Credo

 February7, 2022

Karl Barth, the great German theologian of the last century, wrote a book on the Apostle’s Creed which he entitled from the Latin, “Credo,” or “I Believe.” Every Sunday, we repeat the words of this creed, one of two foundational statements of faith of the Christian Church, the other being the Nicene Creed. Neither encompasses everything most Christians believe, but both hit upon the main themes of our faith.

The Nicene Creed being longer, doesn’t get as much press as the Apostles’ Creed; I couldn’t quote it to you if my life depended upon it. The Apostle's Creed however, rolls off my tongue without my even having to think about it. Yet think about it, I do. Often.

The Creed is divided into three sections, the shortest being about God the Father, the longest about Jesus Christ, and the final about the Holy Spirit. It is therefore, thoroughly Trinitarian, which may not mean much to the outsider, but is extremely important to the genuine follower of Jesus Christ.

Years ago when my grandmother lay dying in a hospital bed in Rochester, NY, I visited her as often as I could. She had been profoundly deaf for years, and having reached the 100 year milestone, her body was finally giving out. In her final weeks, she was often restless, constantly moving as she lay in bed. On this particular evening as I visited, I leaned in close to her ear and said as loudly as would have been appropriate in that setting, “Grandma, I’m going to take you back through the years to the foundations of your life.” She had been a devout Presbyterian, living as they did, literally in the backyard of the huge Bethany Presbyterian church in Greece, NY. 

I began reciting the Creed, and as I did so, her agitation ceased; she lay quietly, listening and mouthing the words silently. It was a most amazing experience! Her faith at that time in her life wasn’t an intellectual exercise, nor was it a list of behaviors or actions to be done. It was what she believed, and this belief quieted the storm in her soul.

Every Sunday as we recite these ancient words, I am struck by how they begin: “I believe…” It says nothing about what I think or how I feel; only what I believe. In these days when we are increasingly being told what to think and lacking an absolute moral code, people live by how they feel at any given moment, there is a solidity to these words, “I believe.” My reasoning power can be faulty, my feelings fleeting, but my faith is a firm foundation on which I can stand.

Presence

 February 6, 2022

My son Nathan does a vlog every Thursday entitled “Christ Alone,” which are his reflections on various Scriptures. Lately, he’s been dwelling on Jesus’ words in John 14-17, and this past Thursday talked about the ministry of presence.

If that term is unfamiliar to you, it is simply what it’s name implies—being with someone in their time of need without necessarily speaking. Often, I’ve found that people don’t respond to even their closest friends in their distress because they don’t know what to say. Truth be told, sometimes it’s best to just keep our mouths shut. Telling grieving parents that God needed another angel is not only bad theology, it’s small comfort to them as they mourn the loss of their child. Just being there, even silently, may speak more eloquently than any words we could utter.

Nate spoke of Jesus’ ministry of presence among us as he quoted his words in John 14:1-3 where Jesus says, 

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Nate focused on this last phrase: “that where I am, there you may be also,” ie. the gift Jesus gives us of his very own presence; that he loves us so much he wants to give us nothing less than himself; so we can be with him. It’s a wonderful thought, that Jesus is present with us in our time and place of need; that it is his heart to bless us with himself.

As he spoke, a different thought came to my mind. What if Jesus desires us to give him the ministry of presence? What if he is saying here, “I want you with me. You don’t necessarily have to say anything, I’m not asking you to do great and mighty things for me; I just want you with me, because your presence blesses me more than you can know.”

Has it ever occurred to you that spending time with Jesus isn’t just for your benefit, that it is just to bless you. Has it ever occurred to you that your giving Jesus your undivided attention is your ministry of presence that fill his soul?  That you need not speak with flowery prayers, that you simply sit with him? When he walked this earth, he praised Mary for sitting at his feet while her sister Martha worried herself in service. Maybe he is waiting and longing for us to simply sit with him in silence, not so much for our blessing, but his.

Seeing and Believing

 February 5, 2022

On at least three occasions, we read of St. Paul having had visions where he saw the Lord. Acts 9 records his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road, in 1 Corinthians 15, he himself speaks of the risen Jesus having appeared to him, and in 2 Corinthians 12, he recalled a time he had some sort of heavenly experience. 

