GUARDING THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH –
THE TRADITIONALIST GODVIEW
John 17:6-11; 20-23
Rev. Paul Wrightman December 5, 2021
THIS MORNING WE CONTINUE REVISITING A SHORT SERMON SERIES
ON A RECENTLY DEVELOPED PARADIGM CALLED “GODVIEWS” –
FIVE MARKEDLY DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH
DIFFERENT PEOPLE APPROACH GOD AND CHURCH.
BECAUSE CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT “INCARNATION” -- THE AFFIRMATION THAT GOD BECAME A PERSON
IN THE PERSON OF JESUS –
AND BECAUSE JESUS SPECIFICALLY FOUNDED THE CHURCH
TO BE THE CONTINUATION OF HIS PRESENCE IN THE WORLD
AFTER HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION,
I THOUGHT “GODVIEWS” WOULD MAKE AN APPROPRRIATE
SERMON SERIES FOR THE SEASON OF ADVENT
AND THE BEGINNING OF EPIPHANY.
SO OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FIVE WEEKS WE WILL BE REVISITING A PREVIOUS SERMON SERIES ON “GODVIEWS,”
BUT WITH SOME NEW ILLUSTRATIONS
AND SOME REWORKED INSIGHTS.
FOR THIS SERIES TO “WORK”, IT’S IMPORTANT THAT EACH OF US
HAS A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF EACH GODVIEW.
BUT SINCE IT’S ALSO A REALITY THAT HARDLY ANYONE
IS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO CHURCH FIVE SUNDAYS IN A ROW,
IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO DO BASIC REVIEW EACH WEEK,
WHICH WILL INVOLVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF REPETITION.
LAST WEEK WE LOOKED AT A CRUCIAL TEXT FROM ST. PAUL
IN WHICH HE TALKED ABOUT THE CHURCH AS THE BODY OF CHRIST,
AND COMPARED THE VARIOUS MINISTRIES IN THE CHURCH
TO THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY.
HIS POINT WAS THAT JUST AS EACH BODILY PART WAS VITAL
TO THE FUNCTIONING OF THE BODY AS A WHOLE,
SO TOO EACH PERSON MAKING UP THE BODY OF CHRIST
HAD A CRUCIAL PART TO PLAY IN THE WELL-BEING
OF THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE.
TODAY WE WILL BRIEFLY REVIEW EACH GODVIEW
TO REGAIN OUR SENSE OF THE WHOLE,
AND THEN TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TRADITIONALIST VIEW.
THE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL POINT TO GRASP
IN APPROACHING THESE DIFFERING VIEWS OF GOD AND CHURCH
IS THAT NO GODVIEW IS BETTER THAN ANOTHER.
EACH GODVIEW IS STRONGLY AFFIRMED BY JESUS.
THE GODVIEWS, TAKEN AS A WHOLE,
ARE A MAJOR WAY IN WHICH JESUS TEACHES
UNITY THROUGH DIVERSITY.
THE IMPLICATION IS THAT A WHOLE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY –
TAKE COMMUNITY CHURCH, FOR EXAMPLE,
IS MUCH GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.
MANY OF US WILL BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF
TO LEARN THAT EACH PERSON RESONATES
PRIMARILY WITH ONE GODVIEW,
AND SOMETIMES SECONDARILY WITH ANOTHER.
IT’S SOMEWHAT LIKE HAVING A MAJOR AND A MINOR IN COLLEGE.
THIS SHOULD TAKE SOME PRESSURE OFF THOSE OF US
WHO FEEL THAT WE NEED TO BE AND TO DO EVERYTHING!
JESUS HIMSELF DOES NOT EXPECT THIS FROM US,
SO WE CAN TAKE OURSELVES OFF THE HOOK
AND SIMPLY FLOW WITH WHO WE ARE,
WITH WHO GOD GIFTED EACH OF US TO BE.
I’M NOW GOING TO BRIEFLY DESCRIBE
THE FIVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF APPROACHING GOD AND CHURCH.
HOPEFULLY YOU WILL STRONGLY RECOGNIZE YOURSELF
IN ONE OF THE VIEWS
AND MILDLY RECOGNIZE YOURSELF IN ANOTHER.
REMEMBER: ALL GODVIEWS HAVING BEEN CREATED EQUAL,
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO BASIS FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN
TO CONSIDER HERSELF OR HIMSELF SUPERIOR
TO ANY OTHER CHRISTIAN.
THE ORDER IN WHICH I DESCRIBE THE GODVIEWS IS ARBITRARY,
AND SIMPLY REFLECTS THE ORDER IN WHICH
THIS SERMON SERIES WILL UNFOLD.
