Diverse Christian Stories

SAT., JAN. 14, 1995, 1:03 PM
FARM, STUDY

In the midst of reading a book on Christian life in a secular culture you take time to prepare for your class tomorrow morning. This brings you into at least some relationship with the Confessions of your church, in the Reformed tradition. These have not been important to you in your life as an American Christian, but this “assignment” is pushing you to give them some more attention. You accept that I was directly involved with all of those who developed these confessions, and I approve of your tradition which recognizes several of these as symbolic of continuing reformation. This is a continuing process in the ongoing life of your denomination.

Yet you have been a good Presbyterian without much knowledge of and allegiance to these statements of faith. And you have fellow members who know even less than you do. There is diversity in your membership, and I find that both good and bad. There are those who are loyal to Me but have divergent views of different aspects of church life. This is good and healthy. But then there are those who range downward in commitment to Me and to My Body, the Church. It may be habit… or some sense that it is good to be in church… but without the commitment I want.

So, I’ll say again, I want you to be an active part of this Reformed tradition, even as you are, also a rather lonely mystic in the midst of many who don’t understand and accept this “gift”. This is part of your spiritual story, and you are a part of the story of others, Christian and not-so.

As you read this man’s story you try, as you should, to see how your life story fits with his. You obviously don’t read as widely as he does, so all of his allusions don’t “register.” You are quite aware of your culture’s “official” preference for scientific thinking and the use of reason. The opposite that he proposes is the romanticist, who is more focused and concerned with non-measurable aspects of life, as conveyed in literature, poetry, music, art…

His balance for these “opposites” is the story, with emphasis on the diversity that stories may show forth. You started out in life fairly successful in left brain activities. You even had thoughts about a career in science until you recognized your learning limitations. Yet you followed My unheralded lead into teaching, in a field that is assumed to be mainly scientific. You have been reasonably successful, even as your “professions” about health are not wholly scientific.

Your life is fundamentally a story, and you mostly see it this way. My life, as Jesus, is a story, but few people are aware of My story, as Holy Spirit. The Jesus story comes to you by way of four Gospels and then the rest of the New Testament, mostly letters. My Gospel story contains a number of stories and parables that I told., and hence part of this story is that I was a story teller. Yet there is only a hint of what is now seen as a major reason for My life… that I might die and take the sins of all of you on Me. Is there, then, no more viable sin here in the earth? Reason can lead to either polar answer, so it remains a holy mystery.

I, as Holy Spirit, have encouraged great diversity in the stories of Christians, throughout history and in this particular age. Some focus much on sin and sinfulness, seeing so many of their life thoughts and actions as sinful. Some conscientiously beg for forgiveness, but are almost immediately struck again with their failures to “measure up.”