to confront us not with the size of our sin, but the height of God's holiness. To use a modern perspective, the war is with our own humanity. It is not that we sin, rather, we are born sinners. Our propensity for self gratification and selfishness is overwhelming. Biologists will tell you that survival and self preservation are integral to what it means to he human. I couldn't agree more. The model of God's love is the opposite of our human condition. God in Christ exemplified self sacrifice. The call of the Gospel is to view ourselves not as an end to be protected and glorified, but as a part of something bigger. We are called to be a part of a larger Body, the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). Sin is that human proclivity to seek our own will and an open, virulent resistance to the Lordship of our Creator. You mean you are calling me to submit to something outside of my own desires and needs? Yes! I am asking you to consider something larger than yourself. I am asking you to think of the eternal implications for not only your own self that ultimately ends in death and darkness, but the implications for others, for all of creation to which you are being called.
The holiness of God is the fullness of existence. Unless you die to yourself, you will never live. However, that death must be for Truth. Christ is Truth (John 14:1, 6; 18:37). The Torah reveals the height of God's holiness. Come out of the darkness and into the Light of Christ, His Body, His Church (Colossians 1:24), His bride (Luke 5:35; John 3:29).
Four calling birds opens the fourth day of Christmas. At this point, we become victims of modern English. Anciently, the song spoke of four "colly" or "collie" birds. Slang for "coal" a colly bird was essentially a European black bird, a counterpart to our American Robin and a member of the Thrush family. What does this all have to do with anything? Colly birds were known for their beautiful singing. Of course, at this point, I am refraining from telling you the legend of the American Robin, perhaps in a future posting. The colly birds or calling birds represent the four Gospels in the New Testament. Remember your Sunday School lessons. There are four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The first three are called the synoptic Gospels because they basically give a synopsis of the life of Jesus and by and large very similar. The fourth Gospel, the Gospel of John, is more a theological treatise about Jesus. The last Gospel to written and one of the later books of the New Testament, the writer uses Jesus' life and teaching to reveal Truths about Jesus. Most poignantly is the teaching of Jesus' preexistence. "In the beginning was the Word (the second person of the Godhead...Jesus), and the Word was with God and the Word was God." (John 1:1 ESV)
The Gospels are revered writings of the New Testament, as they record what is considered the words of Christ. In many churches, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) included, the people will stand as the Gospels are read in public worship. Many Bible translators record those words using red print and scholars enjoy arguing about whether or not they really are Christ's actual words. In that I am not a scholar, it isn't one of my favorite things about which to argue. They are in the Canon of Scripture, so that pretty much settles it for me. Each Gospel reveals Christ from a different perspective. Mark, the oldest, records Christ's life from his Baptism through his resurrection, although old copies of the Gospel end at the crucifixion. Mark presents the acts of Jesus' life. Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and that he is the Messiah. Luke is the social justice Gospel and is considered by some to be the Gospel to the Gentiles. In Matthew, Jesus the descendant of David, in Luke his lineage is traced to Adam, the father of humanity, and that we are all the sons and daughters of God.
Reading the Gospels is an invitation into the day to day life of Christ. They allow the Christian to, like the disciples, walk with the Master. In Greek education, the students would sit at the feet of the teacher and the Gospels allow us to sit and hear the teachings of Christ for ourselves. I often am asked how we might know Christ better. A good place to start is to simply read the Gospels.
The word Gospel in Greek comes from the same word from which we get the word "evangelist" and is closely related to the word "angel" which simply means "messenger." The four calling birds remind us of the messengers of God who have us the teachings of Christ. They also encourage us, in like manner, to be the messengers of God as we share the good news of God's love through Christ Jesus. May the four calling birds invite you to learn at the feet of the Master, the Teacher of humanity and rise to share His good news with the world.
It is only the Third Day of Christmas and already people are no longer turning on their Christmas Trees or their outside lights. I even saw some folks taking their decorations yesterday. Christmas continues though and today we receive three French Hens. These are the three Theological Virtues. From Paul's first letter to the Church at Corinth he writes, "And now, faith, hope and love abide, these three, and the greatest of these is love." These are some of the most powerful tools in our part as co-laborers for God's Kingdom.
Hope is not wishful thinking. A Biblical hope is confident expectation. "For in this hope we are saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? For if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:24-25 ESV) Hope is the beginning. It is for that which is not yet known. Hope is the fuel to dreams. It drives us to grab on to God's vision for creation. It is the ability to see with God's eyes, if only for a moment. It blinds us to the ruse that sin and darkness uses to draw us to wander. It is the ability to see through the pall of pain and death that we might know that our present situation is only temporary. Hope is temporary. True hope ultimately leads to fulfillment.
Faith is not the counterbalance for blessings and success. Too often, our contemporary pseudo-religious leaders herald to our culture that if we have enough faith, we will prosper. Remember, our Faith is a Biblical Faith. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1 ESV) Faith is action on our part which is directly proportional to the one, or One, in whom we have hope. If our hope is in God, faith drives us on in the face of the storms of doubt, trouble and persecution. Faith is temporary. True faith ultimately becomes sight.
Love is the most overused and misunderstood of the virtues. In this verse from Paul's letter, this word translated "Love" is "agape." Unlike the English, this kind of love is not a romantic or physical love. This agape love is a self sacrificing love. 1 John 4:8 defines love in its clearest sense. "Anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God is love." God doesn't just love us, God IS love. Everything God does comes from His person, His love. The object of God's love, most notably, humanity, does not merit God's love, but simply is enfolded in it. The clearest expression of this love is Christ's prayer in the Garden hours before his arrest and crucifixion. "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." (Luke 22:42 ESV) Christ did not FEEL this love. He actually preferred to avoid it. This love was an act of the will, not of the heart or mere emotion. It was not just an act of human will, but divine will. Love, therefore is not only an act of the will, it is an act of God's will within us. It is, according to Paul, the greatest virtue. Unlike hope and faith, love is not temporary. It is eternal. It is of God, it is God.
Today is the Second Day of Christmas. In the calendar of the Church it is also the day we remember the martyrdom of St. Stephen. A deacon of the first century Church and the first martyr, Stephen was stoned while Saul, later to become the Apostle Paul, held the cloaks of those throwing the stones. Stephen is said to have uttered the same words as our Lord, "Father, forgive them." This day was made famous by the John Mason Neale's carol, Good King Wencelas. The King and his page go out to help a poor man on the "Feast of Stephen." Considered the longest and coldest night of the winter in ancient time, this day is a day to ask ourselves about the sacrifices to which we are often called as followers of Christ. Sometimes, disciples of Christ are called to give even their life for the cause of the Gospel.
As we continue in our reflections on The Twelve Days of Christmas, today we remember the gift of two turtledoves. The two written revelations of God's love for the world, the Old Testament and the New Testament, we are reminded that though our faith is rooted in the person of Jesus Christ, we know of this revelation through Holy Scripture. Scripture is the primary authority of our faith for those of us in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Though we may use the traditions of the Church to interpret it in our own experiences using the gift of a reasonable mind, our faith is ultimately a Biblical Faith. Unfortunately, too many Protestants have abdicated the discipline to read and study Scripture for the much easier authority of our own personal experiences in search of an emotional high.