GODVIEW NUMBER ONE IS KNOWN AS THE TRADITIONALIST VIEW.
IN ANY LOCAL CHURCH, THE TRADITIONALISTS
ARE THOSE WHO REMIND THAT LOCAL CHURCH
OF ITS HISTORY AND TRADITIONS.
TRADITIONALISTS ARE GENERALLY SUSPECT OF CHANGE,
HAVING A PASSION FOR KEEPING THEIR CONGREGATION
TRUE TO ITS ROOTS.
IN THE RECENT HISTORY OF COMMUNITY CHURCH,
AND ITS DECISION TO BECOME A TWO-TRACK,
OR DUAL STATUS, CHURCH,
THE TRADITIONALISTS AMONG US PLAYED A VITAL ROLE
IN CONSTANTLY REMINDING US OF OUR HISTORY
AS AN INDEPENDENT CHURCH,
AND IN INSISTING THAT THE CHOICE OF REMAINING “INDEPENDENT”
ALWAYS BE AN OPTION FOR ANY MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH.
GODVIEW NUMBER TWO IS KNOWN AS THE DEVOTIONALIST VIEW.
THESE ARE PERSONS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO
AND DEEPLY ENGAGED IN WORSHIP AND PRAYER.
THEY TEND TO BE PERSONS
WHO HAVE A WARM RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD,
AND AN ACTIVE PRAYER LIFE.
GODVIEW NUMBER THREE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD,
IS KNOWN AS THE CONFESSIONALIST VIEW.
HERE “CONFESSIONALIST” COMES FROM THE ORIGINAL SENSE
OF THE WORD “CONFESS,” WHICH MEANS “TO AFFIRM.”
CONFESSIONALISTS ARE CHRISTIANS WHO, LIKE MYSELF,
ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT SEARCHING FOR, DISCOVERING,
AND SHARING THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD AND JESUS.
THEY ARE USUALLY PERSONS WHO INSIST THAT
NOT ALL THEOLOGIES, OR WAYS OF UNDERSTANDING GOD,
ARE EQUAL, AND THAT SOME WAYS OF UNDERSTANDING GOD
ARE DEFINITELY BETTER THAN OTHERS.
GODVIEW NUMBER FOUR IS KNOWN AS THE ALTRUIST VIEW.
AS THEIR NAME IMPLIES,
ALTRUISTS ARE CHRISTIANS WHO ARE INTO HELPING.
THESE ARE PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH WHO,
FACED WITH A SITUATION OF NEED,
EXPLICITLY OR IMPLICITLY, ASK THEMSELVES THE QUESTION:
“WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?”
GODVIEW NUMBER FIVE IS KNOWN AS THE ACTIVIST VIEW.
THESE ARE CHRISTIANS WHO ARE IMPATIENT FOR CHANGE,
WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT JUSTICE,
AND WHO ARE READY-AND-WILLING
TO TAKE ON ANY AND EVERY OBSTACLE
IN THE WAY OF BRINGING ABOUT MORE OF GOD’S KINGDOM
HERE ON EARTH.
THESE ARE CHRISTIANS LIKE DOROTHY DAY
AND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.,
AND ON A MORE LOCAL LEVEL,
CHRISTIANS IN OUR OWN CHURCH
WHO HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO ADVOCATE,
AND OCCASIONALLY TO DEMONSTRATE,
FOR PEACE AND OTHER JUSTICE ISSUES.
MOVING ON NOW TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
AT THE TRADITIONALIST GODVIEW,
I WOULD URGE YOU TO REMEMBER THAT TRADITIONALISTS
ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT TAKING US BACK TO OUR ROOTS,
AND THAT ONE OF THE DEEPEST ROOTS OF THE EARLY CHURCH
WAS AS AN ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY
WHERE PEOPLE ACTUALLY HELPED BEAR EACH OTHER’S BURDENS.
IN THAT SPIRIT I’D LIKE TO OFFER THE FOLLOWING ILLUSTRATION
FROM BEVERLY BARTLETT AS A METAPHOR FOR A CHURCH
WHERE TRADITIONALISTS ARE DOING THEIR JOB:
“IT WAS JUST A FEW MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
IN SAN FRANCISCO, AND THE SHOPPING DOWNTOWN
WAS STARTING TO GET TO US.
I REMEMBER CROWDS OF PEOPLE WAITING IMPATIENTLY
FOR SLOW-MOVING BUSES AND STREETCARS
ON THOSE LITTLE CEMENT ISLANDS
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
MOST OF US WERE LOADED DOWN WITH PACKAGES,
AND IT LOOKED LIKE MANY OF US WERE BEGINNING TO WONDER
IF ALL THOSE COUNTLESS FRIENDS AND RELATIVES
ACTUALLY DESERVED SO MANY GIFTS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THIS WAS NOT THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT I’D BEEN RAISED WITH.
