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Our church plant’s Thursday night study made an
interesting revelation that perhaps we theologize more than we witness. I think it’s a mixed bag and truly relies on
circumstance; which in many ways is the natural ebb and flow of life. Speaking of the ebb and flow of life what do
we understand as the concept of resurrection?
What is resurrection?
Do we only equate it to Jesus?
What is the TRUE power behind, beyond the Word—Resurrection?
According to Wikipedia: “Resurrection (from Latin
resurrectio) is the concept of a living being coming back to life after death.
It is a religious concept, where it is used in two distinct respects: a belief
in the resurrection of individual souls that is current and ongoing (Christian
idealism, realized eschatology), or else a belief in a singular resurrection of
the dead at the end of the world. The resurrection of the dead is a standard
eschatological belief in the Abrahamic religions. In a number of ancient
religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and resurrects. The
death and resurrection of Jesus is the central focus of Christianity.
The soul is believed by some to be the divine and
immortal part of the human being, and some believe it is the actual vehicle by
which people are resurrected. Theological debate ensues with regard to what
kind of resurrection is factual – either a spiritual resurrection with a spirit
body into Heaven, or a material resurrection with a restored human body. While
most Christians believe Jesus' resurrection from the dead and ascension to
Heaven was in a material body, a very small minority believe it was spiritual.”
This is from an online dictionary/ encyclopedia of “understanding”
accumulated to reveal and teach in my opinion HOPE & PROMISE. Of course, as a disciple of Jesus Christ—HE
is our Hope and has fulfilled His promise of victory over sin, death and the
devil… but on our individual paths towards realizing Christ Jesus’ call to us
all to carry on His Gospel at all costs—it carries a much more profound
challenge and meaning for us.
ISIS, in their pledge to serve the ideology of religious
cleansing first assaulted the faith and culture of the Resurrection by
annihilating the ancient tomb of Jonah. This was a few years ago. Jonah and the
Whale serves as an Old Testament “satire” of one man’s determination & God’s
determination to challenge his faith to be renewed. For the ancient Christians, the Biblical
story of Jonah was a code of faith or a coat of arms surviving the persecutions
of the day. It became a powerful and
mighty symbol of the resurrection— its wonderful hope, promise it carries.
In some ways the 911 attacks of Bin Laden &
proto-ISIS didn’t really “hurt” as they were hoping it would for they only
attacked us “financially” by hitting the World Trade Towers & the Pentagon
for this they thought would bring to life, their chant: “Death to America!”
With great irony all it has caused for us, truthfully to do, is to stop and
ponder on legalizing a systemic governmental paranoia of ruining travel,
polarizing thought into the ugly distractions and entertainment of “partisan”
politics and divide and diminish American Christianity.
This divide has now become a chasm where the media
ignores ISIS’ persecutions and success in trying to destroy tenants of our
faith! In this week’s Gospel we have Mark’s mini apocalypse where Jesus alludes
to both the destruction of the temple and cryptically alludes to the great promise
of His resurrection to come. “2Then Jesus says to him, “Do you see
these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will
be thrown down.” What did this mean?
The disciples were always challenged by what Jesus would
try to teach them. They went directly to it being about the wars of man. There was a half-truth to that since the
Romans basically leveled the temple in 70ad—the center of where the Jews put
their faith…. But Jesus was once again trying to teach us about something much
greater. The destruction of sin, death
and the power of evil and the resurrection promise of the New Creation waiting
after the end of all things. This is more than about the end times but
spiritually as well—moving onward, boldly carrying on the critical task of
living, breathing, teaching and preaching the Gospel of Christ till our earthly
life draws to a close.
We are a people built and are called to build upon a
Resurrection Hope—Promise that New Life is our spiritual formation journey to
serving Christ and caring for neighbor.
Perhaps ISIS doesn’t know enough about Christianity but just like the
Romans and like Hitler, they line the streets with death and destruction. Their barbarism is beyond medieval and
frankly more or less diabolical! There
have only been a smattering of articles and photographs mostly from foreign
media outlets showing the grizzly after effects of the numerous Christian
crucifixions.
