FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Sermon by Rev. Craig N. Goodrich, Associate Pastor

Reformation Sunday
October 26, 2008

 

BACKWARD WITH GRACE, FORWARD WITH HOPE

Scripture:  Psalm 46, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

 

 

It is Reformation Sunday, that Sunday of the church year where we look back to our roots in the 16th century, give thanks for our Reformed tradition and remember who we are.

 

It was October 31, 1517 when a young German monk and professor at the university in Wittenberg, Germany posted what have become known simply as “The 95 Theses” on the Castle church doors. It was an invitation to the community to debate, particularly about the issue of indulgences granted by the Church. An indulgence was essentially the grant of relief from having to do penance for sins which had already been confessed and for which forgiveness and absolution had been received. Luther was reacting to Pope Leo X who was encouraging the granting of indulgences to those who gave money to rebuild St. Peter’s basilica in Rome. This is what Luther was objecting to, indulgences as a commercial transaction. His Theses begin this way:

 

“Out of love for the truth and from desire to elucidate it, the Reverend Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg, intends to defend the following statements and to dispute them in that place. Therefore he asks those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”

 

Well, that debate never took place. Luther sent copies of the Theses to the presiding archbishop and to the Pope. While the tone of the Theses was moderate, the challenge to Papal authority, church theology and practice was undeniable. Thus began what we have come to know as the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century which swept Europe resulting in political and religious wars and the split from the Church of Rome of many reformers, the evidence of which is seen today in the thousands of Protestant denominations worldwide, of which we belong to one.

 

For us Presbyterians, while we are indebted to Luther, it is John Calvin who is the foremost theologian of our tradition. He was only 8 years old when Luther posted his Theses. In correspondence with Luther many years later, Calvin referred to Luther as “my highly honored father in Jesus Christ.”

 

Born in France and trained as a lawyer, Calvin came to prominence as result of his publishing at the age of 26 his first edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion. If A Mighty Fortress became the Battle hymn of the Reformation, the Institutes became the primary theological or doctrinal work of the Reformation. Ultimately, Calvin ended up in Geneva which became home to many Protestant refugees, particularly those persecuted by the Catholic crown of France. It was to Geneva that one day John Knox of Scotland came as a refugee. Under Calvin’s mentorship, Knox led the English-speaking congregation for several years until it was safe to return to Scotland. When he did return, Knox took with him Calvin’s theology, order of worship and form of Government, all of which have so influenced American Presbyterianism.

 

John Calvin’s 500th birthday is next July. Stay tuned for word from Lindsay Armstrong and Christian Education as to our plans to celebrate that occasion.

 

Two weeks ago my wife, Andie, and I traveled to Geneva for a pastors’ conference that examined the legacy of John Calvin and looked to the future of the Reformed movement. It was sponsored by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, whose focus is on spiritual renewal, forming relationships and unity among Reformed denominations and pastors and working for international justice. There were 25 or so pastors from 12 countries. It was an inspiring time. We met and studied and prayed together. We walked streets of Old Town Geneva and worshipped where Calvin and Knox preached and taught, and even tried a Calvin beer in the ancient marketplace. (No it was not stern and bitter!) But most significant was connecting with Reformed pastors, brother and sisters from around the world.

 

There was Ichwan from Indonesia where Christians are a minority and are sometimes persecuted, Rose and J.O.Y. from Ghana where Christian are suffering from the global food crisis and truly hungry for daily bread, and Michael from Kenya where fervent prayer is so vital to the Church. There was Zolt from Hungary, Barbara from Pasadena and Bob from Chicago.

 

But what exactly is this Reformed faith that we now share with so many now around the world?

 

Our Book of Order says this:

 

“In its confessions, the Presbyterian Church (USA) identifies with the affirmations of the Protestant Reformation. The focus of these affirmations is the rediscovery of God’s grace in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures. The Protestant watchwords [are] grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone.”

 

It goes on to mention the great theme of the sovereignty of God as well as “other great themes of the Reformed tradition, among them are these: “(1) the election of the people of God for service as well as for salvation, (2) a faithful stewardship that shuns ostentation and seeks proper use of the gifts of God’s creation and...(4) the recognition of the human tendency to idolatry and tyranny which calls the people of God to work for the transformation of society by seeking justice and living in obedience to the Word of God.”

 

Did you notice that in all of that, there was nothing said about prosperity, health and wealth? You see, after the love and the grace of God in Jesus Christ it is all about stewardship, service, transformation and justice.

 

And what about our human tendency towards idolatry? our worship of things other than God, our tendency to put something else in God’s place? It was John Calvin who said, “The human mind is an idol factory.”

 

In these turbulent financial times I wonder if we haven’t exposed an idol: the love and the power of money in our lives, the quest for security, our human desire for control and our ceaseless desire for more, also called greed.