WHEN I FINALLY FOUND MYSELF VIRTUALLY SHOVED UP THE STEPS
OF A JAMMED STREETCAR, THE IDEA OF STANDING THERE
PACKED LIKE A SARDINE THE WHOLE WAY HOME
WAS ALMOST MORE THAN I COULD TAKE.
WHAT I WOULD HAVE GIVEN FOR A SEAT!
I MUST HAVE BEEN IN SOME KIND OF EXHAUSTED DAZE
BECAUSE AS PEOPLE GRADUALLY GOT OFF,
IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO NOTICE
THAT THERE WAS ROOM TO BREATHE AGAIN.
THEN I SAW SOMETHING OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE.
A SMALL, DARK-SKINNED BOY – HE COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE
THAN FIVE OR SIX – TUGGED ON A WOMAN’S SLEEVE AND ASKED,
‘WOULD YOU LIKE A SEAT?’
HE QUIETLY LED HER TO THE CLOSEST FREE SEAT HE COULD FIND.
THEN HE SET OUT TO FIND ANOTHER TIRED PERSON.
AS SOON AS EACH RARE, NEW SEAT BECAME AVAILABLE,
HE WOULD QUICKLY MOVE THROUGH THE CROWD
IN SEARCH OF ANOTHER BURDENED WOMAN
WHO DESPERATELY NEEDED TO REST HER FEET.
WHEN I FINALLY FELT THE TUG ON MY OWN SLEEVE,
I WAS ABSOLUTELY DAZZLED BY THE BEAUTY
IN THIS LITTLE BOY’S EYES.
HE TOOK MY HAND, SAYING, ‘COME WITH ME,’
AND I THINK I’LL REMEMBER THAT SMILE AS LONG AS I LIVE.
AS I HAPPILY PLACED MY HEAVY LOAD OF PACKAGES ON THE FLOOR,
THE LITTLE EMISSARY OF LOVE IMMEDIATELY TURNED
TO HELP HIS NEXT SUBJECT.
THE PEOPLE ON THE STREETCAR, AS USUAL,
HAD BEEN STUDIOUSLY AVOIDING EACH OTHER’S EYES,
BUT NOW THEY BEGAN TO EXCHANGE SHY GLANCES AND SMILES.
A BUSINESSMAN OFFERED A SECTION OF THE NEWSPAPER
TO THE STRANGER NEXT TO HIM;
THREE PEOPLE STOOPED TO PICK UP A GIFT
THAT HAD TUMBLED TO THE FLOOR.
AND NOW PEOPLE WERE SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER.
THAT LITTLE BOY HAD TANGIBLY CHANGED SOMETHING –
WE ALL RELAXED INTO A SUBTLE FEELING OF WARMTH
AND ACTUALLY ENJOYED THE TRIP
THROUGH THE FINAL STOPS ON THE ROUTE.
I DIDN’T NOTICE WHEN THE CHILD GOT OFF.
I LOOKED UP AT ONE POINT AND HE WAS GONE.
WHEN I REACHED MY STOP I PRACTICALLY FLOATED OFF
THAT STREETCAR, WISHING THE DRIVER A HAPPY HOLIDAY,
NOTICING THE SPARKLING CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON MY STREET
IN A FRESH, NEW WAY.
OR MAYBE I WAS SEEING THEM IN AN OLD WAY,
WITH THE SAME OPEN WONDER I FELT WHEN I WAS FIVE OR SIX.
I THOUGHT, SO THAT’S WHAT THEY MEAN BY ‘AND A LITTLE CHILD
SHALL LEAD THEM.’”
NOW LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
OF THE TRADITIONALIST GODVIEW.
ONE OF THE GREAT STRENGTHS OF THE TRADITIONALIST
IS THAT SHE OR HE HAS THE ABILITY TO RECONNECT PEOPLE
WITH THEIR ROOTS.
ONE OF THE DEEPEST ROOTS OF THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION
IS ITS STRONG FOUNDATION IN HOSPITALITY –
A DEEP DESIRE TO HELP PEOPLE TO FEEL WELCOME AND AT HOME.
JUST LIKE THAT LITTLE BOY ON THE STREETCAR,
TRADITIONALISTS GO OUT OF THEIR WAY
TO PROVIDE SEEMINGLY SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS
THAT GO A LONG WAY IN PUTTING OTHERS AT THEIR EASE
AND FREEING THEM TO BE THEIR BEST.
