Divine power and authority

 

Last fall, when we were discussing the Nicene Creed in the Monday Zoom Bible study, we learned that it wasn’t until the 300s and 400s that the concept of God as Trinity was established and refined. And, last week during our Zoom study of Dame Julian of Norwich, we learned there are many ways to describe the Trinity, all centered on the single concept of God as love. And because it’s so easy to speak wrongly, heretically, about the Trinity, I have promised myself to not try to explain the Trinity in a sermon. So …

We read today the story of creation from Genesis 1. In six days, God created the earth and all that is in it. It could be six epochs, or eons, but we use the word days to fit our  human-sized ability to understand  the passing of time.

This year, I found myself pondering the idea that the earth we live on is such a small part of all of creation. And pondering the enormity of the universe, as viewed bit by bit through the amazing Hubble Telescope. Do we assume God created only earth, or did God create all that is? This is some divine power!

As Jesus walked the earth, he too has this amount of power, though he left it behind; Paul says he emptied himself, in order to be with us as a human. At times, he chooses to use such power, to catch fish, to feed a crowd, to heal hurting bodies and spirits.

After the resurrection, Jesus meets with the disciples and followers. It’s time to tell them what’s next for them. We call this passage the “Great Commission.” Jesus commissions believers from this moment on to tell the whole world about him. He is saying he now gives them the authority to go and baptize believers, bringing them all into the mission he has begun. Jesus has given us that same power and authority to speak his name to others, and bring them into the flock. They will be guided by Jesus through the power and influence of the Holy Spirit.

 For many of us, this is scary. It’s not something we think we can do. We are too shy, we don’t want to offend anyone. We’ve been taught we don’t talk about money, politics, or religion in polite society. I suggest that if the disciples didn’t talk about Jesus in polite society, we wouldn’t believe in him today.

So, it’s time to assume you/ we all have Jesus’ authority to break that rule when it seems appropriate. The proof of this is the way God’s Holy Spirit makes our hearts beat faster with the impulse to speak up and puts words in our mouths, and even helps the listener be receptive to the meaning behind our words.

I want to point out something in the text that we often skip over – the line that says, some doubted. Another way to interpret the original text is: and they had some doubt. I am comforted by this interpretation, because it’s natural for us humans to doubt.

We doubt our own ability. We doubt others will show up and do what they are supposed to do. We doubt God has the power and willingness to heal, to bring peace, to mend hearts, and so forth. And so, we don’t put all our trust in God; we have some doubt. And we say, we give our worry or fear to God,  but with the next breath, we grab control right back.

And yet, God continually invites us to trust. God gives us the authority and power to take chances, to risk, to dare try something. God shares divine authority with us, and we only need to receive it and trust in God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit’s wisdom.  

In just a few minutes today, you-all will vote on calling a new pastor to serve with you at Gloria Dei. It’s an important moment in the life of any congregation. Lay people are entrusted with the authority to choose their leaders. However the vote goes, you can trust God to be with you always.

And as your current pastor, I share with you something a bishop said to a church council many years ago.  There is no perfect pastor, and there is no perfect congregation. Yet we pastors are each entrusted with the authority to lead congregations as God’s calling sends us.

The God we believe in has the power and authority to create worlds beyond our capacity to understand. The same God has the ability to limit access to that power in order to lie on earth for a time. And the same God cares about us enough to whisper or shout to us, as fits the circumstances.

Will you trust that God is sending Pastor name to lead you? Will you trust them to be guided by God to lead Gloria Dei into the future?

Amen