Imagine, if you will, what the thousands of Christians in other lands who pray each day for an opportunity to read and study Holy Scripture would say to many Christians in this nation as our Bibles gather dust on the bottom shelf of a coffee table. It is not the leather clad pages that give us power and protect us from the darkness of doubt and fear, but the One to whom the writing on the pages bear witness. It is Christ who is our Savior and Guide. One of the most powerful ways to understand Him, to grow in deeper relationship with Him is to read the revelation of His ministry in the Gospels, the teaching of His person and work in the Epistles and His coming again in the Revelation to John. Within the pages of the "first turtledove" we hear of God's creative power, His love for humanity and humanity's rebellion. The Law and the Prophets lead us to promise of the Messiah. Together, these two turtledoves, these two Testaments lead us to Christ and allow us to open our hearts to his word and in so doing, we become disciples of the Word, Jesus Christ.
Today is December 25, the First Day of Christmas. It is properly called the Feast Day of the Nativity. The seasons stretches from the celebration of the birth of Christ to the arrival of the Magi on Epiphany (January 6). Historians argue about why Christmas is 12 days, some arguing the perfection of the number "12" and others proposing that it is a Christianized version of a 12 day pagan holiday pre-dating Christianity. The days that follow December 25 speak to several themes in the daily readings as the Church encourages us to remember the Incarnation of God. In this year's cycle in the Protestant lectionary there is also an emphasis on the childhood of Jesus, which is rather scant in the New Testament.
Perhaps the most famous and misunderstood song that outlines the 12 days of Christmas is, well, the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. On the first day, the gift that my true love gave to me was a "partridge in a pear tree." It is popularly considered that the partridge refers to Christ. Popularized by Linus in the Charlie Brown Christmas movie, there is a reference to Christ as a mother partridge who protects her young. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem! How often I would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so..." (Luke 13:34).
The problem with this perspective is that most scholars agree that the song was written by Roman Catholics trying to maintain their faith under Protestant England. In Roman Catholic iconography and imagery, a partridge almost always represents Satan. From 1 Samuel 26:20 and Jeremiah 17:11, the partridge is characterized as a negative symbol. In 1 Samuel, the King of Israel actually goes out to hunt the partridge. Many scholars propose that the King of Israel, Jesus Christ, hunts the partridge...Satan...and delivers him vanquished. This first day, therefore, is a reminder that Christ has defeated Satan and the powers of darkness.
Regardless of your perspective, this first day is a focus on the One who is born, Christ Jesus. He is the author and finisher of our faith. We are Christians, followers of Jesus Christ. We are a people who proclaim Him as "true God from true God." Jesus is the Son of God, God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. "In the beginning was the Word (the capital "W" always means that the word is referencing Christ, not the Bible...a lower case "w" is the Bible) and the Word was with God and the Word was God." (John 1:1)
Remember Christ this Christmas Day. He is alive. He is here. He is within you. He is in the sacred mystery of our Lord's Supper. He is in the proclamation of the word, the sermon. He is in the world and it is through Him the world both came into being and remains to this day. Merry Christmas to all my fellow disciples of Jesus Christ.
Ironic that a bunch of evangelical Protestants are singing a song written by Roman Catholics to celebrate their faith in England when Christmas had actually been outlawed by the Protestant Church and Government. Not only does "The 12 days of Christmas" teach aspects of the Roman Faith, but allowed Roman Catholic Christians to remember that Christmas was not just a day but an entire season. Eventually Martin Luther's brand of Protestantism brought other Protestants to their sense and we begin celebrating Christmas again. That is, everyone except the Puritans. Angered not only at the pagan origins of many of the Church's holidays, they were furious that the King of England was making it mandatory that every Christian only use his "Authorized Version" of the Bible, commonly known as the King James Version. They left Europe and sailed for America where they established the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The irony? Modern day socially conservative evangelical Protestants (like the Puritans) will be using the King James Version at their Christmas Eve Services. But then again, so will I. Merry Christmas everyone.
Today (November 30) is the feast of St. Andrew, the first disciple of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Liturgically, it is the day that determines when Advent begins, as the first Sunday in Advent is the day closet to St. Andrew's day.
We are first introduced to Andrew in John 1:35-42. "The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to Him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, as said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (Which means Peter). (Revised Standard Version)
After Pentecost, many believe that Andrew went to Greece to preach the Gospel becoming the leader of the Christians stretching from Greece to what is today Istanbul in Turkey. He was crucified in Achaia by order of the Roman Governor Aegeas during the reign of Emperor Nero. He was tied, not nailed, to the "X" shaped cross in order to prolong his sufferings. Bernard of Clairvaux, in a sermon he preached on this day in the year 1153, recorded Andrew as saying as he was being led to the cross, "O Cross long desired and now offered to my soul's desires! I come to you full of joy and assurance. Receive me then with gladness, for I am the disciple of Him who hung from your arms." Tradition records that Andrew preached the Gospel for two days straight while on the cross, succumbing to death on the third day. After his death, he was buried near Byzantium, which became Constantinople and is now Istanbul.
Many stories abound of what happened to his remains, but ultimately, they are reported to have been taken to what is today Scotland. St. Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland as his "X" shaped cross is prominent on their flag. Ultimately, his cross was adopted by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to remember the Scottish roots of the founders, Thomas and Alexander Campbell. St. Andrew is the patron saint of fishermen, as he was a fisherman, and of the laity. As the Disciples of Christ have a strong practice of ministry for the laity, the reasons to use his cross was further strengthened.
A Prayer for today: Lord, in your kindness hear our prayers. You called Andrew to preach the Gospel and guide your Church in faith and courage. May his life and witness so empower us to speak the Truth with tender boldness. Remember the ministry of all the faithful and guide the laity of your Church to claim their baptismal ministry to preach the Gospel, visit the sick and imprisoned and care for the poor. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son and our Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
What makes this feast so important that the Church celebrates both the night before All Saints and the day after it? The Church has always honored those early witnesses to the Christian faith who have died in the Lord (The Greek word for "witness" is martyr). During the first three hundred years, Christians were severely persecuted, often suffering torture and bloody death -- because they were faithful.They refused to deny Christ, even when this denial might have saved their own lives, or the lives of their children and families. The early history of the Church is filled with stories of the heroic faith of these witnesses to Christ's truth. The stories of these saints -- these baptized Christians of all ages and all states in life, whose fidelity and courage led to their sanctity or holiness -- have provided models for every other Christian throughout history. Many of those people whose lives were particularly noteworthy and whose names and stories were known, the Roman Church later canonized (that is, the Church formally recognized that the life of that person was without any doubt holy, or sanctified -- a state to which all Christians can strive).The Church's calendar contains many saints’ days, which Romans, Orthodox, Anglicans and Protestants observe.These days are ones in which we can honor the life and death of Christians who gave all that we may know the Gospel.During the years of the primitive Church, there were thousands and thousands of Christian martyrs, the majority of whose names are known only to God.How could the Church remember them?In order to honor the memory -- and our own debt -- to these unnamed saints, and to recall their example, at some point during the 4th century, it seems that the Churches dedicated a special feast day -- a sort of "memorial day" -- so that all living Christians would celebrate and be encouraged by the lives and witness of those "who have died and gone before us into the presence of the Lord.”The earliest memorial of the death of a saint in recorded history is the Martyrdom of Polycarp of Smyrna in 155 AD.Observed at least as early as 167 AD, it was included in the Eusebius epistle entitled, Ecclesiastical History.Although scholars debate the actual dates of the memorial observance of Polycarp, recent discoveries of early Christian calendars in Rome list the first known undisputed feast day of two saints in the year 258 AD (still the height of pagan persecution of Christians).The Feast Day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, who are considered the founders of the Church in Rome, was celebrated on July 29.Remember, it was in the 4th century that the Edict of Toleration (313 AD) was issued.Memorials of those who had been martyred may have been commonplace during earlier years, but would have been secretive.Christianity was not the official religion of Rome yet, although Christians are now permitted to worship and express their faith freely.It was during this time that the Church would have publicly reminded the world of the gruesome deaths of Christians during the preceding 300 years. Soon, the Feast Day of All Martyrs was being celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. At the height of the ministry of Boniface IV (608-615), Bishop of Rome, many pagan temples were consecrated as Christian churches.In 609 AD, the Byzantine emperor Phocas donated the Pantheon to the Bishop of Rome as a gesture to recognize the Bishop of Rome as the supreme bishop of the Christian Church.