 

This past Thursday our program staff took a day away from the Church for a retreat. We shared our personal concerns and our plans for programs of Church. There were many highlights. One that was unexpected was a spontaneous game of touch football. Kevin Knab had brought his football. If you think watching Georgia or Georgia Tech play is exciting you ought to see the staff play football! It was Charlie Whitfield who threw the winning touchdown pass to Shawn O’Kelly of Roadshows.

 

Another highlight was when we prayed together led by George, holding hands in a circle and praying for the world and for this church, for many of you by name.  But it was as we talked about our own anxiety, our concern for the economy, it was Charles Black who said “You know we have to remember it is not the Dow, it is Thou” (with a capital “T”). He continued, “When I think about the Dow I think of me, but when I think of Thou I think of other people.”

 

What about you? Are you focused on the Dow or on Thou? When the mountains shake and tremble in the heart of the sea, where do you put your trust? We need to look to God and to the witness of Scripture.

 

As Reformed Christians we put great emphasis Scripture and Calvin believed that we need to engage Scripture in our daily context. If Calvin were listening to this sermon I imagine that he might be a bit concerned. First, he would be wary of the attention he is receiving. After all, he is buried in an unmarked grave in Geneva which was his desire. But secondly, he would be urging us to get to the Scripture. So let’s go there now.

 

Paul’s letters to the Church in Thessalonica are the oldest or earliest witness to Christian faith. The first letter was in approximately 50 AD and predates the gospels. We know from the account in the Book of Acts and from the letter itself that Paul and Silas had visited the city and sought to establish a congregation there.

 

In the text today, they are recalling their time together, how they came with the gospel message of the grace of Jesus Christ and how the Thessalonians had “turned from idols to serve the living and true God.” (1:9). and then Paul says this, “But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we determined to share with you not only the gospel but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us?” (2:7-8).

 

Eugene Peterson translates it this way, “Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did.”

  

Of this extraordinary image of tenderness, Calvin in his commentary of 1550 wrote:

 

“For a mother in nursing her infant shrews nothing of power or dignity…a mother nursing her children manifests a certain rare and wonderful affection, inasmuch as she spares no labor and trouble, shuns no anxiety, is wearied out by no assiduity [diligence], and even with cheerfulness of spirit gives her own blood to be sucked. In the same way, Paul declares that he was so disposed towards the Thessalonians that he was prepared to lay out his life for their benefit.”

 

Paul says it, like a nursing mother, we are determined to share not just the gospel but our very selves, our very lives.

 

So let me ask you:

 

Who do you know that needs the gospel? But more significantly, who do you know that needs your life? Who needs your heart?

 

This past week Sister Emmanuelle of France died at age of 99. She was born in Belgium and became a nun in her 20’s. At the age of 62 in 1971 she traveled to Cairo, Egypt and lived with poorest of poor for years, helped those who made their living as “rag pickers” scavenging in the dumps. She set up schools, clinics and plays areas for children of the slum. As a result of her work today, there are now 80,000 children in 8 nations receiving help.

 

Later in her life, when she returned to France, she went to work with the poor in slums of Paris becoming the voice of compassion, protest and justice for the poor.

 

This week thousands packed the square outside the Cathedral of Notre-Dame for a memorial mass attended by French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Egyptian First lady Suzanne Mubarack. In a message sister Emmanuelle had written for her funeral she said, “When you hear this message, I will no longer be there. In telling of my life -- all of life -- I wanted to bear witness that love is more powerful than death.”

 

She concluded her message by thanking all who had helped the cause of children around she said for “what I know, you will do again for thousands of children around the world.” She closed with the words, “Yalla! Let’s go,” using the Arabic term she learned in Cairo.

 

You know, it is never too late to serve.

 

Friends, these are hard economic times. One analyst on the news recently called them “desperate times.” How are you responding? Some of us are really hurting. It is too easy to be fearful and anxious, too easy to simply withdraw into our shells seeking security, seeking to protect what we think is our own. It is too easy to dwell on the Dow. But remember, “God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of trouble, therefore we will not fear.”

 

You know, perhaps this is a wakeup call. Maybe it is a time to recover our Reformed roots. Maybe it is time to put our trust, to really put our trust, in the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Maybe it is time not to pull back, but to reach out. It is certainly a time for gentleness and compassion.

 

Maybe it is time for some of us to ask for help. Maybe it is a time to help each other, to encourage each other, even to share our resources with each other. Maybe it is time to be the body of Christ in this place and for this hurting world.

 

And maybe its time to give, not just our money, and not just the gospel, precious as it is. But maybe it is time to give our very lives.

 

Let us pray.

 

Lord, thank you for your grace in Jesus Christ. Thank you that you are our refuge and our strength.

 

We put our trust in you.

 

So now use our lives for your purposes.

 

In Christ’s name. Amen