Statement of Faith
I used to think the more things I believed about God and Jesus the more faith I would have. Blame it on seminary. They taught me about the sovereignty of God and about the two
natures, divine and human, of Jesus. They instructed me in Greek and Hebrew in order to parse and exegete the text. I filled my brain with church history, apologetics, and how to write a verbatim in order not to be humiliated by my C.P.E. instructor. I learned more about God than I thought possible and am learning still where I occupy a study and not an office. However, most of what I’ve discovered about my faith has not come through my head but through my heart. Knowledge about God is not the same as knowing God, or, even more importantly, realizing we are known by God.
If faith is not about believing things the church teaches us about God and Jesus then what is it? The root of “belief” in Greek means to “give one’s heart to” – the fullness of one’s self, not just the mind. To “understand” does not just mean to gain knowledge of something but literally to “stand under” it; to give your heart away to it. Therefore, faith is a giving over that embodies the totality of heart, mind, and soul, more than it is a creed or a belief in certain things about God. Since I never gave up anything that didn’t have claw marks on it, my faith is built more on hope than reality; a verb rather than a noun.
Fred Buechner said, “If you want to know where a person’s heart is, look to see where his feet take him.” My feet have taken me into pastoral ministry where the “deep cries unto the deep” and my heart of hearts finds its true vocation. In return, the church feeds my faith as God’s grace works its way up through the soles of my shoes.
I have faith:
In the creative and redeeming hand of God in Christ to “take the things that are not, and turn them into the things that are,” as Paul, who would surely know, confessed.
In the liberating love of God in Christ to free all people from the burden of their sins, to release us from our slavery to the “powers and principalities,” and to lead us back home when we are separated, exiled, and lost.
In the reconciling will of God in Christ to reveal the darkness of injustice, hate and prejudice as only shadows cast by the light of compassion, love, and forgiveness.
In the resurrecting power of God in Jesus Christ to mold the ashes of death into a new body shaped by hope and clothed with profound possibility in this world and in the eschaton.
In the mystical presence of the Holy Spirit, working through the church and in the world, to encourage and stretch us into becoming the true selves God created, “…with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, and being transformed into the likeness of Christ from one degree of glory to another.”
Hey Steve…As usual I love your service. You know how much I love your sermons already. But I’m also enjoying the way you introduce the Scripture, giving us some tools with which to understand it, including some guidelines for analyzing it. That’s really helpful. Regarding this Sunday’s sermon, I’m trying to understand what you meant by substitutional atonement. Are you saying that the whole idea of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins was constructed by us, for us since we needed something like that to believe that God really did love us that much? Could you explain what you meant by that and what the alternative to that is? Thanks so much, Steve, for all your time
By: Lisa on February 20, 2008
at 1:17 am
The substitutionary or satisfaction atonement theory,(that God’s honor or justice must be satisfied and only the sacrifice of his son can do it)was first introduced by Augustine in the 4th century and really became “doctrine” with Anselem winning the battle against Abelard in the 11th century. Since then the reformed church and especially and other more conservative churches hold this view. Abelard believed, as do I, that we are the ones who demand satisfaction rather than God. And God is willing to give it to us even if it cost his “son.” Therefore it cost God twice-when we turn away (sin) and when God pays the price for our sin- to us. Remember Jean Valjean in Les Miserables who stole a loaf of bread from the Priest and when he is caught and brought back the priest then give him the silver candle sticks. It is that act of complete grace that converts Valjean. So too with us. Instead of a God whose wrath needs to be satisfied, God gives us all God has to give us to convince us we are loved and restored into communion and relationship. What would our world look like if we could be more like that?
By: Steve Goyer on February 20, 2008
at 5:42 pm