[1]Marcus Agrippa[2] built the Pantheon in 27 BC as a tribute to all the gods.The legacy of persecution by his future family served as somewhat of an irony for what would follow.On May 13, 609 AD, Bishop of Rome Boniface IV (608-615) reburied the bones of martyrs in the Pantheon and dedicated it as the Church to the Mother of God and all the Holy Martyrs. About a hundred years later, the Bishop of Rome Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a new chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter to all saints (not just to the martyrs) on November 1, and he fixed the anniversary of this dedication as the date of the feast.With the rise of an emperor of the “Holy Roman Empire,” Charlemagne pushed for a standardization of religious holidays.Up until that time, local bishops appointed particular seasons for particular celebrations that differed greatly throughout the world.A century after that, the Bishop of Rome Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration of All Saints to November 1 for the entire Church.Since the time of Boniface IV, the Roman Church showed great interest in the Christians of Scotland, England and Ireland.Gregory I (the Great) established the first Archbishopric in Canterbury in 597 AD, and circa 840 AD, Gregory IV invested the pallium[3] upon the Archbishop of Canterbury.It is relatively apparent that the moving of the date of All Saints was in some way connected to an already established celebration rooted in Celtic Christianity and pre-Christian Celtic celebrations.Many of the images and traditions of these Celtic celebrations begin to find their way into universal world observances.Ultimately, the vigil of this important feast, All Saint's Eve, Hallowe'en, was apparently observed as early as the feast itself. Ever since then -- for more than a millennium -- the entire Church has celebrated the feast of All Saints on November 1, and of course, Hallowe'en on October 31. All Soul’ Day began to develop as the “doctrine of purgatory” grew more popular in the 6th - 11th centuries.There were many groups within the Church who believed in some intermediate state between life and heaven.These groups were spread through the ancient world and differed widely.Some groups believed that souls were in a state of sleep, others believed there was a time and place for people to have one last chance to accept Christ, and still others believed that souls went through a time of purification.This purification would not be defined for over 600 years and became commonly known as Purgatory, where Christians who would ultimately go to heaven were purified by fire.Luther rejected this doctrine, though he refused to reject the tradition of praying for the dead.During the English Reformation, most Anglicans who were sympathetic to Rome maintained the doctrine of Purgatory and the celebration of All Souls’ Day.Though Methodism as a movement rejected the doctrine “as repugnant,” John Wesley, who was an Anglo-Catholic priest and died an Anglican priest, believed in the intermediate state between death and the final judgment “where believers would share in the ‘bosom of Abraham’ or ‘paradise,’ even continuing to grow in holiness there,” writes Ted Campbell, a professor at Perkins School of Theology, in his 1999 book Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials (Abingdon). The Methodist Church has not officially affirmed this view. The Connection of Non-Christian Celebrations with Christianity When most people think of Halloween, ghosts, ghouls and witches are the first things that come to mind.In many ways, these are recent aberrations to a once-sacred Christian holiday.The word Halloween is a modern English transliteration of an Old English word Hallowe’en which when translated means, “The Holy Eve.” In the ancient world, questions of why days got shorter or longer and why temperatures rose and fell were difficult to answer.Earth’s orbit around the sun was unknown and so it became the job of pagan (as in non-Christian) religious leaders.Myths and stories were used to explain these changes and celebrations around events within the community marked the transitions of life.With the harvest and the cold of winter beginning to set in, the world seemed to die.It was a good time to remember the ancestors as the world slept in a winter slumber to awaken again in spring.Many of these celebrations and symbols were culturally specific and what was seen as bad in one culture was considered good in another.We will discuss some of these symbols later. Perhaps more than any other culture, the myths of the Germans, the Scandinavian tribes and the Celts/Picts of the British Isles most influenced the Church’s celebrations.Christmas marked the Winter Solstice; Resurrection Sunday was changed to Easter, a pagan celebration of the goddess Ester during the spring equinox.For the ancient people of the Northern Hemisphere, the rotation of life with the Summer Solistice (June), the Autumnal Equinox (September), Winter Solistice (December) and the Spring Equinox (March) were the cycles of life.When Christians converted most of these European peoples, they gave Christian meanings to these holidays. Some seasons and their pre-Christian origins: Holiday: Literally means “Holy Day.” Christmas: This is a more recent term taken from the phrase “The Christ Mass.”Originally known as the Feast Day of the Nativity, Christmas was the celebration of the birth of Jesus.The early church did not celebrate births, as such a practice was known only among the pagans.However, Christians in North Africa are the first to celebrate Christ’s birth. The Evergreen Tree: Commonly known as the Christmas Tree, the Germanic tribes revered the evergreen tree because it did not appear to die in the winter with all the other trees.Evergreen has become a Christian symbol of eternal life. Mistletoe: In pagan tradition, it too was symbol of life as it continued to be green after autumn.It appeared to grow from a “dead” tree.In Christian tradition, the cross that was used to crucify Christ was from a mistletoe tree, a once proud and strong tree.After the crucifixion, the mistletoe tree was cursed (or embarrassed, depending on the myth) and from that day forward only grows as a small bush. Santa Claus: A combining of Norse mythology and the Greek tradition of St. Nicholas.“Santa” means “Saint” and is no way to be confused with “Satan.”The modern day Santa Claus is a 19th century creation. Easter: The later identification of the Feast Day of the Resurrection.Easter was a pagan celebration of the fertility goddess Ester. Rabbits and Eggs: Originally symbols of Ester.Eggs became associated with Mary Magdalene, who used a painted egg to convert a pagan king. All Saints’ Day/ All Souls Day / Halloween: One of the four oldest holidays which are Pentecost, the Feast Day of the Resurrection, the Feast Day of the Nativity and All Saints’ Day. Bats: In Celtic culture, bats were seen as good animals in that they conquered the night and ate insects and mice/rats.Mice and rats were seen as the enemy of the farmer, especially after harvest, the event that culminated with the celebration of All Saints’ Day. Black Cats: Another enemy of mice, and therefore, considered a good omen.They were also considered good signs of fertility due to their reputation for procreation.It was not until the Puritans that cats were viewed as evil as they were most active at night and considered promiscuous.Black was not considered an “evil color” until the age of the Puritans. Skeletons: Used as ancient symbols of mortality and were the prominent “visual aids” used by early missionaries to the British Isles to convert the Viking invaders.Skeletons were to remind Christians of the Saints who died and humanity’s mortality.Therefore, the skeletons were a visual admonition to “get right with God.” Pumpkins: A new world gourd used as household lights. The ancient tribes of Scotland used a hollowed out turnip as a lamp.The idea that they were used to scare off evil spirits is a 19th century creation with no historical proof.The pumpkin was prolific in the new world and considered a sign of God’s blessings as they were used for food, for light and for vessels from which they would eat and drink. Trick or Treat: Commonly viewed as a pagan celebration, but there is little evidence to support this claim.There are myths of begging for alms among the poor in pre-Christian Scotland, but this was commonly done in the season after the Winter Solstice (January).During the period when All Souls’ Day was celebrating by Roman Catholic England (pre-Reformation), the poor would often rely on the good will of the wealthy.Soul Cakes (modern doughnuts) would be distributed as a gesture of goodwill.The first documented “Trick or Treat” was not until 1930. Witches: Practitioners of the Wiccan religion.Wiccans consider themselves modern day Druids.Witches view the world as a battle between good and evil elements.Druids did not have such a concept.During the Middle Ages, witches were considered anyone who used divination or other sorcery.Horoscopes are a form of divination. Werewolves/Vampires/Frankenstein/Zombies: These are all late 19th and early 20th century creations.Such images were matched with the All Saints’ Day, giving Halloween its “evil” tone by novelists and moviemakers, many of whom were intentionally shadowing already established Christian practices as a way of discrediting the Faith.
