SYMBOLS OF OUR FAITH

      When I look at my wedding ring, I see a symbol of love and commitment. It’s not really quite either one, of course. It's made of metal...but it’s  very, very close to the real deal... and my wife wouldn’t be happy if I left it at home. To me, the American flag is an extremely powerful symbol of what we believe, what we hold dear, and of the blood that’s been shed for our freedoms. It’s not actually those things of course, but it’s draped a million caskets… and it’s very, very close what it represents.

      Some symbols are that way. They’re overwhelming in their own right, Take the cross, for instance, with the sign that was nailed above Jesus' head- "INRI," which means Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. In my view, it captures the essence of our faith... and I love it, whether it’s big or small, rugged or smooth. When I was working at the Lutheran bookstore in seminary, we carried a variety of crosses, as you would expect. We had beautiful, ornate crosses that were empty, which is theologically correct for Protestants, but I was drawn to a line of Peruvian crucifixes that we carried. They were rough-hewn and an agonizing figure of Jesus was hanging on them. His face was distorted with pain, but I could see the love in his eyes... and I loved them because they captured the price that he paid to save me!

      The cross is our greatest symbol of faith, but the pulpit is a powerful symbol too, especially for Protestants, because it symbolizes the importance of God’s word in our lives. Believing that the Catholic church had not emphasized the Bible enough, the Reformers placed large pulpits in the center of the chancel to magnify the importance of God’s word and to recognize that Scripture stands at the center of our faith. At some level, the pulpit is just a wooden object, of course, but it is a sacred object that lifts up the word of God, which millions of people live by to this day… and which untold numbers of others have died believing. We come to church for a lot of reasons. Some come to hear the songs, and we have wonderful music here. Some come to encounter Jesus in Communion, which we will get to in a minute. Some come because it's a family tradition, I appreciate all of these reasons for attending church myself... but I always feel better when there has been a good message from the Pulpit.

      And then there's the Baptismal font… which is absolutely central to our faith journey. For Christians, the font… is a tomb in which we die to our old natures… and a womb from which we are born in Christ. It is a sacred place, where we celebrate the fact that God has called children and infants into his community… and it is a transforming place when adults repent of sin and surrender in trust to Christ. The font is the door which connects us with Christians in all times and places. It is the entryway into our community, and one of my professors was fond of saying that if it was done correctly, churches would place their Baptismal fonts in the back of the sanctuary, at the entrance, and plug it in… so that it’s water is always be moving.

      The cross, the pulpit, and the font...are three of our most powerful symbols… and to these I would add...the love which we show to one another and to our neighbors… because worship is a way of life and because the light that shines from us is the brightest symbol of our faith… that some people will ever see! Acting as if we believe is a powerful sign to others and it is a sign of the joy, hope, and serenity that we have in Christ. We are living symbols of our faith, as we sit in our living rooms, our office, or some restaurant booth…and we all know, or have known, people… who will not see Jesus, unless they see him in us.

      Now, let's turn our attention to the cup and the loaf, which set upon our communion table, which many call the “altar,” The cup and the loaf are symbols that Christ himself gave us and they are also components of the sacred meal that Christians share throughout the world. Some churches call the meal the “Lord’s Supper” because he commanded that we share it in memory of him; some churches call it the “Eucharist” because it is an act of thanksgiving; and some churches call it “Communion“… because we always take it in community, not only with Christ, but with Christians in all times and places. Some denominations believe that, in a mysterious but real way, the cup and the load become the body and blood of Christ; other denominations hold that this is true, but only during the meal; and some denominations believe that, while the loaf is always bread and the cup always wine (or juice), we are nonetheless lifted into  Christ’s presence… as we share these elements... and that he is our host, just as surely as he was when hosted the Last Supper all those years ago. People understand the mystery of communion in different ways, but we all agree that it is a sacred meal which we share with Christ and with others who call him Lord. Many people receive strength for their Christian journey at the Lord's Supper, and many more, like Cleopas, see Christ most clearly, in the breaking of the bread! 

      Finally, I will mention the Fellowship meals that we share together… because they are also a symbol of our faith and of our understanding that we are…brothers and sisters, in Christ. In every church that I’ve served, Dinner Bells, Supper Clubs, or some variation of them has always been successful… because they tap into the hospitality and the grace that shared meals provide. I’ve been part of the Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches so far in my life, and they’ve all loved to get together and eat. They've all said that the one thing they love to do is... to eat with one another... and well they should... because eating together- companionship- cum panis- with bread… has always been a source of joy. When three strangers approached Abraham, he ran to greet them and invited them to share a meal; when Ruth, the Moabite, caught Boaz’s eye, he told his workers to make sure that she was successful gleaning his fields… and then he invited her to come over and break bread with him; and when Peter was given a 2^nd-chance to express his love for Christ, it happened around a little charcoal fire… and a shared meal.

      Scripture makes it very clear that First Church Jerusalem devoted themselves to prayer, the Word of God, songs of praise and worship, fellowship, and the breaking of bread... and it is my prayer that we remain anchored in these foundational symbols of our faith. 1) Study the Bible, friends, 2) preach the good news in all the ways you can, 3) sing your songs (much louder than you do), 4) open your hearts, minds, and spirits to the presence of Christ as you share the Lord’s Supper, 5) pray continually, 6) minister to others as if you are the only Christian they will ever know… and 7) find ways of fellowshipping together. If we do these things, God will bless us and add to our number.