TRADITIONALISTS, MORE THAN ANY OTHER GROUP IN THE CHURCH,
ARE THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT THE LITTLE DETAILS
THAT GO INTO MAKING A CHURCH ONE BIG EXTENDED FAMILY.
ONE OF THE FAVORITE SCRIPTURE TEXTS OF THOSE
WHO IDENTIFY WITH THE TRADITIONALIST GODVIEW
IS THE ONE YOU JUST HEARD.
THIS PASSAGE COMES FROM WHAT IS KNOWN AS
“JESUS’ PRAYER FOR UNITY FOR HIS DISCIPLES,”
AND WAS GIVEN JUST AFTER HIS CELEBRATION OF PASSOVER
AND JUST BEFORE HIS ARREST DURING THE LAST DAY
OF HIS EARTHLY LIFE.
THEY TELL US WHAT WAS ON HIS MIND JUST BEFORE HIS DEATH,
AND IT IS TOUCHING THAT WHAT WAS ON HIS MIND
WAS THE UNITY OF HIS DISCIPLES.
TRADITIONALISTS TEND TO BE MORE BOTHERED
BY CONFLICT WITHIN THE CHURCH THAN ANY OTHER GROUP.
IT BREAKS THEIR HEARTS TO SEE FELLOW-CHRISTIANS
FIGHTING WITH ONE ANOTHER.
THEY WILL DO ANYTHING THEY CAN TO WORK THE MAGIC OF PEACE.
THEIR VISION OF CHURCH AS EXTENDED FAMILY
PUSHES THEM TO DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER
TO BRING DIFFERING FACTIONS TOGETHER.
THEIR PASSION FOR UNITY MAKES THEM EXTRA-SENSITIVE
TO POTENTIAL NEW AREAS OF CONFLICT,
AND SINCE A MAJOR SOURCE OF CONFLICT IS CHANGE,
THEY OFTEN PROVIDE SOME NEEDED BRAKING POWER
TO A CHURCH THAT WANTS TO CHANGE TOO MUCH TOO FAST.
AS WITH EACH OF THE GODVIEWS,
THE OUTSTANDING STRENGTHS OF THE TRADITIONALIST POSITION
CAN EASILY DEVOLVE INTO SIGNIFICANT WEAKNESSES.
AN OVER-EMPHASIS ON CHURCH UNITY
CAN BLOCK CREATIVE CONFLICT WITHIN A CHURCH,
WHICH IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITY.
OVER-IDENTIFICATION WITH THE HISTORY, TRADITIONS, AND DETAILS
OF A PARTICULAR LOCAL CHURCH CAN PUSH THEM
INTO LIVING MORE IN THE PAST THAN THE PRESENT AND FUTURE,
AND TO PAINT THEMSELVES INTO THE CORNER
OF BLOCKING ALL CHANGE, EVEN CHANGE WHICH IS NECESSARY
FOR A CHURCH TO STAY ALIVE.
BUT THIS IS PRECISELY WHERE HAVING FIVE GODVIEWS –
FIVE WAYS OF APPROACHING GOD AND CHURCH –
IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN HAVING ONLY ONE.
IF THE TRADITIONALIST POSITION – OR ANY ONE OF THE OTHERS –
WAS THE ONLY POSITION ENDORSED BY JESUS
THE CHURCH WOULD BE IN DEEP TROUBLE,
BECAUSE EACH POSITION BY ITSELF WOULD TEND
TO SEE ITSELF AS AN ABSOLUTE,
AND GRADUALLY BECOME MORE AND MORE RIGID.
BUT WITH ALL FIVE GODVIEWS PRESENT,
WE HAVE A MASTERFUL SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES
BUILT RIGHT WITHIN THE LIFE OF A LOCAL CHURCH.
EACH GODVIEW CAN COUNT ON ALL THE OTHERS
TO CELEBRATE ITS STRENGTHS
AND TO CHALLENGE ITS WEAKNESSES.
I’D LIKE TO CLOSE WITH ANOTHER EVOCATIVE METAPHOR
FOR THE TRADITIONALIST POSITION.
ONE OF THE GREAT STRENGTHS OF TRADITIONALISTS
IS THEIR EAGERNESS TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND AFFIRM
THE GIFTS THAT EVERYONE BRINGS TO THE FAMILY
WHICH IS CHURCH.
THE FOLLOWING ILLUSTRATION SPRINGS FROM
A PARTICULARLY ENGAGING WORKPLACE
DRAWING OF NAMES FOR GIFTS.