[1] Phocas was not universally accepted as emperor, earning the title “usurper.”Although the Bishop of Rome had enjoyed an unofficial role as a “first among equals” with regard to the major cities of the Roman world, the establishment of Constantinople as the new capital also led to the establishment of the new Patriarchate of Constantinople (formerly the bishopric of Byzantium) that now claimed primacy over Rome.When Phocas seized power from the emperor Maurice, he sought to execute the empress, Constantia and her daughters.The Patriarch, Cyriacus II, prevented Phocas from removing them from the church’s sanctuary, incurring Phocas’ wrath.Upon Cyraicus’ death, a new Patriach, Thomas I, was named.Inept and with little social graces, Thomas was not well liked by the populace.Phocas lowered taxes and increased government sponsored entertainment, like chariot racing, garnering great approval from the people.Phocas’ decree that Rome was still over Constantinople became as much a political ploy as a religious one.
[2] Agrippa was a loyal supporter of Julius Caesar and served as judge during the trial of Caesar’s assassins.The Pantheon was finished by Agrippa’s successor Hadrian, who built Hadrian’s Wall in Scotland.Agrippa’s grandson, Caligula, was a persecutor of the Church.Caligula is also credited with bringing back the obelisk, now known as the Vatican obelisk, from Egypt after having Ptolemy executed during an invitation for peace.Agrippa’s great grandson is none other than Nero, who burned Rome and blamed the Christians, leading to one of the most horrific eras of Christian persecution.
[3] The pallium was an ancient symbol worn by Greek philosophers as a sign that they were permitted to teach.During the earliest years of the Church, this replaced the prayer cloth worn by rabbis, as a sign that the presbyter (elder, priest) was permitted to teach.By the 8th century, the Bishop of Rome conferred the pallium upon certain leaders of the Church as a sign that they ruled with the same authority as the Bishop of Rome.
Everyone will tell you that we need to be thankful.Lists of reasons, admonitions and scolding for not being thankful will be commonplace in most churches over the next several weeks.To some degree, I will probably participate in that litany of life.I know I am supposed to be thankful.I know that too often I take for granted the blessings of God and the blessings enjoyed as citizens of this nation and community.It’s not that I don’t want to be thankful.In our lives that grow increasingly hectic, it is easy to forget the good things.
If you’re like me, I am guilty of not always being aware of the things in life for which I am thankful.In true divine practice, God startles me from time to time.It may be as small and brief as a moment to experience the colors of the season while walking from the Church to the Hospital.Sometimes it happens when a friend calls me for no reason in the middle of the day.Still other times it happens when I look into the eyes of our inconsolable infant son who has been crying for no discernible reason.
I remember the walk to the hospital.In making my calls that day I had gone by the hospital twice with no spots open in clergy parking and no other spots available for over four blocks.The Church is only five blocks, so I decided to simply go back to the Church and walk to the hospital.The walk started with a moment of irritation.Over half of the cars in the clergy spots were not clergy.A clergy spot is the only spot you can take and not risk a ticket or physical harm.Suddenly as I was walking, God startled me with a wave of Thanksgiving.The trees were ablaze with color.The crisp air was clean and invigorating.In that moment, God’s creation revived me and I was thankful that I had walked to the hospital that day.
I remember the day my friend called me.He is a pastor in Corpus Christi, Texas.We are really more like brothers then friends.We attended both college and seminary together.Since seminary, God has led us to pastorates that have been significant distances apart but we have always kept in touch by telephone and at Church conventions and assemblies.I was particularly busy that day and when I saw his name on my cell phone’s caller id, I considered letting it go to voicemail resolute that I would call him back later.However, instincts took over and I answered the call.He was just calling to see how our newborn was doing.We talked about family, friends and faith.God had startled me with a moment of Thanksgiving.I am thankful for my family and my friends.
I remember the shrieks of our infant son.He was fed and had a clean diaper.He was being held.What was causing the screaming?My wife and I took turns holding him, walking him around the house but with little affect.After about 20 minutes of the crying, I looked down at my son’s face, his lower lip pushed out, his mouth opened ready to scream again and tears rolling down his face with no wrinkles or imperfections to direct them.In a moment, his eyes met mine.This is my son.You see, my wife and I lost our first child, a daughter, Grace Sophia, who was stillborn.It was the hardest day of our lives.Getting pregnant is hard for us.Our physician and midwife, Dr. Richard Ford and Tracy Hunter had walked with us through both pregnancies.Our son was born on Dr. Ford’s anniversary and while he was having dinner with his wife, he got the call.I remember the birth of our son; his five days in the NICU, the nurses, the physicians, the prayers of our Church and my pastor colleagues throughout this community.Suddenly, God startled me with a moment of intense and profound Thanksgiving.
The United Kingdom is credited for being the first major world power to outlaw slavery.With the leadership of William Wilberforce, an evangelical member of the Church of England and student of John Newton (evangelical Anglican clergyman and author of Amazing Grace), Britain’s first legislation in 1807 laid the foundation of the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act.
In the United States, abolitionists had been active in ending the slave trade for years and began to organize so as to pass legislation as early as 1798.Since becoming the 15th State in 1792, Kentucky has had an unusual history with regard to abolition and civil rights.Complicated as this history might be, it was not complicated for a group of Christians meeting just outside of Paris, Kentucky at Cane Ridge.The site of the original camp meeting that formed the “Christian Church” portion of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) movement, the Cane Ridge Meeting House, like many houses of worship on the frontier, had a loft/balcony in the long cabin church for slaves.While the nation and the world continued its relentless march toward civil war and the ultimate end of slavery with the 13th Amendment in 1865, the Christians gathering at Cane Ridge had removed their balcony in the early 1820’s.
Even so, our past has not always been stellar with regard to abolition and civil rights.One of our founders, Alexander Campbell, while serving in the House of Burgess in what was then Virginia, argued for a “gradual emancipation” of the African slave so as to prepare both the emancipated slave and the southern economy for this new social order.Of course, this sounded reasonable to everyone except the slave. Yet, even in moments of uncertainty, by God’s grace, we have reminded ourselves of the radical equality of the Lord’s Table and consequently, the Lord’s Church.
For almost a half century, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has intentionally worked to address the racism of our society and the racism within our own church. We have called this process the Reconciliation Mission.Over the next two weeks, we will receive our annual free-will offering for Reconciliation.These funds make it possible to support mission work in urban and rural areas that address not only the cause, but also the effects of racism.This voluntary annual offering is the only source of funding for this ministry.
