The Holy Trinity
Devotional
Water From the Rock
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle C
Object:
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
-- John 16:12
Perhaps this cryptic statement of Jesus underlies the reformed faith's foundational statement that the church is "reformed and always reforming." In the gospel of John, Jesus seemed to be always hinting at the fact that the truth he proclaimed was larger than that which was comprehended. In 10:16 he said, "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold." Early on the church assumed that he was referring to the mission to the Gentiles that Paul would champion.
In contemporary times, theologians have begun to wonder if this does not apply to our relationship with people of other faiths as well. When Jesus said, "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places," the seeds were also planted for a broader understanding of how Christ works in this pluralistic world. When the church seeks to use its understanding of scripture to resist the inclusion of some category of peoples that have been traditionally excluded from the community of faith, it has to confront the possibility that such openness may be the nudging of the Spirit of truth. "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth...."
As one reads the history of the church, it becomes clear that God is often out ahead of the church inviting it to open itself to some new need or reality that confronts it. It is hard now to understand the resistance of the church to the concept of democracy on the basis that the Bible only spoke of kingdoms. It is clear that our understanding of scripture was clouded by a culture that accepted slavery or the exclusion of women from positions of church leadership.
Each time the church faces a new challenge, it fears that it may be compromising the faith. Yet, at the same time, its own faith raises the question of whether not facing the challenge may be resisting the working of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of truth is not something that can be codified and restricted. "The Spirit blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes" (John 3:8).
-- John 16:12
Perhaps this cryptic statement of Jesus underlies the reformed faith's foundational statement that the church is "reformed and always reforming." In the gospel of John, Jesus seemed to be always hinting at the fact that the truth he proclaimed was larger than that which was comprehended. In 10:16 he said, "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold." Early on the church assumed that he was referring to the mission to the Gentiles that Paul would champion.
In contemporary times, theologians have begun to wonder if this does not apply to our relationship with people of other faiths as well. When Jesus said, "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places," the seeds were also planted for a broader understanding of how Christ works in this pluralistic world. When the church seeks to use its understanding of scripture to resist the inclusion of some category of peoples that have been traditionally excluded from the community of faith, it has to confront the possibility that such openness may be the nudging of the Spirit of truth. "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth...."
As one reads the history of the church, it becomes clear that God is often out ahead of the church inviting it to open itself to some new need or reality that confronts it. It is hard now to understand the resistance of the church to the concept of democracy on the basis that the Bible only spoke of kingdoms. It is clear that our understanding of scripture was clouded by a culture that accepted slavery or the exclusion of women from positions of church leadership.
Each time the church faces a new challenge, it fears that it may be compromising the faith. Yet, at the same time, its own faith raises the question of whether not facing the challenge may be resisting the working of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of truth is not something that can be codified and restricted. "The Spirit blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes" (John 3:8).
