Delivered by Rev Dr John Evans
on Sunday 9 May, 2010
Acts 16:9-15
Psalm 67
Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5
John 14:23-29
In the afterglow of our 150th Anniversary this morning I propose to consider again what it means to be a Church of All Nations. Certainly our readings today prompt such a consideration of this description.
So briefly, our reading from Acts is the story of the conversion by Paul of Lydia and her household. Lydia, coming from Macedonia, is famously regarded as the first European convert to the Christina faith. Meanwhile the reading from Revelation continues with these seemingly far fetched visions of John, the seer. This time we have more detail and information about this new Jerusalem; the new City of God, as it descends out of the heavens. A clear feature of the New Jerusalem is that all the nations are a part of this new way of life:
“The nations will walk by its light (ie by the light of God), and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” (21:24)
And finally within Psalm 67, a psalm of blessing, indeed the psalm which Jews will read each week at the conclusion of their Sabbath celebrations, there is a constant refrain of “all nations”. All nations are to know of God, and all peoples will praise God.
Let your ways be known upon earth,
Your saving health among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
Let all the peoples praise you. (2-3)
I wish to consider three dimensions to these readings, and by implication to our own identity as a church of all nations.
1. There is a missionary direction here – to spread the gospel, to share the good news to all nations;
2. There is an inclusivity within the kingdom of God; all nations and all peoples are included. To give this dimension an edge – there is an equality and yet diversity within the kingdom of God; and finally
3. God’s own nature, God’s own self transcends race and nationality – God is certainly not an Englishman.
Paul had a vision. He was on his second missionary journey around modern day Turkey. In this vision there was a Macedonian man pleading with him to come over from Troas – if you can imagine right at the tip of Turkey, to go over to Macedonia – which is in an arc over the top of Greece. A leap of faith – away from the familiar. As has been noted – the initial bringing of the gospel to Europe – beyond the Bosporus.
Paul comes to Philippi – and it would seem not quite sure as to what he actually might do in these parts. He is still very much following the rhythms of his Jewish heritage, and on the Sabbath seeks to meet with people – this time not a synagogue – which had been a common context in which he had spoken of Jesus, but “outside the gates.” It was here Lydia hears Paul, and it would seem again the Holy Spirit was active – “the Lord opened Lydia’s heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.” (16:14) Lydia and her household are baptised. The story concludes with a gentle, but significant reminder that something quite important “cross culturally” had happened. Not only through the leading of the spirit Paul had left his planned route – he was taken into new territory, and to a new people within the community of the church – this recently baptised family then invited Paul to stay with them.
“When she and her household were baptised, she urged us, saying “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.”” (16:15)
Missionary work extends across cultural boundaries, but once undertaken there is a mutuality between the preacher and the preached to. Love, grace – hospitality – transcends such cultural categories.
There is much to challenge us in this story here. Just as Paul eventually ends up in Rome, the seat of the Empire, his first significant cross culture venture is to Macedonia – home of the legendary Alexandra the Great; the ruler who just several centuries before, had through military might, conquered the world. Paul, with the gospel, comes to Philippi, the city established in honour of Alexander’s father, Philip of Macedon – with a different message. However, in many respects Paul had it easy. He was operating, even in Macedonia, within the bounds of the Roman Empire. There was a context, a structure, which sometimes could be hostile. However, significantly there was always a common language and literature which could be used. At a basic level there was even the amazing Roman roads which Paul and others would use in their missionary endeavours.
A fact that has always surprised me – it probably will surprise you – is that it took until the third century (the mid to late 200’s AD), before the Christian faith was spread to a culture and peoples – beyond the reach and organisation of the Roman empire. This was to the Goths, those wandering and expanding Germanic tribes, in south eastern Europe – over towards the Black Sea – modern day Bulgaria. These are the same Goths who eventually come to sack Rome and constrain Rome’s imperial reach. Truly such a missionary endeavour was inspired, an action of the Holy Spirit. People completely unlike the then Christian community, also should receive the message of Jesus. Indeed it is thought that the gospel was shared when Christians within the empire were carried away as prisoners by these marauding tribes. Then a certain Wufila, in the fourth century, set about creating a written language for the Goths, and translating the scriptures into this new language. Of course why we do not know much about Wufila is also interesting. His theology was not strictly orthodox. It would seem he was an Arian – the loosing side in the great debate over the divinity of Christ in the 4th century. Of course victors only get to write history, and the new Christian empire of Constantine and his inheritors, did not say much about such stunning missionary work.