With the number of ethnic congregations being added to our Church growing and the increased numbers of African American, Latino/a and Pacific Asian members within our Church, the need for this ministry has become a vital means to ensure the strength and unity of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
From the first call to Christian unity, our human condition impeded its full realization. Everyone tended to find common ground with the philosophical proposal that the Church of Jesus Christ should be united. The question of the form and marks of this unified Church was quite another issue altogether. “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.” Ironically, it was this call, first issued by St. Augustine in the 4th century and popularized by the founders of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which set the tone for division. What items of faith are essential?
Thus far in our series of articles intended to prepare ourselves to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Declaration and Address, we have given an overview of the founders of our movement, Thomas Campbell, his son Alexander and Barton Stone. Last week we outlined how from this unity movement started by Thomas Campbell there are at least three distinct churches to have emerged, each viewing themselves as a continuation of the original intent of the founders. The irony is that these divisions are unique to the United States. The congregations in other countries are still essentially unified in other nations; although distinctions arise from congregation to congregation that mimic the practices of each of three movements in the US.
The largest of the three primary churches are the Churches of Christ. Commonly known as the “accapella churches of Christ,” this is considered the largest of the three with over 13,000 congregations and 1.9 million members. Clearly, the most conservative of the three, the Churches of Christ consider themselves “un-denominational.” The term first used by some of the early founders focused on the concept that in order to be truly part of Christ’s Church, one needed to dissolve their relationship with any denomination or “un-denominate” themselves. The Churches of Christ reject all creeds, believing that any person can simply read the Bible and come to a clear understanding of the true doctrine of the Christian faith. Theologically, they are anti-Calvinist and Amillennial in their view of the book of the Revelation. There remains a strong emphasis on the memorial celebration of the Lord’s Supper weekly, officiated by local elders. “Ministers” are often called Evangelists and are primarily responsible for preaching and teaching. Pastoral care is the primary responsibility of the local elders.
The term Independent Christian Church is a bit of a misnomer, in that they are by and large, members of the North American Christian Convention. There is much more diversity on issues of baptism and the role of clergy. With about 6,000 congregations throughout the US, the approximate membership is about 1.2 million. Although many of these congregations share similar views on issues of baptism and congregational autonomy, their theology has come to reflect a contemporary Evangelical perspective on many issues, including greater acceptance of a pre-millennial perspective on the book of the Revelation. Many of the nation’s “mega-churches” are affiliated with this body, including Southeast Christian Church (18,000 on Sunday / 6th largest in the US) in Louisville, Kentucky and Southland Christian Church (9,000 on Sunday) in Lexington.
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is the smallest of the three movements, with approximately 3,754 congregations and approximately 691,000 members. Considered the more progressive of the three movements, the Disciples of Christ holds many of the same practices as the Churches of Christ and Independent Christian Churches, but with an openness to varying perspectives and points of views among its membership, including great openness to women’s leadership in the Church, a higher view of ordained ministers and a strong ecumenical spirit toward other denominations.
As the nation was straining toward civil war, congregations began debating issue of slavery and State’s rights.In an effort to maintain unity, most of the early publications within our movement refused to publish articles or letters about the issue of slavery.Soon, other issues of “primary concern” emerged that served as identifiers of varying opinions.Debate over instrumental music and Sunday Schools took front page in most of our early magazines and newspapers.Those who were opposed to instrumental music and Sunday School programs were generally sympathetic to the South.Northern sympathizers were advocates of local autonomy on such issues while at the same time pouring money and resources in starting new African American congregations in Illinois and Ohio.Ultimately, in the U.S. Religious Census of 1906, the U.S. government classified these non-instrumental congregations (Southern sympathizers) as a separate denomination known as the Church of Christ.Incidentally, it was in the midst of this upheaval of the late 1800’s that led non-instrumentalist minister, M.C. Kurfees and instrumentalist minister, A.C. Hopkins, to work together in founding the first Christian Church in Ashland, later to be known as First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
The second major division began soon after World War II.Although historians disagree as to the instigating factors, it was clear that the United States was ending a military war and preparing for a cultural war.Issues of women’s role in the Church, civil rights and scientific theories on human origins challenged the Church’s efforts toward unity.As had been the case in the mid-19th century, the movement adopted other issues to serve as the public “essentials” to be debated.Missionary societies, the role of the Eldership, the preparation of clergy and which version of the Bible should be used in public worship became the sanctified “essentials” for debate.By the late 1950’s the movement embarked on a vast undertaking called Restructure, whereby the present structure of our denomination was established.As before, those who were supportive of women’s leadership in the Church and sympathetic to the Civil Rights movement were in favor of Restructure.Those who opposed desegregation and maintained more traditional roles for women opposed Restructure.By 1971, the final major split occurred with the independent Christian Church forming the North American Christian Convention and those accepting Restructure being identified as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
The primary founders of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) movement were Thomas Campbell, his son, Alexander and Barton Stone.The elder founder, Thomas Campbell, was, in my opinion, the wiser and more gracious of the three.Having served as the Pastor of Ahorey Seceder Presbyterian Church in Rich Hill, Ireland, he was the focus of much criticism for his efforts in trying to unite the various Presbyterian Churches in Northern Ireland.Eventually, Thomas moved to the United States and settled in the Washington County area of western Pennsylvania.His continued efforts to unify the Presbyterian Churches in the United States drew severe attacks from other clergy and laity alike.He ultimately resigned his membership from the Seceder Presbyterian Church and in 1809 drafted what has become one of the most influential documents in modern Christian history.The Declaration and Address was a radical statement of unity in a divisive season of the Church’s history.A document of moderate length, the phrase which shook the foundations of American Christendom was: “The Church of Christ upon earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one; consisting of all those in every place that profess their faith in Christ and obedience to Him in all things according to the Scriptures, and that manifest the same by their tempers and conduct, and of none else; as none else can be truly and properly called Christians.”
Thomas had hoped that his declaration might energize those within the Church to work for unity within their respective faith communities.He was frustrated that many were simply leaving their churches to start like-minded congregations in accord with the Declaration and Address.Concerned that he was only starting yet another denomination, he applied for membership and standing in the Presbyterian Church (USA), but was denied.With that, the Campbell movement of Disciples of Christ would ultimately merge with the Stone movement of Christian Churches, ultimately forming the first denomination celebrating non-denominational unity.Although the Declaration was ignored for the first 100 years, by 1909, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) had forged bridges with so many other denominations that the next 100 years would see a renewed vitality in Christian unity.No longer would Christians deny the authenticity of another denomination’s Baptism or Communion.An entire culture now asks the Church to ‘give us not your denominational names, but give us Christ.’Historians, theologians and scholars of all disciplines agree; the call to this radical unity was first heralded 200 years ago by a Scot-Irish preacher named Thomas Campbell.
In Church tomorrow, we will celebrate, as we do each Sunday, the resurrection of Christ. Actually, this is why Christians meet on Sunday. It is on the first day of the week, the day the tomb was found empty, we celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death. Our services at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are traditional...ok, very traditional. Some of the prayers we use every Sunday date back to the end of the first century. The overarching trend in all of our services of worship is threefold, a Trinitarian truth. Although we may not always succeed in conveying these themes, we try to focus on the eternality of God, the redemptive and unique work of Jesus Christ and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. As a matter of fact, even when we might celebrate other events, like our congregation's anniversary, the ordination of clergy, the installation of local elders and deacons or the dedication of an infant, the primary theme is still that Trinitarian truth. In the midst of all of these celebrations, we are aware that they are fleeting. Someday, our congregation may very well cease to exist, new officers will be installed and this clergyman along with all the saints that now gather at 1930 Winchester Ave in Ashland, Kentucky, will die. The only thing that is eternal in all of those celebrations is God.
