Sensus Divinitatis

This speech and prayer was offered by Rev. Carel Geleynse on March 2, 2024 at Waterloo Christian Reformed Church at the opening of the annual Safe Church Conference (geared toward prevention, accountability, and protection best practises for congregations).

Even prior to the pandemic it was already the case, but it seems especially during COVID, that the reputation of the church took a beating. The cries of “lack of freedom” and “persecution” and “suppression of the Christian faith” on the part of a host of Christians and churches was as ludicrous as Donald Trump comparing his situation in the States to that of Navalny or to that of black Americans–who truly know what it is like to be unfairly indicted.  

Today we are going to be hearing more stories that have challenged the good reputation of the church. The examples we include today feature Canadian stories. Much of what we read about the evangelical movement through books like Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Du Mez and the latest book by Tim Alberta The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism speak to the abuse of power south of the border. There was a December 2023 Christianity Today poll asked people to rank the honesty and ethical standards of professionals. Nurses came out on top with a 78% ranking followed by veterinarians, engineers, dentists, medical doctors, pharmacists, police officers, chiropractors, clergy at 32%, bankers, journalists at 19%, lawyers at 16% and members of congress at 6%. The reputation of the church is taking a beating.

This is not where we should be.

In the Christian Reformed Church and many other denominations, the battle over human sexuality and what is or is not appropriate ethics has led to many a power-play and strong-arming of those who disagree with denominational stands. But it goes both ways. I, for one, have stopped reading people’s hasty reactions to articles. The vulgarity and the hatred that is often spewed forth, is not particularly God glorifying, to say the least.  

When you put all of the things I have mentioned together, and many more, it is no wonder people are voting with their feet. All of this has got me thinking about the church. So, who are we?  What are we all about?  How should the church live?  What should the church project?  

That led me to I Peter 1:4-12:

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.” 

⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,” 

⁸ and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.” 

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.  (I Peter 2:4-12)

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!

Living stones in a spiritual house of which Jesus is the cornerstone! A chosen people! A royal priesthood! A holy nation! God’s special possession! Once not a people, but now the people of God!  Once not receiving mercy, but now receiving mercy! This is mind blowing! Each of these descriptors are a sermon in and of themselves, but time does not allow for that now.

Peter reminds his readers that they, as Christians, are not better than pagans or better than anyone else, but they are different. They are citizens of an up-side-down kingdom over whom Jesus is the ruler. We are not a people who ought to be afraid of the world, but interested in it and fascinated by it, all the while remembering that their identity is in Christ. We say it in Q. & A. #1 of the Heidelberg Catechism – “My only comfort in life and in death is that I am not my own, but belong body and soul in life and in death to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.” Why do we belong to him? Because “he has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood.” Once we were dead in our trespasses and sins, but now we are alive in him, living stones in the house of the Lord and Jesus is the cornerstone – the one holding it all together. And the purpose of the church – the called-out people of God – the living stones – is to reflect the cornerstone, to live such lives that if people were to charge us with being disloyal to the culture of the day or the spirit of the age, they would see our good deeds and be attracted and join us in glorifying the Lord on the day he comes again.  

We are going to be hearing a lot about the church today and about those who inhabit the pulpits and the pews. Again, we are going to be reminded about sin waging a war against our souls, something that Peter knew all too well in his own life having gone so far as to even deny knowing Jesus, the very One who had given Peter his name meaning “rock”. We are going to be reminded of things that are painful and hurtful and sinful and disgusting and dirty and cheap and condemnable. We are going to be reminded that such things happen even in the body of Christ, even among those who are called “living stones.” Oh Lord, have mercy!  

Our credibility as a church has taken a huge hit, and we all know that. Perhaps we have given in to the idols of the age – power, prosperity, greed…you name it. Perhaps we have not really understood what it means that we are living stones being built into a house of which Jesus is the chief cornerstone. Perhaps we need to rediscover what it means to be the church – the precious called-out chosen people of the Lord, dearly loved, loved so much that Jesus gave his life for us. He never fails us.

Peter writes in his letter: “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans (and we could add among the other members of the body of Christ) that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” Indeed, Jesus is coming again in all his glory and when he comes, he will usher in the kingdom in all its glory.  Meanwhile, here we are. How about we go forward and sin no more….  

Prayer: 

Lord Jesus, as you left this earth you called your followers to live in a new kingdom of love, justice, and healing. 

Today we confess that the church that once turned the world upside down, has not followed your ways but has done evil. There are among us leaders who have loved power more than people. Where you demonstrated compassion, there are leaders who have abused those in their care. 

Instead of nurturing truth and justice, there has been, in the church, a culture of silence and secrets. There are leaders who have not come clean but have covered up injustices and silenced those who speak up. The reputation of the church has taken a beating, and we acknowledge that we, as “living stones” are responsible.

Oh Lord, have mercy on us!  Forgive us. O God who turned towards the hurting, have mercy on us we pray. Teach us what it means to be the church. Teach us what it means to be compassionate.  Teach us how to listen to those who suffer. Teach us to speak out against injustice.   

Oh Lord, we commend this day to you. Guide all who speak. Help us to listen and learn. Grant us your peace.  

Amen.