How amazingly wonderful those experiences must have been! It’s no wonder he was so determined to spread the Gospel no matter what the cost. In 2 Corinthians 1 and 11, Paul tells of some of the suffering he had endured, which he no doubt was able to handle due to the magnificence of his visions of heaven. I’ve never had any such experience, although I’ve know people who have. I’ve often wondered what it must be like to have a spiritual encounter that was so profound as to make the things of this life seem worthless by comparison.

After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to Doubting Thomas (as he has become known to us) with these words: “Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe.” That would be me. I am willing to forgo the foretaste of heaven in the pleasantness of my life here, as long as the ultimate blessing is not denied me. I have been richly blessed in this life, but don’t want my life to be a “Rich man and Lazarus” story. By the grace of Christ, it won’t be, and perhaps my experience, or in a sense, lack thereof, can be an encouragement for others who have not had dramatic conversions or spiritual experiences. God loves us all, and his salvation is available to all who believe, not merely those who experience or feel.

Heavenly Minded

 February 4, 2022

An old saying occasionally pops up in conversations, sermons, and social media: “Don’t be so heavenly minded that you’re no earthy good.” It’s used by Christians who think of the Gospel primarily in terms of how it impacts people here and now as a critique of Christians who focus on the life to come. 

I remember the evening services I attended as a teenager at Westside Baptist Church. They were termed evangelistic services, but were primarily hymn sings with a sermon at the end. Ozzie Palmer or Al Orgar would lead the singing, waving their arms conductor-like, while Mrs. Ellis accompanied on piano or organ. Special music was usually offered by a ladies’ trio, someone playing an instrument, or the male quartet of Ozzie Palmer, Merle Silver, Al Orgar, and Chuck Bassett.

The congregation sang heartily, often songs about heaven: “When We All Get to Heaven,” “When the Roll is Called up Yonder,” “O That Will Be Glory for Me,” “In the Sweet Bye and Bye,” “Beyond the Sunset,” — the list goes on and on. 

What strikes me about this is it seems the more heavenly minded we were, the more earthly good we did, because eternity was never out of mind; every moment here counted. When preachers don’t preach on eternity, we tend to forget the significance of time.

I’ve heard Christians say that even if heaven were a myth, it would be worth it here and now to be a Christian, but this wasn’t St. Paul’s view. In 1 Corinthians 15:19, he says, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most pitiable.” The older I get, the more I think of heaven. I’m not sure what to expect. I would think streets of gold are figurative or imaginative—a way of telling us how magnificent it will be, but I don’t expect to be sitting on a cloud playing a harp.

According to Paul and Jesus, we will be known and recognized, but relationships will be different, with no marriages as per Matthew 22:30, and a great reversal of fortune as per Luke 16. Most importantly, we will be with Jesus in the presence of God the Father. All else pales in comparison to this, but it begs the question: If I am not interested in spending time with Christ here, what makes me think I’ll be excited about doing so in eternity?” 

A second question is just as important, and was posed by Penn Jillette, of magician fame, who asked, “If you believe in heaven and hell, and that those who don’t believe will end up spending eternity in hell, how much do you have to hates someone to not warn him?” 

Both these questions haunt me, as I get so easily distracted in my prayer and devotional life, and tend to be hesitant in boldly sharing my faith. I have a long way to go; may God grant me the years to do better at both these earthly tasks with the heavenly stakes.

Cold Knees

 February 3, 2022

My knees are cold. After driving to Buffalo and back, the predicted storm descended upon us, with predictable results. The drive up to Buffalo wasn’t bad; the roads were pretty clear, and I was able to finish my business without incident. The same couldn’t be said for others. I passed an overturned semi, a jackknifed semi, a van flipped upside down with airbags deployed, another van slid off the exit ramp, and a Jeep and sedan slid into the median on the Thruway.

And the roads weren’t really bad. I got home safely, and Linda had supper waiting. Afterward, she decided to bake some cookies to take to our daughter in law, which was when the trouble began. She couldn’t get the headlights to come on. We leave them on automatic, but the switch got bumped. Problem solved; she got in the car, I went back inside. A few minutes later, she was at the front door.

The storm had by now dropped about eight inches of snow, and not expecting to go out tonight, I didn’t plow when I got home. She drove off the edge of the driveway and was stuck. No amount of pushing made any difference, and as I examined what I could see of the undercarriage, I couldn’t find any place to secure a tow chain. A Prius may be technologically advanced, but technology doesn’t get you out of a snowbank.

