God and Sacramental Theology

“The word sacrament in Greek means “mystery.” A sacrament is an outward and visible sign instituted by God in order to convey inward and spiritual grace. Thus the sacraments have become a main stay of the Church. It is important to note that God’s grace is expressed through these religious rights known as sacraments.” [Donald McKim, Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms pg. 245]

God wants to communicate and be in touch with human beings.  Creation is an overflow of God’s divine love, and since God created humanity to partner with God in taking care of creation, God seeks an intimate association with us. We experience this interaction between God and ourselves through the actions of prayer and meditation. Human acceptance of God takes place by faith, not evidence. This process is called Revelation, meaning God speaking to us. God’s revelation takes place not only within individuals, but corporately as well. We have the capacity to see God working in the lives of others, thus we experience revelation. When people exchange their experiences of God through their conviction, communities of faith arise; in our case the Church.

When God allows God’s self to touch the lives of humanity God is fully present. God excludes no one from the divine love expressed within the “God Head” or Trinity. This is often revealed in the sacraments. God holds no one apart from God’s love. God’s love is concrete and embedded in the mostly resistant nature of humanity. God seeks to radically change our lives by reconciling God’s self to us. Like it or not we humans are dependent on God’s revelation. How then does God get through to our often-hardened hearts? The answer is by becoming vulnerable to us and our understandings. Thus vulnerability is important for humanity in our relationship with God. We cannot give or accept love unless we are willing to become vulnerable. God sets the example.

God’s presence is often communicated to humanity through the sacramental acts of the church. God approaches people in life, often seeking to change them in a positive manner. Yet God is present in the sacraments of the church without destroying our uniqueness. Through the sacramental structure God seeks to shape our lives whether we are aware of it or not.

The language of the sacraments is often seen in symbols. These symbols are signs or indicators of God’s holy presence in our participation. A symbol is effective in our lives because it leads us into the reality of God’s presence. The sacraments cause humanity to exercise the spirit within. Thus we discover that God decisively shapes human reality from the beginning of our lives to the end. Through the sacraments we experience God’s grace and become aware of the intimate nearness of God; it is at this point that revelation occurs.

In order to fully understand the sacraments we must first believe that Jesus is God’s self-communication to humanity. Christology is essential in understanding sacramental theology. Jesus is the authentic revealer of God’s will, drawing humanity ever deeper into a relationship with God. In Christ we recognize the how the most intimate nearness to God does not disrupt our uniqueness, but rather liberates it to be ourselves.

Through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, reconciliation and unction we grow closer in our relationship to God through the love of Christ, who is present in all the sacraments. God restores our hope, heals our wounds and reconciles us to God through the sacramental acts founded on the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Much of the information contained in this article is credited to the book “Sacramental Theology” by Herbert Vorgrimler, as well as “Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms” by Donald K. McKim.

Growing in Faith

Growing in faith comes through the degree in which we are willing to trust God. Faith is often an illusive ideal if it is not practiced on a continuous and consistent basis. This is not to say that we all do not struggle with faith at some point in our lives. We all experience the dessert times in our lives in which God seems distant and even aloof.

There are many ways to grow deeper and richer in faith. Personal piety and ongoing devotion is one way. Spiritual practices such as centering prayer or walking the labyrinth are just a couple of examples of others. But to truly grow in faith requires a commitment to Christ and a spiritual grounding in his Church. This means a consistent practice of praying the Daily Office and attending the Eucharist.

Often we only turn to God when there is a crisis in our lives. We desperately send up prayers, hoping against hope that one of them will stick. This is not the way to grow in a deeper relationship with Christ. Faith takes time to cultivate and nurture. Faith comes from our participation in the life of the church, mainly through the practice of liturgy and corporate worship.

We all to often think that we can arrive at a deep and sincere faith on our own, and perhaps we do develop faith to a certain degree. But if we don’t participate in the full Body of Christ we lose so much opportunity to genuinely grow in a transformative manner. Faith is transformative. It changes our lives and the way in which we think, act and pray. We need one another in order to grow and blossom in our faith in God. Faith calls us to an active life in Christ, meaning an active life in his Church. Why is the church so important? It is through our sacramental liturgy and theology that we experience the risen Christ. The more we participate in the liturgy, the deeper we are drawn to the center of Christ.

