My walk with God’s Spirit is constantly revealing more of what it means for me to follow Jesus and what God might be up to in my life. I’ve read the Bible regularly since High School, studied theology at the graduate level, and yet more is being revealed every day, week, month, and year. I’ve made no secret as to verses I want read at my memorial service. They come from Paul’s prayer for the Philippians:
I thank my God for you every time I think of you; and every time I pray for you all, I pray with joy because of the way in which you have helped me in the work of the gospel from the very first day until now. And so I am sure that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6)
It’s the last few phrases that give me hope—God’s not finished with me yet—so His work continues until the day I draw my last breath. When the passage is read at my memorial, the reader can end it with the words, “God’s finished with him now.” Until then, God’s Word will continue to collide with my life and the Holy Spirit will continue the good work that was begun when I came to faith.
Just as God isn’t finished with me personally, so God is not finished with the Church. We are a work in progress, a work which began at Pentecost and will continue until Jesus returns and history ends with the full culmination of God’s kingdom as envisioned in Revelation chapters 20 and 21. There have been times of wholesale work when it feels like God’s Spirit is doing a complete remodel. The work is extensive and painful. The Protestant Reformation was such a time in the Western church and turned out to be a time that changed all aspects of Church as it had been known up time. One of the most popular Latin mottos associated with this remodel is one we as Presbyterians grabbed ahold of and took to heart. It is “ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda.” Translated into English this Latin phrase reads, “the church reformed and always reforming.” This phrase first appeared in a 1674 devotional by Jodocus van Lodenstein, who was involved in the Dutch Second Reformation. According to van Lodenstein and other reformers who used the phrase, the church was reformed under the Protestant Reformation, but it was always in need of further reformation, that is according to the Word of God.
How the Word of God collides with the Church and how the Holy Spirit continues the good work begun at Pentecost is a dynamic, wonderful, painful, troubling, and conflict ridden process. I personally continue to be re-formed kicking and screaming, and the Church is full of even more kicking and screaming because there are more of us struggling to grasp the profound implications of God’s re-forming process. We’ve struggled in years past with the authority of the Church and tradition versus the authority of Scripture; good Christians fought a war over slavery; committed believers were terrified by the advent of science and the possibility that creation wasn’t done exactly the way it was described in Genesis 1-2; Paul’s recommendation to the Corinthians not to allow women to speak and teach in church didn’t seem to agree with his working relationship with Priscilla and Lydia, so we thought threw the role women should play in the Church.
When it comes to God’s Spirit reforming us and always reforming us, I’m going to admit I’ve got a lot more questions than I have answers. My deep conviction is our experience, in real time, of the stresses and conflicts re-forming creates, makes it virtually impossible to be sure with certainty which way God’s Spirit is leading. It’s not until years later, sometimes decades later, do I sense those who fought the battles at the time can come to terms with and maybe even agree as to whether the correct decisions were made years before. By that time, a new process of re-forming has begun and the whole cycle repeats itself.
My next four messages are asking, “Who are we and how did we get here?” The challenge of reformed and always reforming will be examined in a variety of ways to seek discernment and guidance. I’ll be using Acts 15, the chapter on the Jerusalem Council and the work of the Holy Spirit in the early church as a case study in the hope we can learn something important that can be applied in our situation today.
Now…for the other stuff on my desk…
St. Andrew will be sponsoring "Shepherding Your Teen" Parent Conference led by Jeff Schadt on November 4-5, 2011. This conference is specifically designed and taught by Jeff for parents of 8 - 18 year olds. It examines the transition we need to make as parents to set our kids up to flourish on their own. Jeff Schadt is the founder and President of Youth Transition Network, a ministry devoted to decoding and reversing the loss of youth from the church. YTN has developed many resources based upon Jeff's research with over 2,000 young people. These resources are designed to help prepare students for the change and new responsibilities coming when they graduate from high school so that they will succeed spiritually, socially, academically and financially. The NExT program for High School Juniors and Seniors at St. Andrew's is based largely upon these resources. On Sunday, June 26th, Jeff will be visiting St. Andrew in preparation for the November Parent Conference. Don't miss the opportunity to hear this incredible speaker during both worship services and at lunch at noon for parents and youth (entire family welcome). For more information visit www.ytn.org and www.shepherdingyourteen.com
Two things that are happening this Sunday -
BLOOD BANK OF THE REDWOODS will be here this Sunday from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. You can register on line at www.bbr.org. Walk-ins welcome. Must be 17 years of age with a photo ID that has your birth date.
We are collecting clothing for F.I.S.H.
With that…you really do know what I know…
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