A Fresh Perspective - 03/14/08
In Paul's address to the intellectuals and philosophers in Athens (Acts 17) he claims that in God "we live, move, and have our being" - God is the very life force (the Spirit) that animates and sustains life. This means that all human beings have a connection to God. Paul quotes one of their own poets affirming that we are all "God's offspring" (17:29), God's children.
In Paul's letter to the Colossians he presents Christ as the cosmic Christ in whom "all things hold together" and through whom God will "reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood (his death), shed on the cross" (1:17, 20).
Being a Christian is to claim this by faith. Since God's fullness dwells in Christ (Col 1:19), Christ reveals to us how to live as God's children in the world. To live like Christ as God's children in the world is to live the life we were created to live.
According to a Greek legend, Helen of Troy was kidnapped and taken to a distant city. There she escaped, but suffered amnesia and became a prostitute in the streets. Back in her homeland, one admiring adventurer believed she was still alive and set out to find her.
In a strange city he came across a woman who looked familiar; she wore tattered clothing and had deep lines across her face. When asked, she gave him a name he didn't recognize, but there was something familiar in her voice.
He asked to see her hands, because he knew the lines in Helen's hands. After he studied her hands he exclaimed, "It is really you. You are Helen of Troy!" When she heard that name, something clicked. The fog began to clear and recognition came to her face. "Yes," she said, "I am Helen of Troy." She discovered her lost self, the self she really was and was born to be.
Our culture contributes to our spiritual amnesia. The many voices of our society which surround us, press us, and compete for our attention has the effect of drowning out the still, small voice of the Spirit. This results in a false self; the true self we where meant to be lies dormant beneath layers of pride, ego-centeredness, and selfish ambition, yet to be discovered.
I believe that the main purpose of worship in a Christian community is to remind us of who we are - that we are children of God, reconciled to God and each other through the self-giving of Christ unto death, and called to live authentic lives of compassion, grace, truth and integrity. Worship helps us to discover and become our true selves as God's dearly loved children, reflecting God's concern for the disadvantaged and embodying God's forgiving grace.
If you are not involved in a faith community I would like to personally invite you to worship at Immanuel Baptist Church, where you can come as you are, discover both who and whose you are and become the person God created you to be. If you are already involved in a faith community, focus on the best in your religious tradition - that which helps you to discover and become your true self.
Chuck Queen is Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Frankfort (CBF affiliated). You can access his sermons and past articles at www.ibcfrankfort.com. He welcomes your comments at cqueen@fewpb.net.