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August 30, 2009 Resurrection... for AllThis summer during worship we have been addressing the questions that you, the people of St. Paul’s, have asked about faith, theology, and our larger Lutheran church body, the ELCA. There are three weeks left in this series (even though it feels as if summer is already gone) and we’re going out with a bang. Last week’s line of questioning would certainly qualify as a “hot topic,” and today we look at things I’ve often been asked in private conversation. Today we tackle the questions, “Do Lutherans believe that only Christians will experience resurrection? How will those who never have the opportunity to hear God’s Word and be baptized be received into heaven?” As with the questions we talked about last week, ask 10 different people within the ELCA and you’ll get 10 different answers. As I’ve said before, that’s why some people accuse us of being wishy-washy; however, I think it’s great that the ELCA allows for some differences. That means that our leaders don’t simply tell us what to believe, but trust us to think and wrestle and pray and have an opinion about matters of faith. That’s what we’ve been doing this summer... we’ve been thinking and wrestling and praying about matters of faith and life. We’ve talked about looking at the Scriptures... at the Bible... and interpreting what we read through the lens of history (what did it mean at the time it was written), the lens of context (what comes before and after), the lens of language (everything looses a little something in translation), and in light of our own culture and experience. (Remember, in order to not just read about but really LIVE our faith, we have to decide exactly how to apply what we read in the Bible to our own time and place. In order to do that, we must recognize that, like all who have come before us, our own life experiences make a difference. The way we grew up, the people we’ve met, the conversations we’ve had... all help us determine how God is active in our time and place. Our life experiences matter when it comes to interpreting what God’s word means for us today.) With all that in mind, let’s dig in. What does the Bible say about resurrection? Biblically speaking, the Old Testament is silent on this topic. The Hebrew people believed in a shadowy kind of existence after death in a place called “Sheol;” however, their primary form of “afterlife” was a belief that people “lived on” through their ancestors. During the inter-testamental period... the time between the Old and the New Testaments... belief in resurrection to a new and permanent form of life began to take hold. It is this concept that we find in the Gospels and the writings of Paul.
In the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), we find a few stories about people being resurrected: Jairus’ daughter, a widow’s son, and Lazarus. But it is Jesus’ resurrection that gets top billing... and well it should. Faith in Jesus’ resurrection and his promises for us underlie our belief that we will be resurrected... created anew... in him. Taking the story of Jesus and his promises for us, Paul says that since we are joined to Christ in our baptism, we will also share in his resurrection to new life. Jesus is simply the “first fruits,” of those who have risen from the dead. Of all the transitions we experience, this is the ultimate passage-from this earthly life to a promised new creation. Looking at these passages, there is very little disagreement among Christians about the resurrection of baptized believers. But that’s not today’s question, is it? Today’s question has to do with those... not only outside of baptism, but outside of the Christian faith and tradition. What does the Bible have to say about that? What does the ELCA have to say about that? “Most New Testament passages refer to the resurrection of believers,” says the ELCA website. “But ELCA Lutherans also look to New Testament texts that go beyond these parameters.” The ELCA upholds passages such as Ephesians 1:10 that proclaim that God has “a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth... ” and John 3:17 that say that Christ came into the world to redeem... the world. I suppose it was passages like that led Lutheran theologian Joseph Sittler to coin the phrase “Cosmic Christ” in his 1952 address to the New Delhi assembly of the World Council of Churches, saying, “It is now excruciatingly clear that Christ cannot be a light that lighteth everyone coming into the world, if he is not also the light that falls upon the world into which everyone comes.” Likewise, a German theologian named Pannenberg called folks who act like Christ but don’t claim a belief in Christ “anonymous Christians.” (Sometimes I wonder what he would call me on days that I claim a belief in Christ but don’t act very Christ-like. But that’s another story.) This isn’t official ELCA policy, but these Bible passages and the witness of these theologians lead to a rather bold statement on the ELCA web site. “For ELCA Lutherans,” the site says, “the resurrection that completes the victory of Christ over sin and death is not intended for Christians alone... ” It goes on to say that, “We are to proclaim this salvation intended for all humankind, this redemption of the whole world, this resurrection to new life.” How do you feel about this way of reading and understanding the Bible? Are you relieved, or uncomfortable? Do you lean more heavily on texts like Romans 6:4 and John 3:16 that talk about baptized believers, or on Ephesians 1:10 and John 3:17 that talk about God gathering up all creation? What is your life experience... how you grew up, the people you’ve met, the conversations you’ve had... what is your life experience telling you about what God is up to in regards to the redemption and resurrection of the world? On Wednesday I had a conversation with Bob Viau, our local Thrivent representative. I have no idea how it came up, but as part of our conversation, Bob told a story about a 12-year-old girl who contracted a rare form of cancer. In the span of four short weeks, she went from diagnosis to death. This young woman had no religious background which, as a faithful church man, bothered Bob. In fact, it concerned him to such a degree that he asked his pastor, “What will happen to this child?” In other words, “Will she experience resurrection? Will she be received into heaven?” Bob’s pastor simply said, “I believe in a compassionate God.” Like Bob’s pastor and the ELCA, when push comes to shove, I would say the same. I would say that people who don’t pay much attention to their spirituality are really missing something... because resurrection doesn’t only happen after we die. But I would also say... in answer to today’s questions... that both my reading of the Bible and my life experience lead me to say, “I believe in a compassionate God. I believe in a God of second chances... not only for the sake of those outside the Christian church, but for the sake of all of us within, it, too.” Gracious God, as we continue to think and wrestle, ponder and pray, agree and disagree, keep us united in our common purpose of sharing your love and enlarging your kingdom. In all things, help us fall back on your grace and mercy and compassion, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
St. Paul's Lutheran Church § 824 N. Lewis § Waukegan IL |