No doubt for Wufila, and for Paul – at the centre of their missionary work was the understanding that there was no distinction in God’s eyes between peoples. All peoples were Children of God. This is the second point I think comes form our readings about all nations. In particular, there is a quirky feature of the new Jerusalem, that gives an insight into the Christian vision for life together.
I read before the verse
“The nations will walk by God’s light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory to it.”
In other words there will be a huge cultural diversity within the kingdom of God. Then
“Its gates will never be shut by day – and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations.”
The gates of the new Jerusalem will never be shut. Anyone can come and go at any time, and no one need feel threatened or insecure. Indeed, people from the nations will come in, and they will be welcome (v. 26). To inhabitants of the ancient Mediterranean world, as to modern urban dwellers, this word about safety in the city would be unbelievably welcoming. Within this setting of light and safety, people from every nation will live in harmony. People from all over will bring to it “the glory and the honor of the nations” (v. 26). Implicit here is a picture in which diversity and unity have found balance . . . and the gates are never shut. Rigidity, purity, boundaries are not the primary concern. Openness, hospitality and freedom to share in the light, beauty provision of the new Jerusalem is the goal. Indeed the diversity of the peoples enhances the attractiveness of seer’s vision.
It then is not far to the next point, God’s own self is above the categories of race and nation. . . . beyond our own human constructs. Our psalm confirms this view. God is sovereign, over all the nations of the world. Scholars have discerned within Psalm 67 a poetic structure which seeks to elevate v. 4, as being the heart of the psalm.
“Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth.” (4)
This central structural feature of the psalm makes a profession of faith that represents the theological heart of all the psalter— namely, God rules the world. Only a sovereign God can “guide the nations upon earth” – not just the nation of Israel, but all nations. True it would seem that the Exodus experience has lead to a special relationship with the Jewish people, but this God is much wider, more diverse is indeed above national or cultural boundaries. A surprising statement really. This God who I worship is not just my God, but is equally God of others, other cultures, other nations. It is this central profession of God’s sovereignty that in the psalm underlies the request for a blessing that will have worldwide effects.
All of this is both exciting – and at the same time – quite challenging. Our culture, our national self perception may not, from a transcendent perspective, be the only true perspective. The Uniting Church itself is having to come to terms with this, and the open gates of the Holy City, as it considers a revised preamble of its constitution, brought to it by its indigenous members. They have brought a different view of our land’s history, and an understanding of God which forces us to ponder the question how was God here in this land before the missionaries arrived? Was God in Macedonia or the lands of the Goths before Paul or Wufila brought the scriptures. What does the sovereignty of God actually mean?
All important and significant questions, but back to us as a Church of All Nations.
We need to be open to the spirit of Christ, to the missionary opportunities within our community. In the 1960’s this church spectacularly was open to a new direction, in reaching out to other people and cultures. In think however, we then were more like Paul, than Wufila. We were still bound within our own culture. Today the culture of the other has moved enormously – there are other faiths, and no faith. Where do we stand in those contexts when we ponder our mission.
Is our vision of God’s kingdom, truly without gates or doors; relishing the diversity within the New Jerusalem in the presence of the light of God and the lamb – Christ upon the throne, but also recognising that in their freedom people will pass in and out of these gates and doors. There is a wall, there is a boundary around the new Jerusalem, but the gates are never shut, just as there is never night or darkness in this vision of God’s future.
Is a social justice goal for social inclusion, which we claim, actually enough?
And how do we worship our sovereign God of all nations? Are we sometimes, just a little arrogant about our own cultural heritage; or are we truly open to the insights of others? What in fact does a sovereignty of God over the nations actually mean?
As a small Christian community, we have a daunting name to live up to; however, a great one to share and proclaim.
