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| The Pulpit and Communion Table, St Fergus ParishChurch. The Bread Plates had not yet been brought out. |
One thing that annoys me greatly is that many people I encounter affirm that the Christian religion is about God in general, but neglect the centrality of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith. Cer-tainly, they acknowledge Christmas as Jesus' birthday and Easter as his death. In reality, they see Christmas as more about gift giving and family get-togethers than about anything that has to do with Jesus and His love. As I lis-ten to and talk with people, I am sad-dened by the absence of Jesus Christ in their religious views. For many people with whom I have talked, Jesus is off on the margins of their lives, neglected and not worthy of consider-ation. But now in these days, even God is seen as distant and remote, not having any interest in the affairs of this world. Yet any time something tragic happens, there are those who lash out at God, condemning God for allowing something bad to happen to innocent people such as themselves or a loved one. Many are focused upon God in general to the neglect of the specifics of God's Son Jesus Christ. He plays no part in their world. The Christian faith is no more than occasional thoughts about a general concept of the Divine.
Last month I was travelling with a friend to a service on the other side of North East Scotland. We were talking about this issue that both of us are concerned about. He referred to it as Godianity. Boy, did that make sense to me. It struck a chord in me. The use of Godianity plays off of the term Christianity. For people of the Godian faith, the focus is on God to the almost complete neglect of Jesus Christ. God is not the Triune God of the Bible, but somewhat of a fulfilment of the desire many people have for a God who is there, but not too close to cause any discomfort. This God is rather abstract, tame, and safe to call upon in time of need. As I talk to other ministers, I hear about people who are on church membership rolls, but only show up in church at Christmas, Easter, or Communion, if they ever show up at all. God appears to have no place in their lives except at certain times of the year or for certain times of rites of passage in life such as a baptism, a wed-ding, or a funeral. Yet they call themselves Christian. This is the God of Godianity.
There are other expressions of Godianity that I have encountered among Christians here in the UK as well as in North America. There are Christian Godians who put their trust in God and have sensed in some way divine guidance and provision. They offer testimonies of how God has heard their prayers and led them in the right way. That they testify to what God has done for them is not what concerns me; it is what they do not testify to that concerns me. What is missing is any refer-ence to the Crucified and Risen Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. I have no doubt that the people who share of God's presence in their lives are active Christians. The problem is that they do not base their testimony or theology on the Cross and the Empty Tomb of Jesus. Such believers have a general view of the God of the Bible, but lack the basic fundamentals of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, the Apostle Paul writes: For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures and then he appeared ... and the text continues. The Apostle considered as of first importance, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Cross and the Empty Tomb. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, the same Apostle Paul wrote that he had 'decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.' He preached the Gospel 'in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.' Paul considered it his primary duty to proclaim what God had done for us through the Crucified and Risen Jesus Christ.
When I came to St Fergus Parish Church in June, 2012, I endeavoured to proclaim the Cross and the Empty Tomb in my preaching to the congregation Sunday by Sunday. I follow the lectionary readings for the gospels each Sunday. The lectionary followed the Gospel of Mark until the end of November last year, and Luke after that. It was remarkable the way that the Gospel of the Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus came through the lectionary texts. For the past three months or so the gospel lectionary selections have been looking at Jesus' parables in the Gospel of Luke. Rather than forcing the Gospel of Jesus Christ onto the parables, the parables powerfully presented the Gospel. This is my primary task in preaching at St Fergus Parish Church: to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ's death on the Cross for the the forgiveness of sins according to the Scriptures and His resurrection from death to life, also according to the Scriptures. Everything else works out from there in my ministry with the people of the congregation.
And so I feel great joy when we celebrate the Lord's Supper at St Fergus Parish Church. Unfor-tunately it is only twice a year. I had grown accustomed to celebrating it the first Sunday of every month. As a result, at times I feel a hunger to be fed at the Lord's Table. But the time is not right to make any changes in the frequency of taking Communion. I am thrilled, even giddy, when we take the Bread and the Cup at church. If done properly, the focus is on the death of Jesus for the for-giveness of our sins. All of our senses are involved: we see the Bread and the Cup; we hear the Gospel proclaimed; we smell the Bread and the Wine; we feel the bread, Christ's Body broken for us; we taste both the Wine, Christ's Blood shed for us, and the Bread. We taste and see that the LORD is good. It does not get any better than that, except to be in the Crucified and Risen Jesus' presence when we feast with Him at last at the Marriage Banquet at the End of Time. The Lord's Supper is celebrated in anticipation of that great meal in the future. That's why I have fun when we celebrate Communion.
As always, I covet your prayers on my behalf as a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at St Fergus Parish Church.
Blessings to you and yours,
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, the Apostle Paul writes: For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures and then he appeared ... and the text continues. The Apostle considered as of first importance, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Cross and the Empty Tomb. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, the same Apostle Paul wrote that he had 'decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.' He preached the Gospel 'in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.' Paul considered it his primary duty to proclaim what God had done for us through the Crucified and Risen Jesus Christ.
When I came to St Fergus Parish Church in June, 2012, I endeavoured to proclaim the Cross and the Empty Tomb in my preaching to the congregation Sunday by Sunday. I follow the lectionary readings for the gospels each Sunday. The lectionary followed the Gospel of Mark until the end of November last year, and Luke after that. It was remarkable the way that the Gospel of the Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus came through the lectionary texts. For the past three months or so the gospel lectionary selections have been looking at Jesus' parables in the Gospel of Luke. Rather than forcing the Gospel of Jesus Christ onto the parables, the parables powerfully presented the Gospel. This is my primary task in preaching at St Fergus Parish Church: to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ's death on the Cross for the the forgiveness of sins according to the Scriptures and His resurrection from death to life, also according to the Scriptures. Everything else works out from there in my ministry with the people of the congregation.
And so I feel great joy when we celebrate the Lord's Supper at St Fergus Parish Church. Unfor-tunately it is only twice a year. I had grown accustomed to celebrating it the first Sunday of every month. As a result, at times I feel a hunger to be fed at the Lord's Table. But the time is not right to make any changes in the frequency of taking Communion. I am thrilled, even giddy, when we take the Bread and the Cup at church. If done properly, the focus is on the death of Jesus for the for-giveness of our sins. All of our senses are involved: we see the Bread and the Cup; we hear the Gospel proclaimed; we smell the Bread and the Wine; we feel the bread, Christ's Body broken for us; we taste both the Wine, Christ's Blood shed for us, and the Bread. We taste and see that the LORD is good. It does not get any better than that, except to be in the Crucified and Risen Jesus' presence when we feast with Him at last at the Marriage Banquet at the End of Time. The Lord's Supper is celebrated in anticipation of that great meal in the future. That's why I have fun when we celebrate Communion.
As always, I covet your prayers on my behalf as a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at St Fergus Parish Church.
Blessings to you and yours,
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