Attending church twice a year or sporadically doesn’t benefit our faith. Sacramental Faith draws us into the Apostolic Faith. It is here that we experience spiritual disciplines, maturity in faith and a full spiritual life. We become flexible with ourselves, as well as others. The Apostolic Faith grounds us in competency, and allows us to become more committed Christians.

It is important to remember that faith is an action verb. It doesn’t just occur passively. We must actively seek to grow in our faith by committing our lives to a Christ centered life, allowing ourselves to build a deeper relationship with both Jesus and one another. Faith is like exercising, we don’t just go out and run twenty miles. We have to work our way up to that point over time. Once we are there however we are not to rest on our laurels. If we do we will not progress in faith, but actually slide backwards.

During this season of Epiphany I invite folks to begin to experiment with their willingness to grow ever closer towards the center of the church. It is there that we will experience transformation and renewal of our faith. Remember what the Apostle James said, “Faith without works is dead.”

Conflict. Is it Always a Bad Thing

Conflict is inevitable amongst any organization, whether it be secular or non-profit. Any time diverse personalities sit across the table from one another there will always be a difference of opinion regarding ideas, solutions and situations. Of course some people bring their own agendas to the table, and some simply have strong feelings in regards to a particular subject. The fact is that conflict is often a part of the decision making process and must not be avoided. But does that make conflict bad? Absolutely not!

It is wonderful when we all agree on a particular agenda item. It is fine, and even encouraged for people to express their difference of opinion and ideas. Healthy conflict creates the tension that any organization needs to move forward. The problems surrounding conflict occurs when we are not working for the betterment of the institution, and instead wish to push our own needs through at the expense of the process.

While there are many ways people react to conflict such as avoidance, accommodation, compromise, competing and collaboration, the bottom line is that we must all work together to effectively manage the task or make a sound decision.

Avoiding the problem is not always bad. Perhaps we need to put the topic off for more discernment or it may just not be worth the time and energy to discuss. But if avoidance is used to separate ones self from the issue at hand and not deal with the problem out of fear, then that is unhealthy.

Accommodation places us in a category in which some one simply gives up their stake in the polemic at their own expense. They give themselves over to whatever decision is made. This is not a healthy way to move an argument forward. We end up selling ourselves short by withdrawing our needs completely.

Compromise is nothing more than annoying attempts to allow everyone to get what he or she wants. No one feels fulfilled and frustration in sues within the group.

Competing is the process in which a decision must be made. Thus the authority figure overrides the group to pass the issue at hand. This is sometime important to do, especially if the leader knows more about the subject, and a decision must be made quickly. It is not always healthy to use this model, but on occasion necessary.

Collaboration is where we come together and discuss the topic and are able to come to some form of healthy agreement. Of course this process is time consuming and if an issue needs immediate attention this model does not work well.

In conclusion, conflict is inevitable. However, we have a choice in the matter. We can either exercise conflict models in a healthy manner, or one that is unhealthy and destructive to the group. Conflict often creates the tension that provides the momentum we need to move forward as a group in order to make sound and good decisions.

Much of this model and information is credited to Robert Galliger and Michelle Hayne’s workshop on Conflict Management.

Choosing Our Words Wisely

We live in a society and world today in which we have to choose our words very carefully. Not only are we experiencing a politically correct period in our time, but one in which words have more power. Throughout the history of this world words carry more weight and do more damage than any weapon. Wars have started over the use of words. People have suffered over the use of words. Nations have fallen over the use of words. As the Apostle James reminds us, the tongue is an instrument that can do much damage to the Body of Christ. Therefore we must be careful with the vocabulary we choose, because while on the one hand our words have the ability to be soothing, the same tongue can cut like a sharp knife.

