Blogging Toward Sunday, May 29, 2016

Memorial Day Sunday

The Amazing Faith Race: 

An In-depth Study of Hebrews

This coming Sunday, we'll begin our summer worship series The Amazing Faith Race (an in-depth study of the book of Hebrews).

Written near the end of the first century at a time and place when change threatened the church and the faith of Christians, Hebrews speaks a challenging and authentic word of hope.

We live in challenging, changing times, and God's word still offers hope and guidance as we seek to "run the good race" together. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and scripture gives us sustaining spirited energy for the long run.

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12 (NRSV) 

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, "What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet."

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you."

 

Marathon Faith

The author of Hebrews, a serious scholar and preacher, writes to a church with an "exhortation" (a determined, assertive argument), a written sermon meant to be read aloud to the gathered community of predominantly Jewish Christians. The sermon comes in the form of a letter, but without a direct reference to whom or where the letter is destined, or to the identity of its author. The writer knew the readers, and hoped to return to them (13:19, 22-23). The tone suggests the author as someone with "authority...one who has the right and obligation to remind, to instruct, to warn, and to encourage." (Fred Craddock)

 

The writer and the readers/hearers were second generation Christians who had been baptized and instructed in the good news of Jesus. Some of them had become teachers, but others had stopped attending their assemblies and worship, and lacked commitment. So the writer coaches the languishing team long-distance with one of the most eloquent sermons in the New Testament.

 

Today's lesson introduces the whole book, reminding the group (and us) that the subject of the Christian faith is God. "I n the beginning, God," the starting line for the sermon, passes through the Old Testament prophets and angels before introducing Jesus, " the exact imprint of God's very being," who " sustains all things by his powerful word." (verse 1:3) God's self-revelation is the foundation of both Judaism and Christianity, and the author of Hebrews tracks that foundation through the Hebrew Bible to the ultimate revelation of Jesus.

 

The writing suggests worship, with praise of God (doxology) that sings through the liturgical language, reciting scripture from the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (verses 6-8 and 12), and inspired preaching of the revelation of God in that word and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The essence of Christian faith is expressed in a way that sustains the Christian community both in crisis and over the long haul of life.

 

Hebrews is no cotton candy scripture, sweet, airy and easily swallowed without chewing. It is hearty fare, food for the spirit that sustains way beyond any sugar high. I'm hoping that this challenging word from scripture will move this preacher and our family of faith here at Peace United Methodist Church to a deeper relationship with God and with each other this summer. Let's exercise our faith muscles, stretch our minds, and prepare for the most amazing faith race marathon together as we study and worship with Hebrews.

 

See you at the starting line!

LeeAnn