Anointed Listener: The Apostolic Faith

There is a church that proclaims itself "a house of prayer for all people on the rock of the Apostolic faith." Whatever does that mean?

The "house of prayer for all people" excludes no one who is willing to "hold fast (the Lord's) covenant." (Isaiah 56:6). It does not mean "Come on in, whatever floats your boat!" It means, "Welcome, find rest for your soul," and uh-oh, wait for it: "Welcome, and hear the Good News of Christ!"

That last, less you miss it, is the Apostolic part.  Standing on the solid rock of Christ, Apostolic faith preaches the Good News.

The Apostolic faith has seen reality as our normal eyes don't see. Standing on this Rock, I have seen Love revealed, the Love that is stronger than death. I have seen phrases of Scripture glow with new Life, virtually leaping out of the text! I have seen Christ in fellow Christians, gathered as the People of God, the Church founded on the rock of the Apostolic faith.  Through the power of the Gospel I have seen the Lord Jesus; I have felt and handled this Mystery. I guess like all Christians, I must be called to be a disciple and apostle.

Our forebears, the early Apostles, you know the ones who got crucified upside down so that I could hear the Good News? They put together the Creeds, which are "guardians of the mystery" (Flannery O'Connor) that originated in Baptismal vows. The Apostolic faith in "one Lord, one faith, one Baptism" came through hundreds of generations to that community, those hands, who baptized me and marked me as "Christ's own forever!" I came into New Life mewling and puking, and the mature community took me up. The Church brought me and taught me until finally I could see. 

As a botanist can look at grass and see cells; and an astronomer look at the blue sky and see the planets and stars; the Apostolic faith by grace discerns the Holy Spirit brooding over a bent world "with ah! bright wings" (Hopkins). Oh, to be able to see it more clearly; oh to be a better Apostle!  Sometimes I'm half-blinded by the bentness of it all, but woe to me if I preach not the Gospel (Paul).

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Anointed Listener: In light of the Resurrection

I visited the Presbyterian church this a.m.; what a surprise to see the whole thing is still going on. I also felt surprised how deep a place within me responded. It was Youth Sunday, and I might have been one of those young worship leaders. The dressed-up women and men might have been my parents' friends, except for lack of ladies' white gloves!

The sermon text was Matthew 14:22-23: While Jesus was out by himself praying, the disciples started rowing in a boat and got caught in a bad storm. Jesus walked to them on the water calling, "It is I." After Peter gets out and doubts (Mt 14:30), Jesus chides the lack of faith. When he gets into the boat, the storm quiets down.

"There is tumult in this life," was the Reverend's message, "that's what is eternally true," and she centered her word around a lengthy plea for Somalia. "Maybe if we all put our mustard seeds of faith together we can help the tumult in Somalia." Perhaps hearing about this miracle will open faithful hearts to share.

But are miracles alone going to open our hearts? In Mark's version of this story the disciples' hearts were  hardened, even after Jesus climbed into the boat! "They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened (Mk 6:51-52)."  They didn't know who Jesus was. Elsewhere they had asked, "Who is he, that even the winds and the waves obey him?" (Mk 4:41; Cf, Lk 8:21, Mt 8:27)

"Understanding about the loaves" means realizing Who Jesus is. When Jesus took,  blessed, broke, and gave the loaves, he revealed he was the Anointed One, the long-prophesied Messiah.  When Jesus called to the disciples from the waves he said, "Ego eimi," "It is I" also meaning "I AM"--the name of God. As John's Gospel says, "I AM the Resurrection and the Life. I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life. "I AM HE, the one who is speaking to you now."

We know that now; and the disciples knew it by the time they were preaching the Gospels. After the Resurrection, after the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, they understood. Whether the doubting of Peter (Mt 14:30-31) or the hardening of the disciples' hearts (Mark 6:52), their storm story reflects back on misunderstandings later illuminated by the light of Jesus' rising from the grave!

We have to understand the miracles, indeed all the Gospel stories, in the light of the Resurrection, in the light of knowing Who Jesus is, in order for faith to grow in our hearts, the faith that will open our hearts to those suffering in the tumult of this life.