07-02-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 2, 2023
What is your starting place? Without knowing the context of the question, you probably can’t answer it. But if I were to ask what your starting place was in regard to your faith, could you answer it? And equally important, do you think your answer would really reflect your true starting place? Would you say your starting place is "the Bible" or "Jesus" or "baptism?" What part of the Bible, and more specifically, what stories or passages, are most informative? If Jesus was your answer, is it his life or his teachings? Is it his death and resurrection? If baptism, communion, or any other practice is your starting place, what about the experience is so important and instructive?

I was rereading the Apostle Paul’s story of transformation found in Acts 9, that moment when the resurrected Christ met Saul (later Paul) along the road to Damascus. That radical and redemptive experience forever changed Paul, and it seems as if he went back to it on a number of occasions in his writings. But even to say it was the Damascus Road experience that was Paul’s starting place is not quite specific enough. What happened to Paul in that moment? What forever changed him because of that encounter?

I believe the question is very important in understanding our faith, but it sure appears to be an onion moment… pulling back layer after layer after layer. So where is my starting place? What is at the core of my convictions? Though I may find a previously unknown layer to it, I still find the question and journey very informative. It helps me to converse seriously with others who might live their faith differently than I do, but once we both peel back some of those layers, we will begin to expose a place where real understanding can begin to occur.

With a heart full of joy, O Lord, I desire to discover more and more about myself and this faith I claim to have. As I seek to understand you, O Gracious One, I am also trying to figure out my own complexity. Be forever my guide. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.