Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Stop me if you heard this one: a Jewish rabbi, a Methodist minister, and a Missouri Synod Lutheran walk into a classroom….
Nope, it’s not a joke, but the setting for one of my favorite highlights of every fall. Under the invitation of Dr. Bruce Forbes, professor of religion at Morningside College, I participated in a panel discussion last week for his Science and Religion class. On my left was Rabbi Guy Green, of the Congregation Beth Shalom. On my right was Dr. Sharon Ocker, a retired professor of Education and lay member of the St. Paul’s Lutheran church. And there I was, in the middle, both physically and ideologically, between a reformed Jewish mystic and a conservative, seven-day-creation literalist.
The students aptly identified our different perspectives on the relationship between faith and science, leading one woman in particular to ask what was, to me, the most poignant question of the night.
“I’ve listened to your positions,” she said, “and I’m wondering why there have to be such differences in what you believe. It seems to me that Christians and Jews, conservatives and liberals, have so much more in common than different. Why is there so much division among people of faith?”
My first response was to agree with her. Yes, I affirmed. Western religions all essentially come from the same family tree, as monotheistic descendants of Abraham that hold many of the same scriptures as sacred. And certainly within Christian denominations, it should not be unreasonable to expect more unity and less fractious debate. Despite our denominational differences, we are one church, under one Lord, with one mission, even though our behavior and our rhetoric sometimes suggest otherwise.
I noted her nod of approval and even detected some relief, which she later admitted came from some difficult talks she has had with her somewhat dogmatic grandmother. I was quite ready at that point to stop talking, allowing the other two presenters to have their say, when I blurted out an epilogue.
“But…” I said. “But, now that I think about it, I should say that it’s okay to have our differences, too.”
I explained that because religious convictions are so deeply personal, expressions of faith cannot help but be influenced by one’s culture, geography, and ethnicity. It would be difficult, even improper, to expect people around the world to worship and believe in God in exactly the same way. And while we may hold many of the same central doctrinal tenets, our nuanced positions can just as easily be a reflection of a God who is personally revealed to us in a variety of ways.
WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY
This reminder comes on the threshold of yet another World Communion Sunday, when we observe our shared connection with Christians all around the globe. We’ll gather around the communion table to celebrate our unity in Christ with people near and far, whom we will likely never meet. But we will also celebrate the wonderful differences throughout the church that make us the rich, textured tapestry that we are:
Think about it. This Sunday, as we gather to worship in the way we have become comfortably accustomed, people will be glorifying that same Jesus Christ in ways utterly unfamiliar to us:
Somewhere in Greece, an orthodox priest will walk down the aisle of the sanctuary swinging a censer, carrying burning, aromatic incense. Its billowing waft will remind people that their prayers are being lfited up to heaven.
Somewhere in Siberia, a group of Sakha Christians will sing an olonkho, a heroic epic poem set to music that recounts the wondrous stories of the first three chapters of Genesis.
Somewhere in the Burgundy region of France, the Taize community will gather to sing the songs that have garnered them international intention: simple melodic chants based on Scripture, and sung in canon.
Somewhere in Moscow, worshippers in a Russian Orthodox Church will sit in a sanctuary filled with beautiful icons, pictures that portray saints and sacred stories, drawing people into a focused celebration of the faith.
Somewhere in India, Christians will sing a bhajan, a beautiful devotional song repeated like a haunting, lyrical mantra.
And somewhere in Togo in western Africa, Christians celebrate the New Testament in a formation similar to country line dancing. With their hips and torsos shaking in perfect synchronism, they worship God with passion and energy.
It is great to know that just as our common creeds unite us together, our rich differences speak of a God of wonderful variety. World Communion Sunday is a vivid reminder of John’s vision recorded in Revelation 7:9-10: After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’
So join us this Sunday, and let’s celebrate being part of that great multitude!
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
Email: mdevega@sp-umc.org
NEW E-MAIL ADDRESSES
Once again, please note the new e-mail contacts for the church office:
Magrey’s email is mdevega@sp-umc.
Administrative Assistant Andrea Cook’s new e-mail is acook@sp-umc.org.
And the new address for the church inbox is church@sp-umc.org.
These changes took place effective last Wednesday, and the old addresses are no longer active.
PORK FEED THANK-YOU
Thanks to all of you who helped make last Sunday’s pork feed another great success. The Parkers once again provided some delicious grilled pork tenderloins, and the Adult Class and Finance Committee did a wonderful job setting up and serving. Thanks to all of you who provided salads, as we were able to raise close to $1,000 for the Building Renovation Fund. Thanks!
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