IT CAPTURES THE TRANSFORMATION THAT CAN HAPPEN
WHEN EACH MEMBER OF A TEAM AFFIRMS THE GIFTS
OF ALL THE OTHER TEAM MEMBERS.
CHRISTINE BARNES WRITES:
“TODAY I FEEL RICH BEYOND MEASURE.
WHAT BEGAN AS A NEW IDEA
FOR MY DEPARTMENT’S CELEBRATION OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON
HAS BECOME A VERY MOVING AND ENRICHING EXPERIENCE.
I WAS TIRED OF THE USUAL ‘DRAW NAMES AND BUY
A JOKE GIFT FOR UNDER $15’ WAY OF HOLIDAY CELEBRATION,
SO I PROPOSED THAT WE TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
‘HOW ABOUT GIVING EACH OTHER
THE GIFT OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT?’ I ASKED.
EVERYONE AGREED; THEY WERE EVEN ENTHUSIASTIC.
A FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
SIX OF US GATHERED IN MY OFFICE.
TO START, I ASKED THAT WE ALL OBSERVE A FEW GROUND RULES.
THE PERSON WHOSE TURN IT WAS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED
COULD ONLY SAY ‘THANK YOU.’
I ALSO POINTED OUT THAT IT MIGHT BE NATURAL
TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE GIVING AND RECEIVING
ACKNOWLEDGMENT, BUT IF SOME PEOPLE WERE TRULY
UNCOMFORTABLE, THEY COULD ASK FOR THEIR
ACKNOELEDGMENT IN PRIVATE.
SILENCE AND PAUSES WERE DEEMED TO BE ALL RIGHT.
THEY WERE PROBABLY JUST OPPORTUNITIES
TO LET THE GOOD STUFF SINK IN.
AS WE BEGAN OUR PROCESS, IT STRUCK ME
THAT THE TRIBES AND COMMUNITIES THAT PASS THEIR CULTURES
ALONG THROUGH STORY TELLING ARE VERY WISE PEOPLE.
INVARIABLY, WHOEVER WAS SPEAKING WOULD TELL A STORY
THAT ILLUSTRATED THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT
HE OR SHE WANTED TO MAKE.
EACH OF US STARTED OUR COMMUNICATION
BY SAYING TO OUR COLLEAGUE,
‘(NAME), THE GIFT YOU GIVE ME IS. . .’
AS EACH GROUP MEMBER SPOKE TO THE PERSON
BEING ACKNOWLEDGED, I BEGAN TO SEE SIDES
OF MY COLLEAGUES OF WHICH I WASN’T AWARE.
ONE MALE STAFFER ACKNOWEDGED ANOTHER MALE
FOR HIS STATE OF GRACE THAT SHONE THROUGH.
ANOTHER SAID, ‘I REST EASY KNOWING YOU ARE THE ONE
IN YOUR POSITION.’
OTHER COMMENTS INCLUDED:
‘YOU GIVE ME THE GIFT OF YOUR PATIENCE,’
‘YOU LISTEN TO ME,’
‘I KNEW THE MOMENT I MET YOU THAT I BELONGED HERE,’
AND SO ON.
IT WAS A PRIVILEGE TO BE THERE.
THE SPIRIT AND CONNECTEDNESS WE SHARED
FOR THOSE SIXTY MINUTES
BECAME BIGGER THAN WE WERE.
WHEN WE FINISHED, NO ONE WANTED TO SPEAK;
WE DIDN’T WANT TO BREAK THE SPELL.
IT HAD BEEN WOVEN WITH HEARTFELT, AUTHENTIC,
SIMPLE TRUTHS THAT WE HAD SHARED WITH EACH OTHER.
WE WERE ALL HUMBLED AND ENRICHED BY IT.
I BELIEVE WE WILL ALWAYS TREASURE THE GIFTS
WE GAVE EACH OTHER THAT DAY.
I KNOW HOW PRICELESS MY OWN ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
WERE FOR ME.
IT COST EACH OF US NOTHING BUT OUR WILLINGNESS
TO SEE THE GIFTS IN OTHERS
AND TO SPEAK IT OUT LOUD.” (End quote)
ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING THINGS THAT JESUS DID
FOR HIS DISCIPLES WAS TO ACKNOWLEDGE
EACH OF THEM AS UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS WITH UNIQUE GIFTS.
THE CHURCH SHOULD BE A PLACE WHEN WE CONTINUE
TO ACKNOWLEDGE EACH OTHER
BY FOLLOWING JESUS’ EXAMPLE
OF PROFOUND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
THOSE IN OUR MIDST WITH A TRADITIONALIST GODVIEW
CAN SHOW US THE WAY.
AMEN.