Tomorrow (Sunday) will feature another celebration. My denomination calls it Freedom and Democracy Sunday. Our denomination is a North American denomination, not solely a US denomination. Therefore, our Canadian congregations might resist celebrating a specific holiday about the birth of a nation in which they do not live. Imagine if we celebrated the birth of the Queen. Nevertheless, everyone in the US knows what it is really all about. As American Christians, we are thankful for our nation. It may not be perfect, but it is one of the better nations in the world with regard to civil liberties, standard of living and basic freedom. Our Canadian friends are pretty good too, not to mention the English, the Swiss and the Germans. Their democratic and economic fruits were planted from seeds discovered during the Great American Experiment. Though ancient Rome may have been the first, greatest democracy in known human history, the founders of the US have remolded the known world. Even today, it is considered just and good to go to war to espouse these Jeffersonian ideals onto others. A people who seem happy and are not democratically free are either ignorant or faking it. Most of these founding fathers attributed the revelation of a republican democracy to their belief in God, specifically, a Christian understanding of God. To be sure, many of these original founders teetered on the brink of deism, nothing short of heresy to many traditional Christians, but even their deism was a Christian deism. This relationship with faith and a new ideal of how humans might govern themselves for the sake of peace and justice was soon understood as one in the same. I think I believe in this concept for the most part. Some say that a good monarchy is dependent on a good man being king. The same is true for a democracy. A good democracy is dependent on good people governing themselves.
The problem begins to arise, however, when our Christian faith finds itself coupled with not just the method of government, but the policies of that government. This is why many of my colleagues bristle at the thought of religious patriotism. I agree with some of their points. For the most part, I think we all would agree with some of their points. The big glaring point is: Sunday worship is for the glory of God. The response: So shouldn't we take a Sunday to thank God for the blessing of our nation? The answer: yes. The problem: Many churches will allow the service to celebrate the nation as eternal or that the policies of our nation are ordained by God. Those perspectives are misguided...if not wrong. As great as our nation is, it is not eternal. If the Lord chooses to tarry, the general lifespan of a great democracy is 500 years. Rome lasted 500 years. The US is almost middle aged. The fear of our actual lifespan is informed by a great literary work by Englishman Edward Gibbon (1737-1794), entitled The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. If the US is a mirror of the first great democratic experiment, we find ourselves about where Rome was mid way through its era of power and influence.
As Christians, we are keenly aware that our nation is not eternal. It is not our creator, savior or sustainer. It is a servant, like the rest of us. It is a model, an ideology, a concept, albeit, a very good one, but a concept nonetheless. Have we been ordained by God? I don't know. If so, the weight of responsibility is great. Our words and actions should be carefully chosen so as to persuade rather than alienate. If we are not ordained by God, the punishment may be swift and severe. The Old Testament is filled with warnings of claiming authority that is God's alone. The Tower of Babel was crushed and the people scattered and Kings claiming to be gods were turned into donkeys.
The sounds of music thanking God for this nation will swell in the air tomorrow. Prayers of confession and thanksgiving will be offered. We will be reminded that the blessings of being Americans carries too, all of the responsibilities of a free people. Above all, we will worship God who is eternal. We will celebrate the victory of the resurrection. We will depart in the power of the Holy Spirit, knowing that as Christians, whether Canadian, German, English, Swiss, Jordanian, Iraqi, Israeli or American, we are all citizens of the only eternal realm, the Kingdom of God.
In the various congregations I have served, a phrase is used to confirm the one essential ingredient for membership in the Body of Christ: “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and that He is Lord and Savior of the world.” What has differed in these congregations is whether or not that phrase was referred to as a “profession” of faith or a “confession” of faith. Dr. Joe R. Jones, Professor Emeritus at Christian Theological Seminary, has compiled his lectures in theology throughout his career in a two-volume book called Grammar of Faith. In it, he articulates that the words we use to describe the faith ultimately influence what we believe, and consequently, how we act. Many have written on this topic. From the venerable Disciple Dr. Jones to Luke Timothy Johnson, a Roman Catholic monk and professor at Emory University, we are now seeing how those two words, “profession” and “confession,” have radically influenced what the Church believes and how it lives into that belief. “Profession” means simply, “I agree with that statement.” “Confession” means, “I not only agree with that statement, but incorporate myself into all the ways that statement will affect my life.” As Christians, we affirm not just that Jesus is the Messiah, but that we are followers of that same Jesus and will conform our lives into what Jesus calls us to be and do. In the Bible in Basic English, a translation done in the 1940’s by Professor S.H. Hooke of the University of London, we read in Mathew 5:48, “Be then complete in righteousness, even as your Father in heaven is complete.”
One of the results of contemporary American Christianity is a rampant freedom of intellectual pursuit in matters of faith. Sunday School classes give considerable time to the discussion of what a particular passage of Scripture “means to me.” The various understandings are typically offered from a personal, experiential perspective. For many, little concern is given to the ultimate results of such a process. Minimal consideration of how the Church has understood the text in its 2,000 year history or a delineation of an orthodox understanding is offered for fear of violating the cultural entitlement to freedom of thought. I’m not so sure that the “yoke of Christ” is synonymous with “my right to believe as I choose to believe.” Does the “profession” mean anything, if there is no change in conduct or practice? Can one believe that Jesus is the Christ but not submit to the lordship of Christ? So you profess the faith. So what? What difference has it made in your life? Have you professed that great statement of faith? Wonderful. Now, let us confess it. In addition to the disciplines of prayer, Bible study, and worship participation, “be complete in righteousness.” Live, love, work and preach as one who is in Christ. Conform to the image of Christ as Christ is the image of the Father.
I have heard it said: A man does not know how much his Father loves him until he has a son of his own. I would edit this bit of wisdom by saying: A man does not know or understand a Father's love until he has a son of his own. With my son due to be born in about 7-9 weeks from this Father's Day, I never could imagine I could love this boy as I do. After 40 years, I am beginning to understand how and how much my Father loves me.
One of the greatest gifts my Father gave me was those things he taught me. I remember learning things like how to mow grass, how to hammer a nail, fix a car engine and, in my Father's profession as an electrician, how to wire a light switch. I remember vividly the words he said to me after I killed my first animal. To take a life is a startling experience. My Father talked to me of life, death, respect and thankfulness. Two incidents in particular are ingrained in my mind. Once, when we were dressing some doves I had killed, the knife slipped and I soured the meat with the birds own bile. My Father was furious that this bird's death was now in vain. The second was when we were killing and dressing rabbits we raised to sell. In my fear, I hesitated, and the death blow was not true. The rabbit was only injured. My Father quickly took over and finished the deed. I was punished for my hesitation and causing the animal pain. It was bad enough the rabbit had to die so that others could eat, let alone that he suffer too. Modern sensitivities may find the whole thing objectionable, but it is the circle of life, a sacred circle.
