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Everyday in Christ is New!
Greetings in the name
of the One who makes all things new! (Revelation 21:5).
“Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in
our image, according to our likeness’” (Genesis 1:26 NRSV).
We have been created in the image of God and
of angels! How marvelous! Many people from many faiths have written much
about what that means.
To my understanding, being made according to
God’s likeness means that our true nature is spirit, for my Lord Jesus
teaches, “God is spirit” (John 4:24). Jesus then continues in verse 24, “and
those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
How do we worship God in spirit and truth?
First we must acknowledge that our true nature is spirit. We think this is
hard to do because we are surrounded by physical creation and we are
physical, our bodies are flesh and bone. Also, the physical world is
beautiful and we receive great pleasure from that which is physical. It is
hard to separate from that which is so beautiful and pleasing. But when we
do choose in Jesus to acknowledge that we are spirit then the physical world
takes on a new even more pleasing beauty and wonder, and our responsibility
to care for the physical world also has a new and wonderful meaning (but
that’s another article for another time!).
In Jesus’ name the new beauty and wonder of
God’s creation that we experience happens because we choose to worship “in
spirit and truth” and so we view creation through the eyes of the spirit; we
see the physical in the light of the eternal! We greet intimately in worship
the One who makes all things new!
In spirit and truth we receive new
under-standing and wisdom from God that enables us to live the gospel of
peace in the physical world. Jesus said, “I still have many things to say to
you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will
guide you into all the truth” (John 16:12-13) … and … “the Advocate, the
Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you
everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you” (14:26). These
verses of Holy writ are central to my understanding of the Still Speaking
God who we of the United Church of Christ proclaim.
Many conservative Christians, preachers and
theologians, have criticized our belief that God will continue to reveal
truths that challenge or contradict their understanding of God’s truth. This
has happened before when our church proclaimed new truth revealed in Jesus’
name; we were criticized and condemned, called heretics and antichrist.
Eventually, people who chose to live by the
Spirit, to learn of and follow God’s will, came to agree with the truth and
then (for a while) we were once again accepted into the family.
Think of, for example, a few of the
memorable events some of them “firsts” for which our forbearers in the
United Church of Christ received condemnation and criticism. This month in
September we remember that …
On September 1
First published African American poet:
Phillis Wheatley, a young member of Boston’s Old South congregation, “Poems
on Various Subjects,” 1773.
September 3
First
integrated anti-slavery society: American Missionary Association
incorporated by the merger of three missionary anti-slavery societies, 1846.
September 14
Everett Parker,
director of UCC’s Office of Communication, is a driving force in historic
FCC ruling that the airwaves are public property, 1967.
September 15
First woman
pastor: Antoinette Brown, ordained at First Congregational Church, Butler,
NY, 1853.
September 24
The Rev.
Abraham Blumer, Zion Reform Church, saves the Liberty Bell by hiding it
under the church floorboards, 1777.
For each of these events
in our church’s history we were hated by the world. But, we believed we were
living God’s word revealed in Jesus and we persevered.
Most of the Christian
world has come to the believe with us that it is God’s will that the love
and recognition of all people everywhere (no matter the sex or race) and the
protection of freedom and it’s symbols are to be celebrated in Christ’s
church. This all happened because our church dared to be used by God as
instruments of God’s will, to speak and act according to the Spirit of God
not the spirit of the world.
Once again the UCC is
coming under fire. Today, because we proclaim in love the commandment of
Jesus’ that we are to love one another just as Jesus has loved us (John
13:34).
We believe and proclaim
that Jesus loves everyone, without condition, agape’ love. That is how we
are to love; everyone no matter their sexual identity, their economic
condition, their educational achievement, their political persuasion. … Who
is it, we ask, that Jesus does not love?
I know my brothers and
sisters that you are already aware of and celebrate these truths but, once
again, the church of Christ is under attack by the world. So I speak of the
victories of the Spirit in the past and encourage you to be firm in the
Spirit now. Remember our Lord’s words, “If the world hates you, be aware
that it hated me before it hated you. … In the world you face persecution.
But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (John 15:18, 16:33)
May the peace of Christ
fill you in a new way today and forevermore.
Your servant in the One
who conquered the world making all things new!
pastor john
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