Thought for Today
Exodus 33:22 I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by;
Psalm 107:30 Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
John 14:2 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.
Greta and I like to watch the evening news on the television. We usually begin with the local evening news and then continue to watch the network news. Last night we watched most of both immediately before we opened up my computer to initiate our Bible Study. Some of our congregation gather regularly on Zoom for Bible Study. My opening prayer, as we began our study, was reflective of the chaos, turmoil and unrest we had just witnessed on the news.
Last night and again this morning, my first thought about the nightly news and our Bible Study is regret that the earliest pioneers of our faith who first began to spread the gospel good news never heard the theme song for the television series Cheers. That sense of regret was reinforced by sadness that I have never encountered a hymn that fully captures the lyrics of that theme song. “Making your way in the world today/Takes everything you've got/Taking a break from all your worries/Sure would help a lot/Wouldn't you like to get away?” “Sometimes you wanna go/Where everybody knows your name/And they're always glad you came/You want to be where you can see/Our troubles are all the same/You want to be where everybody knows your name.”
The Church, Christendom, should be a worldwide ‘place’ where everybody is glad you came, a place where everybody knows your name. Our houses of worship, whether in cathedrals, temples or storefronts should truly be havens from the troubles and worries of life. We often think of those words above from John as applying to life eternal, to heaven. But, I believe your church, your own family of faith is also a dwelling place prepared by Jesus specially for you . . . and for me . . . and for all of God’s children.
When we first moved to New England, we were introduced to an old hymn we had never heard, The Haven of Rest. Its lyrics do capture some of what I am thinking about this morning. I especially love the refrain, “I’ve anchored my soul in the haven of rest, I’ll sail the wide seas not more; The tempest may sweep o’er the wild, stormy deep, In Jesus I’m safe evermore.”
Long before all the councils of the emergent Church, long before the Great Schism of 1064, long before the Reformation there was a single Christian Church. It was a church united in faith in Jesus as the Christ. Its commonality was attested in the first few ‘heresies’ which confronted that common faith. Was Christianity a subset of Judaism? Must males be circumcised before becoming Christian? Was there any difference, any prioritization of Jew over Greek? Read the 6th chapter of Acts. Note that all of the deacons chosen had Greek names. Read about Timothy.
Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” I am not opposed to Christendom having denominations. I understand the seriousness of the various issues which separate us. I believe each of us is called by God to think about and understand those issues. Equally, I believe each of us must determine which of the various expressions of our common faith allows us individually to grow closer to the God who loves us all equally.
I believe that if we actively engage with Jesus in every aspect of our lives, Jesus will come and take us to that place especially and personally prepared for each of us. Our own haven of rest where we can anchor our souls to the one Lord we commonly worship in our individual ways.
But church, our congregation, our family of faith is more than merely a place we sit in isolation each week for worship. It must be a true family where everybody knows your name . . . and you know theirs. It must be a haven of rest but also a place where lives intersect and interact in joyous celebration of life and faith. A place where we are glad we came and glad everyone else came. Our shared joy is also a part of the gift with which God has graced each of us (Ephesians 2:8)
Stay safe, find the haven prepared for you, trust God,
Pastor Ray