The greatest lessons were the tidbits of wisdom and even the lectures about life. Loyalty, friends and first loves were all topics of conversation. These lessons of life were taught with varying emotions that I might see the full range of human experience. Sometimes, it was taught to me in anger and disappointment when I had disobeyed. At times, it was taught to me in fear, when I came home late, wondering where I had been and if I was well. The relief in his face after a car accident or the trip to the hospital when I suffered a late hit from the back in a football game snapping my neck. The fracture was hairline and the muscles only strained. Sometimes, the lessons of life were taught with sadness when I failed to make the team or felt like my life was over when the pretty brunette broke up with me. At all times, the lessons were taught with another underlying emotion, that of love. My Father always loved me. He loved me when he did without so I could go to camp, have a car or go to college. I didn't always know or understand it. I also understand that because he loved me he did all those willingly. I understand that now, because I am about to be a father of a son and I would do the same things. Is it because God gives the gift to all men? Probably not, or 40% of our nation's children would not suffer the fate of never hearing from their own fathers. Is it because our culture celebrates the role of a father in families? Unfortunately, I'm not sure culture even knows what to do with the role of father, let alone the one who is to fill the role. Most certainly, it is because my great-grandfather loved my grandfather and my grandfather loved my father and my father loved me. I only hope that my great grandson will continue to know the love of his father and the love of his grandfather, my son.
Happy Father's Day to my Father. No one else could do the job. Thank God that Billy E. Nicholson did.
This Sunday is the Feast Day of All Mothers. Well, actually that isn’t the real title of the holiday, since Mother’s Day is a secular holiday. However, even though the Church failed, in all its wisdom, to think of it first, we do know and celebrate the importance of the sacred office of Mother. “Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise…” (Ephesians 6:2).
I believe parenthood is a sacred office. Alexander Campbell, one of the founders of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) believed it was imperative that parents accept and fulfill their divine roll as teachers of the faith within their homes. His fervor for this model of Christian education led him to be look upon the Sunday School movement of the early 19th century and religious education in public schools with some concern. He was not necessarily opposed to those models of Christian education, but was keenly aware of the human propensity to abdicate these responsibilities to the Church and local communities. Our public schools have been burdened with teaching our children about sex, morals, discipline and matters of faith in the last century as we have become very much aware that in the vast majority of homes throughout our nation there is little focus on such topics.
Mother’s Day is not just a celebration of giving birth, but a celebration of the office of maternal teacher. One doesn’t need to have a biological or a “forever family” to fulfill the role of mother. However, for those who do, the responsibility of teaching the faith and molding young children into responsible adults is paramount. Throughout my own ministry, people have often complimented my undergraduate and graduate schools for their obvious success in teaching me Scripture and the foundations of the Christian faith. Sometimes, those who do not know me, will ask, "What school taught you the most about Scripture?" My response is, "The University of Mary Nicholson."
Yes, dear friends, each night after homework, my mother would pull out the Bible Flash Cards. Bible Flash Cards were those little note sized cards similar to the ones from which we learned our multiplication tables and verb conjugations. Computer software and those little "Kid Komputers" we see in Toy stores have replaced the ancient medium of Flash Cards, but the discipline can still be fruitful. When the Sunday School teacher assigned me the task of memorizing at least one of the four possible memory verses from that week's lesson, the University of Mary Nicholson required me to memorize them all. Of course, she always made it fun. For each verse I would get an ice cream cone or the privilege of drinking a Coke in place of milk with dinner. For those of you who know me, her success is apparent. Other topics of study where things like, "name the Patriarchs...and their wives," "list the fruits of the Spirit," "who were the three Kings of the unified Kingdom of Israel." Sure, some of the ladies in the neighborhood would critique such methods with comments like, "isn't it more important that little Isaac learn that God loves him," or "kids are forced to learn so much at school, requiring him to learn trivial things like the list of Patriarchs seems stupid." "The University of Mary Nicholson" was not deterred by such commentary and we forged on with the lessons of the week.
My studies began as a small child when she would read bedtime Bible stories to me. Sure, I liked to look at the pictures, but in the process of I was learning our heritage of faith. We would be driving down the road and I would see a pile of stones where a road crew was working and my Mother would retell me the story of Abraham building an altar to sacrifice his son, Isaac. That was one of my favorites as that was also my name. Interestingly, hearing about things like child sacrifice or being confused about what the word “sacrifice” meant didn’t emotionally scar me. She allowed me to live with questions. Not always knowing or understand the answers was a part of the learning process.
When I was in High School, the teaching continued. The Flash Cards were not used anymore and the style of faith education transitioned from content to application, but the teaching of the faith continued. Don't get me wrong, I rebelled. "Mom, this is juvenile, I don't want to think about these things." It was at those times that the Principal and Dean of Student Conduct would step in...my father, Billy Nicholson. "Your mother is supposed to teach you these things, now show her the proper respect."
Conversations about relationships, sex, morals, the benefits of hard work, sportsmanship, fair play, honor and respect all were taught within the paradigm of the faith. You see, it was those lessons about the Ten Commandments, the Patriarchs and their wives, the list of Kings, the Beatitudes, the Fruits of the Spirit that served as the foundation for application of the faith. I knew the basics, the foundations and it was strong enough to support the building of the next level of faith. Abstract thinking, application, reasoning and the ability to not only think, but to think theologically were all possible because I had memorized John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9 and Acts 2:38.
I have to be honest. When I was completing my studies in college and the professor would relate his point to the great Confessions of the Church with the Apostle Paul's themes in Romans, I understood what he was saying. My classmates, on the other hand, were at a disadvantage. Phrases and themes like "the Good Confession," "the Proverbial Woman," "the New Jerusalem," and "an Emmaus experience" were all very familiar to me, whereas those who had not attended "The University of (their Mother's name here)" sat with blank stares.
As a Minister who has served the Church as both licensed and ordained for 17 years, I now see the harvest of a generation for whom religious instruction was not present. My peers are now the parents. They have a deep desire to teach the faith to their children. They understand the importance of faith training in the home, but unfortunately, they don't know the faith themselves. I wouldn't be very good at teaching rocket science, because I don't know anything about rocket science. If my child wanted to learn about rocket science, I would have to turn them over to someone else. The same thing has happened to our children. We don't know the stories of the Bible, the history of the Church or the foundations of our faith, so we look to others to fill the void. Sunday School is helpful, but even Sunday School curriculum publishers have had to accommodate to both the level of Biblical knowledge as well as the time commitment of most Sunday School teachers across the nation. One publisher of Sunday School curriculum was quoted as saying, "Modern day Sunday School lessons are geared to a Sunday School teacher preparing for his or her lesson while driving to Church on Sunday morning."
There is much work to be done. Not only do we have to maintain the level of Christian education for our young people, but we also have to be attentive to the remedial instruction of our adults. We can't afford to wait. I suspect that my mother learned as much, if not more, from simply reading the bedtime Bible stories to me. I am certain that the Bible Flash Cards taught her the memory verses too. Granted, Bible Flash Cards are interactive, whereas "Kid Komputers" are not. My suggestion is to bag the "Kid Komputers" and dig the Flash Cards out of the Church Supply Room's bottom cabinet drawer. You must bring your Children to Sunday School and Church. The parents need to stay too. Your kids will learn what is important by watching the efforts of their parents. If Sunday School isn't important to the parents, it won't be important to them.
Churches too, need to remember that teaching themes of sacrifice are best done when the folks remember the story of Abraham and Isaac. Lessons on diligence in study and work are best learned when we remember Jesus' story of the men who built their houses on sand and on rock. Pastors can help. Sunday School teachers are vital. However, a good harvest of well informed, properly trained adult Christians require the selfless effort we have come to realize is essential in the divine office of Spiritual Mothers and Fathers.
