Just Do It

But finally there came the day – I remember it clearly – after I had thrown enough hay bales and dug enough ditches, that the art of climbing was demonstrated once more and this time I started, and continued, and touched the steel beam at the top of the gym.

Then of course I thought, “Good grief, I'm all the way up here; get me down quickly, without falling.”

In the right time, with enough experiences behind me, and with the right instruction, I finally managed the task.

Kathy Eshelman is reading an interesting book, and she showed us the title of its first chapter.

It is entitled “Church is not easy.”

And that is so.

It doesn't matter what aspect of the church's life we are discussing; it is not easy, and it is getting harder all the time.

The church has been described under five headings, so let's think of each a bit in turn.

First, the church as an institution is constantly falling apart.

These days it seems to be happening faster than it can be patched.

It is hard work to listen for the Spirit's leading as we try to discern appropriate goals for our work together in the body of Christ.

The Council will be initiating that process with us soon.

How do we best use the resources of time, money, and possessions which God has entrusted to us for the good of all?

How should we be organized to accomplish what God has in mind for us?

It is not easy.

Neither is it easy for the church to offer the service that Jesus has commanded; to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and welcome the stranger, and more.

Many of the efforts that the church has started have been expropriated by the government, or at the least, burdened with regulations about how things shall be done.

Through the centuries, it has been the church which initiated health care and hospitals, orphanages, care for the aged, aid for refugees, disaster relief, and other efforts.

It is hard work.

Last week we touched on the church's work of witness to the risen Lord Jesus, and how we as individual families might take a few little steps into that task.

It takes prompting by the Spirit, genuineness of faith, winsomeness of manner, and the nerve to actually try something in the name of Jesus.

We don't have to worry about results; just as our Stephen Ministers always remind each other that we are the caregivers but God is the cure-giver, so all of us are to bear witness to Jesus, and God will take care of the results, in his good time and in his ways.

It seems that everyone nods solemnly about the church's work of education, but then avoids it as much as possible.

The attitude that Sunday School is for kids is deadly to the life of the congregation.

The hard work of thinking, exploring, and discussing can lead to a deeper joy in the Gospel.

And now we arrive at the fifth area, which is actually the one first in importance, our time together in the church's worship.

We hear that word liturgy and need to remember that it means “the work of God's people.”

It takes work to follow the order of service in the bulletin, to find the pages, to sing the hymns, listen carefully to the lessons and sermon and digest them, give our “amen” to the prayers, and join in thanksgiving to God for all his gifts and trusts presented to us.

The folks at Santiago Cathedral have a problem: they have visitors every day from all over the world. What language should be used?

Many things were in Spanish, which went sailing over me; but at least the Ordinary, those parts of the service that are the same each week, were in Latin, which church people from everywhere know a little bit.

I could join in singing the Kyrie and Gloria, the Sanctus and Agnus Dei.

Other things I could not understand, but I held onto and participated in those which I could.

This brings us to the Athanasian Creed, which we use once a year on this Holy Trinity festival day.

It was written in the 4^th or 5^th century somewhere in the western church, and is more suited to the classroom than the nave.

It was intended to be recited antiphonally or responsively, as we will do today.

It is hard to hear and understand; it truly is work for us.

And we are likely to protest, and put up with it only reluctantly.

We notice that Jesus does not give simple explanations to questions that are put to him, but so often speaks in parables which may lead our thinking in all sorts of directions.[Mk.4:10-13]

“I have more to say to you which you cannot bear now,” Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John.

And near the end of the Gospel, John says that he hasn't written down every possible thing [Jn.21:25], but enough so that you may come to believe the Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing, you may have life in his name. [Jn 20:31]

And so phrases in the Creed may be puzzling or perhaps disturbing to us; there is much to ponder.

We need to remember that the intent of the writers of the Creeds is not to confuse us, but to say things as carefully as possible that will point us to the mystery and wonder of the Lord God.

As has happened many times over the centuries, a monk was teaching a class on the creed when a student stood up and challenged the monk.

“How can you say this stuff?” he demanded.

“What do you mean?” the monk replied.

“There are so many phrases I don't get, don't understand, and am not sure I want to believe...like 'born of the Virgin Mary'...'ascended into heaven'...'coeternal and coequal' ...'neither made nor created'...'completely one without confusing his natures'...and on and on!”

“Just say it,” said the monk calmly.

“What?” interjected the student. “But I...”

“Ah, there is the problem,” interrupted the monk.

“You see, the creeds are not yours, they are not you possession; they are the accumulated reflection of the whole church across the centuries about the Bible's witness to the Triune God.

Right now, you just keep on saying the Creeds, keep on thinking about them and turning over those phrases in your mind, praying the Creeds and not just reciting them, listening as the church universal confesses them day after day...and at the right time the Holy Spirit may open your heart and mind to the depth of the mysteries contained there.

Some things we will understand soon; some will remain puzzles to us until we see the Lord face to face in the fullness of the kingdom of God.

Just do it.”

And the student sat down.

Just as Jesus invited Nicodemus to wrestle with the meaning of anothen=born from above, so are we invited into similar effort.

It is hard work, enduring work, but ultimately very satisfying work, because it is inviting us into the conversation of the Father and Son in the Spirit.

What better way could there be to spend a life? Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.