SACRAMENTS, by J.I. Packer

By On November 11, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In From the Pastor

SACRAMENTS

CHRIST INSTITUTED TWO SEALS OF GOD’S COVENANT

[Abraham]… received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. ROMANS 4:11

Christ instituted two rites that his followers were to observe: baptism, a once-for-all rite of initiation (Matt. 28:19; Gal. 3:27), and the Lord’s Supper, a regular rite of remembrance (1 Cor. 11:23-26). These are called “sacraments” in the Western church, “mysteries” in the Eastern Orthodox church, and “ordinances” by some Protestants who see the other two words as tainted with unhelpful associations. Scripture has no category-word for these two rites and their Old Testament counterparts, namely circumcision of males as a rite of initiation (Gen. 17:9-14, 23-27) and the annual Passover as a rite of remembrance (Exod. 12:1-27). Biblical teaching, however, warrants classifying them all together as signs and seals of a covenant relationship with God.

Sacrament is from the Latin word sacramentum, meaning a holy rite in general and in particular a soldier’s sacred oath of allegiance. Study of the rites themselves yields the concept of a sacrament as a ritual action instituted by Christ in which signs perceived through the senses set forth to us the grace of God in Christ and the blessings of his covenant. They communicate, seal, and confirm possession of those blessings to believers, who by responsively receiving the sacraments give expression to their faith and allegiance to God. The effect of receiving the sacraments is “to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the church and the rest of the world, and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to his word” (Westminster Confession XXVII.1).

It was a medieval mistake to classify as sacraments five more rites (confirmation, penance, marriage, ordination, and extreme unction). In addition to their not being seals of a covenant relationship with God, they “have not like nature of sacraments with Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God” (Thirty-Nine Articles XXV).

The sacraments are rightly viewed as means of grace, for God makes them means to faith, using them to strengthen faith’s confidence in his promises and to call forth acts of faith for receiving the good gifts signified. The efficacy of the sacraments to this end resides not in the faith or virtue of the minister but in the faithfulness of God, who, having given the signs, is now pleased to use them. Knowing this, Christ and the apostles not only speak of the sign as if it were the thing signified but speak too as if receiving the former is the same as receiving the latter (e.g., Matt. 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 10:15-21; 1 Pet. 3:21-22). As the preaching of the Word makes the gospel audible, so the sacraments make it visible, and God stirs up faith by both means.

Sacraments strengthen faith by correlating Christian beliefs with the testimony of our senses. The Heidelberg Catechism illustrates this in its answer to Question 75. The key words are as sure as.

Christ has commanded me… to eat of this broken bread and to drink of this cup in memory of him, and therewith has given assurance: first, that his body was… broken on the cross for me, and his blood shed for me, as sure as I see with my eyes the bread… broken for me and the cup communicated to me; and, further, that with his crucified body and shed blood he himself feeds and nourishes my soul to eternal life, as sure as I take and taste the bread and cup… which are given me as sure tokens of the body and blood of Christ.

Sacraments function as means of grace on the principle that, literally, seeing is (i.e., leads to) believing.

 

As often as We Fall

By On November 8, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In From the Pastor

“As often as we fall, we should recall our baptism, and thereby fortify our mind, so that it may be sure and certain of the remission of our sins.” –John Calvin

And from Romans, the sixth chapter:
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

 

Opus Project: One Event, Four Conversations

By On November 8, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Current Events, The Opus Project

The Opus Project on Faith, Work, and Culture will set sail next Friday, Nov. 16, at 7:00 pm. In that night of conversation, we will hear details about the project and gain insight as to why such an initiative might be fitting for our church. If you missed the original post outlining Opus, be sure to take a look at that here.

Opus has a four-fold focus meant to broadly address a range of topics in our effort to nurture reflection and conversation about the church’s contribution to the flourishing of society and the renewal of all things. We call these our four focus areas:

  • Work
  • The Arts and Culture
  • Social Justice
  • The Neighborhood

As Opus unfolds in various forms, be it a class, reading group, lecture, special event, art exhibit, or whatever else, one or more of these focus areas will be in play. Ideally, on the 16th we’ll see four instantaneous conversations get started in each of these areas. Here’s a rundown of what you can expect to see from each:

  • Work – a panel discussion with four panelists from different lanes of life reflecting on the interplay between their faith and their own work. Panelists include:
    -Jay Lynch, oncologist, dean of admissions, UF College of Medicine
    -Sarah West, familial engineer (mom!), studied English, food crafter
    -Christy Johns, recent college graduate working in horticultural science
    -Jason Coleman, neuroscientist at UF
  • Social Justice – Britt Daniel will guide a discussion with the help of a guest from a child advocacy organization. In this session, we will ponder the questions: what is social justice? how might our faith propel us to social justice? what keeps us from social justice?
  • The Neighborhood – Ken French will facilitate a conversation about who is my neighbor and what does it mean to be a good neighbor for the good of the city, both in the literal residential neighborhood and in the wider area.

There will be an RSVP card in the bulletin this Sunday, so you can indicate your intentions and whether you need childcare. For questions or more info., email me (Todd Best) at toddbest@gmail.com.

Tagged with: • • •
 

A Communion Hymn

By On November 1, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In From the Pastor

Here O my Lord, I see Thee face to face;
Here would I touch and handle things unseen,
Here grasp with firmer hand the eternal grace,
And all my weariness upon Thee lean.

by Horatius Bonar

 

The Arts in Imagination

By On November 1, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In The Opus Project

The following is a guest post from Stephen Addcox, a PhD student in the English Department at UF. The Opus Project on Faith, Work and Culture launches in 15 days. Learn more here.

___________________________________________________________

Is there a difference between imaginary and imaginative?

Two weeks ago the Sunday morning class Houses, Gardens, and Children read an essay by Marilynne Robinson which suggested that imagination is a key component in how we relate to our communities. According to Robinson, “Community, at least community larger than the immediate family, consists very largely of imaginative love for people we do not know or whom we know very slightly.” A key question that developed during our discussion was precisely what to make of Robinson’s use of the word “imaginative” in this moment.

For many of us the idea of imagination or being imaginative often connotes a sense of childish pretense or fiction, and yet Robinson believes that imagination plays a vital role in our lived experience. An example of the kind of imaginative work that Robinson describes might be found in the story of the Good Samaritan, itself an imaginative fiction, in which the Samaritan takes compassion on the beaten traveler. Without knowing anything about him, the Samaritan loved in the same way that he would have wanted to be loved had their positions been reversed–that kind of love takes imagination. It isn’t imaginary; on the contrary, such love is as real as it gets.

In only a few weeks, on November 16, the Opus Project launch event will explore several areas of faith, work, and culture. Part of that exploration involves our consideration of and involvement with the arts. If imagination can impact how we enact love of neighbor, surely the arts, through which imagination is used to probe the depths of human experience, also speaks to us as Christians. As a way to begin our conversation on the arts, we will be offering a screening of the 2012 Academy Award winning animated short The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Afterward, I will be leading a discussion on what this story specifically, and imaginative creativity through the arts as a whole, contributes to our understanding of the role that Christians can play in the arts, not just as consumers but as creators.

We like to draw a line between the imaginative and the imaginary, but perhaps they are closer than we realize. Through the Opus Project, I hope that we can foster a community of artists who envision and enact a deep intertwining of their faith with creativity. Jesus himself told imaginative stories, and we can do the same.