This week, the Church and our secular society will appropriately celebrate the efforts and labor of the mothers and all women who are worthy of our honor for their sacrifice to love and serve. Thank your Moms for their gift of love to you. Thank those women in your life that taught you, disciplined you and helped make you the person you are today. Honor their labors and the memory of the mothers who have passed into eternity by making a covenant today. Pray with your children, read the Bible to them everyday, look for opportunities in every day life to relate life to our Christian faith. This Sunday, at our Church between 19th and 20th Streets on Winchester Avenue in Ashland, Kentucky, we will honor all who serve God’s family as spiritual mothers. Thanks be to God for the gift of Mothers.
On the front page of today's paper, the annual Prayer Walk in Greenup County was one of the lead stories. In the text of the article, the organizers said that everyone was invited because the Parade was "non-denominational." Now, my wife says that I am too particular about things, especially the correct use of words, though not necessarily grammer. For example, there is no such word as "irregardless." Even if there was such a word, it would be redundant since the prefix "ir" actually means "regardless" or "in spite of everything." Regardless, for a "particular" guy like me who reads, "everyone is invited...the event is non-denominational" is like reading "everyone is invited...the event is for women."
I guess it was Mrs. West, my fourth grade teacher, who first introduced me to the meaning of the word "denomination." It literally means, "of a name." The prefix "de" means "of" and "nomina" means "name." It typically was a word that assigned value as well as a name. For example, when one cashes one's paycheck, the bank tellers might say, "In what denominations would you like your cash?" I remember a bumper sticker popular in the 80's that read: The First Church of Elvis, we welcome all denominations but prefer 50s and 100s (as in the denomination of the currency). As our culture has gotten more and more casual, even our humor pokes fun at our having become conversational slovens (sloven: n. One who is habitually careless, especially in appearance or presentation. NOT one from Slovenia.) (Slovenia: n. A country in central Europe pop. 2,010,000).
With regard to churches or faith communities, it would seem that if your church has a name, it would have "denominated" itself. Of course, we popularly understand denominations as multiple congregations who associate with one another or are unified in efforts based upon belief or practice. For example, I am a clergyman in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We are a denomination. Aside from having "named" ourselves, our congregations share in basic beliefs, of which, the essential and mandatory belief is, Jesus is the Christ. I am still unclear as to how that makes us different from other denominations. I think that even Roman Catholics believe that one. We share similar practices, such as baptism my immersion (not submersion...that's what submarines do) and the celebration of Holy Communion at least weekly.
"Denominational Church" is the "dirty" way many refer to the Churches that were once viewed as "Mainline Protestants." Mainline Protestants are essentially the Protestant denominations that greatly influenced the social and political fabric of the United States in its formative years. Presbyterians, Methodist, Baptists and Episcopalians all provided the leaders and basic cultural tenets upon which this nation was built. During the cultural revolution of the 1960's, many of these denominations found themselves on the wrong side of the issues. Their clergy and members marched with Civil Rights activists, were in solidarity with women's suffrage movements and supported the efforts by unions for better wages and working conditions. Many conservative clergy and members, that is, those who were opposed to African Americans voting, women receiving equal pay in the workforce or safe working conditions for our nation's labor force, formed new denominations that now promote themselves as non-denominational (adj. Not restricted to or associated with a religious denomination). I would have defined it as "not of a name or a no name Church." Parenthetically, I find it interesting when dictionaries define words by using the word's root. For example, nonliving: adj. That which is not living.
The Rev. Dr. Jerry Falwell of the famed Thomas Road Baptist Church once proclaimed "the Mainline Churches are now sidelined Churches. Amen?" Technically Baptists would be included in the Mainline designation as their heritage dates back to the formative years of our nation with the establishment of a Baptist State...yes dear friends, Rhode Island was originally founded as a State where Baptists could practice their faith and organize their communities without interference from other Christian denominations. You gotta love US History 101.
Non-denominational churches eventually became congregations that were truly independent and autonomous. Many of these kind of churches, unrestrained by policies, practices and leadership checks and balances, grew into what we generally call "mega churches." These congregations are a unique blend of contemporary evangelical doctrine, mixed with Pentecostal undertones and powered by culturally relevant methods, including a mix of self help sermons and Top-40 styled music. These congregations, including Saddleback Church and Willow Creek Church have given rise to a unique concept of multi-campus churches or what I would call, "mini denominations." Congregations will start either as an intentional effort by these mega churches or already established congregations will adopt the mega church produced methods, faith statements and curriculum. Generally, conversation about particular Christian beliefs are kept generic enough to appeal to many kinds of people who, although they may differ theologically, share similar social beliefs. These congregations may be populated by people who have vastly different opinions on Speaking in Tongues, Baptism and the Nature of Christ, but will be unified on social issues such as abortion, prayer in school and the definition of marriage. Their unique blend of style, format and research of demographic trends (Willow Creek's model was a direct result of the pastor's door to door interviews of what people wanted in a "church experience.") propelled them to the forefront of the battle for America's cultural context. These self described non-denominational Churches are now more organized and connected then the often criticized institutional, denominational or mainline churches (Methodists, Presbyterians, etc.).
Recently, churches like the 1.3 million member (5 million worldwide), 13,000 congregation strong "independent" Christian Church, affiliated with the North American Christian Convention (not my definition of independent) and the over 6,000 congregation strong Churches of Christ (the name identifying those congregations within the Restorationist Movement that do not use musical instruments...not my definition of independent) have promoted themselves as non-denominational. As an outsider to these two denominatio... uhhh...groups, it looks more like they are trying to capitalize on a phenomenon within the Christian sub-culture than an accurate portrayal of their identity. Incidentally, both of these groups were once affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), born from the early 19th century revivalist movement led by Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone. The schism (n. A separation or division into factions) occurred when many Disciples of Christ congregations began conversation with the already established Mainline Churches on matters of mission, justice and ministry. This ecumenical (adj. Concerned with establishing or promoting unity among churches) gave rise to a new word. The word "interdenominational" (adj. Of or involving different religious denominations) became all the rage.
As time went on, the culturally appropriate way of referring to gatherings of people from different faiths for a common purpose, like a Prayer Walk, would be to refer to it as interdenominational. The problem is that if a Christian defines themselves as non-denominational they don't really have anything with which to "inter." However, if we call the gathering non-denominational, those of us who identify ourselves as spiritually formed by a denomination, would have to leave part of ourselves behind. I'm not sure how an Episcopalian could leave behind their understanding that the Church maintains its apostolic faith via the apostolic office of Bishop or a Presbyterian keeping herself in good order through adherence to the Westminster Confession. I think that is what I liked about the word "interdenominational." Everyone could bring their particularity but still unite for a common purpose. Still, non-denominationalists, which at this point in the article have become a denomination, demand unity of purpose on their terms alone. You may only unite with them if you agree to adhere to what they think is important, whatever that might be at the time or for the event. Those of us who are interdenominationalists, now an alliance of those of us who were sidelined by Dr. Falwell, wonder why we can't be who we are in a spirit of toleration.
Fundamentally, the two words express different ideologies of Christian unity. Non-denominationalism says we can be unified by ignoring or at least playing down those aspects of our identity that might be divisive. Interdenominationalism says we can be united by tolerating and, even at times, celebrating our differences as unique expressions of God's gift of diversity to His catholic (adj. Universal, [a] Of or relating to the universal Christian church. [b] Of or relating to the ancient undivided Christian church. [c] Of or relating to those churches that have claimed to be representatives of the ancient undivided church. [d] culturally understood as relating to the Roman Catholic Church) Church. I like that word "catholic" but I am afraid that article might be even more complicated than this one.
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