Overview/advice on lesson
Opening question(s)
How does the Church feel?
So I like to think of myself as a Christian. I also like to think of myself as a humanist. A Christian humanist. A follower of Christ and a believer in humanity.
This is the last week of our theology series: “God is three persons who care about you.” We talked about God’s existence. We talked about what God is. We talked about the existence and implications of the Trinity. We talked about the existence and direction of God’s will. We talked about God’s specific will for each of us. God is. Three persons. Who Care. About You. This week, we flipped the script somewhat: We are people who care about others.
I stated that God’s purpose is to glorify God. I also stated that our purpose is also to glorify God. One of the pro’s and con’s of that stated purpose is that it does not seem to be progressive. I mean, how does one make progress on glorifying God? You glorify God in one moment and, in the next, you have to… glorify God again. Then you get to glorify God. Later, you will be glorifying God, which will naturally transition into some glorification of God.
God’s will does not take a break, so we do not get to, either. When you eat, you should be eating for and to the glory of God. What is the most God-honoring meal? When you are sleeping, you should be sleeping for and to the glory of God. What is the most God-honoring blanket-to-pillow ratio? Does God prefer punk rock or jazz? The Bulls or the Broncos or the Dodgers? I know that God prefers those teams in their respective sports, but their seasons overlap, so I need to know… which does he prefer more?
I am joking somewhat, but I believe those questions do lead us in the direction of discovering the progressive nature of God’s will to glorify Godself. God does not force worldwide or day-to-day events to conform to what God wants, but we can and, God willing, we do. My grandparents raised my parents in such a way that they pursued God’s will more than my grandparents did. My parents raised me and my brother to chase God’s will more fully than they did. Sonya and I hope to raise Taylor and Dylan to fulfill God’s will in ways we never have been able to fulfill it.
As a Christian humanist, I truly believe it is our purpose, our duty, our obligation, to make the world a better place than we left it. We contribute to society through our actions, spirits and relationships to advance the cause of Christ and move closer to the ultimate end of humanity. You may have heard me talk in the past about western versus eastern emphases in theology. Western theology grew up through the Roman Catholic church and was refreshed in the Protestant Reformation. It focuses heavily on substitutionary atonement, the thought that God sent His Son to be a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus, in dying an undeserved death, takes our penalty and replaces it if only we call on him and seek to do his will. Eastern theology developed more fully through the orthodox churches of Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It focuses more on deification, the process of becoming as God. (Not becoming God, but becoming more and more God-ish.)
We have talked a lot about God in this series, but we have not talked a lot about salvation. That is because I believe that we as a Church (big C) and we as a church (little c) are entirely too focused on salvation. God did not create the world so that you can get into heaven. How selfish is that thought? This world does not revolve around you. No, instead God created the world to glorify God. I will take it one step further: Jesus did not die on a cross so that you can get into heaven. He is greater than just you. He was doing more than just dying for you. No, instead Jesus died on the cross to glorify God.
I believe in heaven. I hope to be there one day. I believe that you and I can both be there, together, glorifying God forever. I believe in hell. I believe it is the one place God chooses not to be present. I believe the lack of the presence of God, the lack of the will of God, the lack of the glorification of God, is what make hell a place of eternal torment. I believe that we are meant to surrender to God’s will, to die both symbolically and actually through baptism, to be raised to walk in the fullness of life, to pursue the fulfillment of life: to glorify God.
Each week, when I take communion, I say or paraphrase the words of Scripture, “On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took the bread and broke it and he gave it to his apostles, saying ‘Take, eat, this is my body, broken for you.’ The body of Christ, broken for you. And he took the cup and poured it until it was overflowing and he gave it to his apostles, saying , ‘Take, drink, this is my blood of the new covenant, shed for you.’ The blood of Christ, shed for you.” And then I pause, and I think to myself, “A little bit less of me, Lord Jesus. A little bit more of you.” More today than yesterday. More tomorrow than today. More in me than in my father. More in my children than in me.
And one day? Perfection. Paradise. Utopia. Heaven. The fulfillment and return of Christ. The glorification of God, forever and for always. Maranatha. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. So let it be. Amen.
Files coming soon.