What was a horrible spiritual revelation for me to rest
upon with a heavy heart in thinking about these crucifixions of primarily children,
women and clergy…. Was finding out that they killed the person first before
stringing them up upon a cross. They
were already raped, tortured, some beheaded, brutalized and assassinated before
they were “displayed” upon the cross… The central heart of the Christian faith
lies upon that Cross—when Jesus drew His last breath—the three day journey
towards the Resurrection began!
How horrible and ironic that ISIS found a way to assault
or “shake the foundation” of the core of our faith and yet the mainstream
secularized, American culture media lightly acknowledges this horror has even
taken place! The Resurrection and its power is being threatened… but are we
really cognoscente to this truly being “the beginning of the birth pangs” we
must bear before the end of days?
Of all things a small snippet of dialogue from the film
around ‘the Lord of the Rings’—‘Return of the King,’ nails that hope &
promise we must persevere, hold on to:
“PIPPIN: I didn't think it would end this way.
GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is
just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this
world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.
PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?
GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under
a swift sunrise.”
The glory of the Kingdom of God and our next journey into
our true spiritual reality in joining Christ should be our motivation to
being. A motivation to being (beyond
ourselves) and living into a greater purpose—the Gospel. The devil is working with great success
through ISIS currently as well as he is working with great success in the
struggling Christian church…
If we cannot or refuse to support our brother and sister
who wants to serve Jesus but in fact hinder, slander and sabotage their efforts
in order to preserve and control the Church of Christ… We have not only failed
the Gospel but are living into an indifferent diabolical Gospel of power and
corruption and are no better than the arrogant Pharisees & soulless intellectuals
who claim to “know” God!
With snobby arrogance some turn their nose upwards to
condemn the concept of church planting and mission congregations. They hold many lofty seminars and
convocations claiming the “noble beauty” to planting house churches and nomadic
church plants meeting in hotels and whatever they can find to spread the Gospel
but then turn around to condemn, slander and go out of their way to destroy
someone’s efforts to obey Jesus’ command to serve! It’s not a command to serve THEM, their
doctrinal correctness and political BS—it’s supposed to be about GOD!
Of course church planting has its limitations, there is
no financial security in it unless you get all 5 numbers in the Powerball! And
of course the weight and burden falls much more heavily upon volunteers,
commitment towards a greater goal and their family members… But what did Jesus
say to His disciples even in today’s texts?!!
“9“As for yourselves, beware; for they will
hand you over to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will
stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. 10And
the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11When they
bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you
are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who
speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12Brother will betray brother to death,
and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them
put to death; 13and you will be hated by all because of my name. But
the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
But the one who endures to the end will be saved—I’m
still here~ a rebel with a slandered reputation by the “new” church hypocrites
for Christ. Many a friend I know, are
still here—fighting the good fight of faith!
My final question to you is this:
What are you doing for the Gospel? Are you a late-bloomer? Will you be a breach birth or will you come out
and tear down the walls of evil, death and destruction & resurrect a
Gospel-centered world!? If you can’t go there, I don’t know what to say.
That old Cursillo statement of beautiful hope and promise
is on the back of every cursillista’s cross who sojourns the challenge of the
retreat: “Christ is counting on You!” He’s counting on you to stand up against
evil. He’s counting on you to spiritually
change—transform and truly LIVE into GRACE—a lifestyle commitment, period.
God is calling you—not the “church”… God is calling you to teach, use everything you
were given as a gift to bear the Gospel to the world! DO it! LIVE it!
AMEN
November 15th,
2015; 25th Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 28; Year B; SOLA
Lectionary
Sermon by
Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins
Psalm 16;
Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-25 & Mark 13:1-13
Being a Bold witness to the Word is essential if the Gospel is to survive... Below is a link to this sermon's delivery at the Grace Hub's house church service:
https://youtu.be/Z75IoFOigfM
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