Over the years I have made a conscious effort to improve my vocabulary and seriously think through what I am going to say to someone, especially if it is a delicate situation. Some words not only have multiple meanings, but also have the power to bring hurt upon our neighbor. I have unintentionally done damage to others at times due to the wrong use of a single word. It is amazing the effect the tongue can have upon others. With a single word we can inspire people to sore, or we can tear them down, leaving them in pieces.

With a single word God brought all creation to life, and with a single word God destroyed whole cities and cultures. We are not God! We don’t always have the perfect vocabulary for every situation we encounter. Thus it is vital that we be careful with the words we choose to say to people. It is important that we not allow our broken nature to dominate our lives. By doing so we become creatures of destruction, rather than creatures of nurture.

Jesus is the Living Word of God and perfect in all things. Even in his hostile encounters with the Pharisees and Scribes, he chose his words wisely. Did some of his words offend? Absolutely, but remember that Jesus came into this broken world not to harm the world but to save us from sin and death. There are times when harsh words are most appropriate for the sake of the other, but they need to be thought through before spoken. Often the words that hurt us the most are the words we most desperately need to hear. When spoken in love and concern for the other harsh words may actually save or redirect their lives. But we don’t have a license to go around and thoughtlessly say what we feel, especially at the expense of others.

So think before we speak and remember that the tongue is a double edges sword, kind on one side and destructive on the other.

Martin Luther King and the Struggle for Black Freedom

The 1960’s were a period of civil unrest and protest in the United States. The Vietnam War raged and was most unpopular back home. Out of that protest grew the hippie generation who believed in anything that liberated peoples freedom. The 1960’s were a defining era in American history, especially for the Black people who were still subtly oppressed not only by society but also by Christianity as well.

During this era of unrest and upheaval in this country the “White Christ” was an ever-present reality. Clergy, especially those in the south were opposed to Martin Luther King’s civil rights movement. King was hated and despised by many for comparing the Black race to the Children of God. The Black race was unfortunately viewed as less than human by many White’s. King did not understand how people, especially the White race claimed to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ, yet at the same time supported racism. King was deeply distraught over this matter and led the charge for equality for Black people. He believed that God was just as active and present in the lives of Blacks as anyone else who claimed the Christian faith. While he persisted in his civil rights movement, he received many ugly threats.

One evening after a particularly cruel threat, King got up out of the bed and made a cup of coffee. He later wrote about this experience saying, “With a cup of coffee sitting untouched before me I tried to think of a way to move out of the picture without appearing a coward…I decided to take my problem to God. With head in my hands, I bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud…’I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength or courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.’”

Suddenly King felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, as he had never experienced before. An inner voice from deep within said, “Stand up for righteousness. Stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.” At that moment Martin Luther King never again doubted God’s presence in the struggle for justice. He was undoubtedly reassured that God was with him, as well as his cause for equality amongst the Black race in their battle against White oppression and racism. God would sustain Black people!

King would go on to remind Blacks that God was with them in their struggles. For King, God’s presence and importance was determined by God’s liberating actions throughout history. In one sermon he preached, “Above all, we must be reminded anew that God is at work in the universe. He is not outside the world looking on with a sort of cold indifference. Here on all the roads of life he is striving in our striving. Like an ever-loving Father he is working through history for the salvation of his children.” In this case the Black race. He went on to say, “And when we allow freedom to ring…we will be able to speed up the day when all of God’s children…will be able to join hands and to sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, we will be free at last’…I want it to be known that we are Christian people. We believe in the Christian religion. We believe in the teachings of Jesus. The only weapon we have in our hand this evening is the weapon of protest.”

For Martin Luther King there was no discordancy between protest and Christianity. King would go on to restore the relationship between Christianity and social justice. He was a great man and a pioneer in addressing the ugly issue of racism.

On Saturday, January 18, 2014, at 6:45pm the Progressive Religious Coalition of Augusta will commemorate Martin Luther King at a service at Trinity on the Hill Methodist Church. Beyond the Christian faith King represents freedom for all religions. The guest preacher will be Arun Gandhi. Several different religions will come together to honor this man whose distinct cause was freedom for all people.

Much of the information found in this post was taken form “The Black Christ,” written by Kelly Brown Douglas.