Despite all this, we are blessed. Even under the worst of circumstances, it’s better to be stuck in our driveway than out on the road. She called our son Matt (Nate, who lives closer, has been having trouble with his back, and so was bypassed), and pastor Joe. Small town life has many benefits, especially when family lives nearby and we have so many connections with people from the church. They had us out in a jiffy. I spent the next hour plowing the driveway, which is why my knees are cold. But my heart is warmed by the love and kindness of all the people in our lives who are wiling on a moment’s notice to help us out of a jam. Cold knees and a warm home and heart. It’s a good combination.

Escape

 February 2, 2022

The early James Bond franchise were masters of melodrama. James is trapped seemingly with no way of escape, but suddenly manages an almost miraculous deliverance through one of the clever devices “M” has produced, or through some minuscule flaw in his opponent’s plan. What looked like certain gruesome death suddenly is transformed into glorious salvation. The Indiana Jones franchise repeatedly used that same plot to ensure another movie would be made.

God has his own version of miraculous escape. It’s found in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

There is a secret about this way of escape that eludes many: it is always present even before the temptation. It isn’t a hidden passageway that only is discoverable at the last minute; it’s always within our grasp, if we will only reach for it. 

Our usual problem is our failure to prepare for the test when we have the opportunity. Like the professor who hands out the syllabus at the beginning of the semester with test dates clearly marked, God has made our success available from the start. But we get lazy, hoping to cram at the last minute, only to discover that there are no shortcuts in life.

The time to prepare for the storm is before it hits. When the wind is whipping the snow into three-foot drifts whiteout conditions is not the time to contemplate putting snow tires on the car. The way of escape is found before the trial, not during it. It comes in the form of consistent prayer and study of Scripture, in the discipline of worship and tithing, in Holy Communion and deliberate witness.

Our way of escape is found in the way we invest our time, energy, and attention prior to the trial. Waiting till we are in it is a recipe for disaster, but the promise of God is sure; he is faithful, and doesn’t give us more than we can handle it…IF we prepare for the test by taking the way of escape before we need it. When it comes to escape, James Bond and Indiana Jones are strictly amateurs. God’s people are the real escape artists!

Good Prayers

 February 1, 2022

For the past twenty-three years, Linda and I have had the privilege of our grandchildren overnighting with us the middle two Fridays of each month. In a conversation last night with our eldest grandchild, we talked about the constancy of those overnighters.  Meema’s Friday night homemade mac and cheese, and Saturday morning pancakes continue to be staples of these weekends which are also filled with games, laughter, and serious conversations about life. Our conversation with Alex concluded with Linda and I praying for her the prayers we have prayed for these twenty-three years.

Linda’s prayer is taken from Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians as recorded in 3:17-19. She prays a phrase, followed by the kids inserting the next phrase, in a responsive litany that they have memorized. If they forget other Scriptures, these words are burned into their souls so deeply that I believe it would be impossible to escape their impact.

My prayer isn’t responsive, but is taken from Hebrews 13, as follows:

“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” —Hebrews 13:20-21 

Recently, when we prayed with the kids, I ended with a different prayer from Scripture, the benediction found in Jude 24-25:

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” —Jude 1:24-25

The kids were almost in shock, and on their own, began reciting their benediction prayer. Again recently, when I preached for pastor Joe in Sinclairville, I closed the service with my usual benediction from Hebrews. Nathan leaned over to Linda and said, “I think we ought to go to bed now.”

We cannot know the impact these prayers will have, but I have to believe Isaiah’s words:

“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, 

Line upon line, line upon line, 

Here a little, there a little.” —Isaiah 28:10 

Christian character doesn’t happen overnight. It is built as Isaiah said, little by little, as Biblical truth is laid down, line upon line. We have tried to do that, and trust that these prayers will continue to be so ingrained in them that the faithfulness and love of Christ will be their rock and fortress when the storms of life descend upon them in hellish fury. 

Linda’s prayer goes like this: 

“I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your heart, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love, and may you know and understand as all God’s children should, how high, how wide, how long, and how deep God’s love for you really is. This love is so great that you’ll never understand it nor fully experience it, but someday you will be filled up with God himself.

“And I pray that you will be as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside, and that you will always be kind, and gentle, and good, and bold. We love you, Jesus.”

You can’t go wrong continually praying Scripture, for “precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”