There’s an immense universe out there: earth, moon, sun, solar system, galaxy, all the cosmos. And it all began with a Big Bang about 13.772 billion years ago, give or take 59 million years. That is scientifically observable, determinable, objective and quantifiable, insofar we can know rationally.
Now, do you realize how utterly ridiculous religion is? We Christians say that the universe was created by a Being (not a “Bang”), whom we refer to as God. He isn’t directly observable. His existence isn’t agreed upon as determinable. He is subjectively experienced by each person. He is not simply not quantified but is beyond quantification because He’s infinite. We are quite crazy when you look at it from the world’s point of view.
But it gets better. This God that we believe exists, we believe that He has, does, and will communicate with us. We believe that God is perfect, completely other—holy—, and that He is unchanged—immutable—, and that He doesn’t need creation but exists by His own power—aseity—, so why in the world would He want to talk to us? We are imperfect. Humanity seems to revel in being completely common and profane. We are constantly changing and reinventing ourselves and our ethics. And we can’t cause ourselves to exist, much less remain alive.
Christian belief is completely out of proportion to the secular mind? I don’t think I could convince any of you that God doesn’t exist and that He doesn’t speak. But I’d like you to see that this belief should be taken for granted when we talk to anyone outside of these walls, nor even with those who go to church. We should not assume that the people with whom we work, live, and interact believe that God exists, much less speaks.
But we believe that God speaks. He speaks through creation, prophets, the Holy Spirit, and most clearly through His Son Jesus Christ.
God speaks through creation. Ps. 19:1–4 tell us of thnis. “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” Some people hear God in the smooth clean surface of fresh-fallen snow; others hear Him speak in the winds blowing across the ocean and bay; others listen best with their hands dug down into dark, rich earth; and others will perceive His words in the warm sun and bright light. But make no mistake, God’s creation speaks. St. Paul writes the Romans, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” (Rom. 1:20).
God speaks through the Holy Spirit and prophets. In the Nicene Creed we declare, “He has spoken through the prophets.” I don’t see wiggle room there. God spoke to Israel through Moses, Elijah, Elisha, on down the line. And God spoke in the Church after Pentecost through prophets. “In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul (Acts 13:1). And Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, had four daughters who prophesied (cf. Acts 21:9). St. Paul tells the church in Corinth that one of the gifts from the Spirit is prophet. And prophecy has not been lost to this day. There are members of Christ’s body who still have this spiritual gift and exercise it. And God speaks through them to us.
But most clearly, perfectly, and completely, God speaks through our Lord Jesus Christ. “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at various times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, who me appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word (Heb. 1:1–3). Jesus is the definitive word spoken by God; He is the great “Amen” that Gods speaks on our behalf (cf. 2 Cor. 1:20).
God is as awesome and reverend, even more so than we will ever be able to believe. When He speaks, we ought to listen carefully. James writes, “Everyone should be quick to listen” (Jas. 1:19). And Jesus told Pilate, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (Jn. 18:37). If we are on the side of truth, we will listen to Jesus. The only alternative is to oppose truth and embrace a lie, which makes one’s father not God, but the father of lies.
But we have come to God. Jesus says, “It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens the to the Father learns from him and comes to me” (Jn. 6:45). Listening to the Father means learning from Him, and ultimately draws us to Jesus, God’s Word.
It is for this reason that we do not casually handle God’s word. When we read it, we solemnize the occasion. “The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.” And when we read the Gospel, it is fitting that pomp and reverence and adoration be made, for when the deacon says, “This is the Gospel of the Lord,” he is not referring to mere words on a page—not just paper and ink. What do we respond? “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.” By faith, we recognize that the words we have heard are mystically the Word of God incarnate in our midst; we recognize Jesus’ own presence. The real presence of Christ is found in the Good News, in living words proclaimed (and lived).
When Ezra the priest and scribe read the Book of the Law, the people responded to the Lord’s presence. (Ezra 8:3,5–6) “All the people listened attentively… the people all stood up… all the people lifted their hands and responded ‘Amen! Amen!’ Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” The people responded much as their forebears did at Sinai when the Lord in cloud and fire descended. The Israelites got it. They understood the weight, the glory, of the words of the Lord.
Jesus proclaimed in the synagogue, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk. 4:21). Isaiah’s promise had come to pass; it became true. Or did it? When God’s words are fulfilled, it is not like human promises that are kept, nor like an event that comes to pass.
When I make a promise, what are the possible outcomes? I’ll either keep it, or I won’t. And if I promise, pretty please with sugar on top, does that make it more sure? Probably not. What about when an even happens, such as President Obama’s inauguration? He won the election, the electoral college made their votes, and Congress ratified the vote. But there was no certainty that the event would have happened, not 100% certainty.
But when God makes a promise, it’s not like my promises, which may be kept or may not. And it’s not like an event that just happens. When God promises, what He has said is better than done. In the divine economy, it is already done. It’s like God prepurchased Matthew’s tuition at UMCP, and UMCP guaranteed they’d still be open, guaranteed that he’d graduate (legitimately), guaranteed that he’d find a job, guaranteed that he’d have a wonderful wife and lovely children, and guaranteed that he’d retire and live out his days in a nice community with his grandchildren around him. “Your testimonies are very sure, and holiness adorns your house, for ever and for evermore” (Ps. 93:5).
So where do we go with this knowledge that God speaks to us? Nowhere special…and yet everywhere. God has made us His prophets. In our workplaces, we are His ambassadors. In our neighborhoods, we are His witnesses. In our families, we are His mouthpieces. God calls us to relate to our neighbor. This means that we must listen to what He’s telling us to say to others, to do for others. We need to know what He wants for them. It isn’t effortless. Real relationships aren’t convenient. But if using name “Christian” means being Christlike, and He “did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45), there’s a high probability that we will need to serve and give our lives too.
Take one person, an unbeliever, with whom you have contact through the week. Pray for them daily; pray throughout the day. Ask God how and what to speak to them through your life and words. Don’t say, “He never talks to me.” Oh, yes He does. Listen, listen attentively. Have faith that He will speak. And then, as Mary said, “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn. 2:5).
When the Pharisees cried foul as the people took action on Palm Sunday, Jesus replied, “I tell you, if they kept quiet, the stones will cry out” (Lk. 19:40). Be better than a stone. Be a living stone (cf. 1 Pe. 2:5).
