Watchwords

Christ at Work

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WATCHWORD:

1 God is our refuge and strength,  always ready to help in times of trouble. 2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. 3 Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! 4 A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. 5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. 6 The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! 7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;  the God of Israel is our fortress. 8 Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. 9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth.  He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10a “Be still and know that I am God!  Psalm 46:1-10a

 

Meditation:

Christ at Work

I’m reading John Ortberg’s book, Who Is This Man? The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus, and learning so much of history and truth about the impact of Christianity on the development of our civilization. The author has done a truly deep dive into research and history, uncovering many connectors to Jesus and Christianity. For example —

  • Within six years of landing in the Massachusetts wilderness, Puritans established a school that in short order became Harvard University, carrying the motto, “Truth for the Church and Christ”. All but one school started prior to the American Revolution was begun to serve the Jesus movement. Ortberg tells us: “Ninety-two percent of the first 138 colleges and universities founded in America were begun for followers of this uneducated, itinerant, never-wrote-a-book Carpenter!” Christ at work.
  • Oxford University, England, was also begun in response to the Jesus influence, as reflected in it’s motto, taken from Psalm 27: The Lord is my light.
  • As early as AD 150, early churches in Ephesus, Rome and Athens established schools to integrate Jesus teachings into the depth of classical learning. Respect for women, compassion for the disadvantage evolved directly out of Jesus teachings. Christ at work.
  • In 1780, in Great Britain, a preacher, named Robert Raikes, could not stand the cycle of poverty and ignorance that was destroying little children, children who worked six days a week in squalor. Sunday was their free day. Raikes said, “I’m going to start a free school to teach them to read and write and learn about God.” He did, and he called it “Sunday School.” Within 50 years, there were 1.5 million children being taught by 160,000 volunteer teachers. According to Ortberg it was one of the great educational volunteer triumphs of the world. Christ at work.

For years, I organized and often lead Christian Education programs for adults. In those churches, we  called it Sunday School. I made the assumption that the term “Sunday School” was simply the statement of the obvious, classes held on Sunday before or after worship. I never considered those classes as a form of volunteer service, nor did I know the origins of the term, “Sunday School.”

World-wide, the impact of Jesus has been amazing. Languages have been invented so that people would be able to read about Jesus. Monks in monasteries throughout the world, were dedicated to the laborious task of copying every scrap of Holy Writ that came to them. Eye glasses were invented for monks who needed them to pore over texts. The first use of the printing press and movable type was to print copies of the Bible, in various translations for the people. The vast majority of pioneers of science viewed their work as “learning to think God’s thoughts.” The historical impact of Jesus’ thinking is so engrained in our lives that it is often taken for granted. Christ at work.

What about you? How did the impact of Christ change you? The change He made in my life was dramatic, a truly born-again experience. I have a friend, now with Christ, who was emphatic that he had “never had a born-again experience!”  To which I explained, anyone who has Christ as Lord and Savior, has been born-again. He conceded the point. Christ at work.

But back to the prior question. How did/does Christ change you? Your day-to-day activities, your belief, your relationships, your giving, your compassion? During the pandemic, how did Christ “save” you, your sanity, your peace and calmness?  Each of us, you and me, need to consider this question with gratitude — slipping ‘thanks’ into our unceasing prayers. So be it.

 

Bulletin Board:

This meditation has not been a history lesson, but it has been set-up for non-rhetorical questions about greeting each day with praise and gratitude and all that Christ is doing, personally, in our lives. His work never ends for us. Our gratitude should never end, either. Be still and know that He is God.

 

Closing Prayer:

O Lord, my God, help me to trust you with my decisions and my future. Let me lean on you with all my heart instead of relying on my own imperfect understanding. Give me clear guidance in my life, Lord. As I submit myself to you, I know that you will direct my paths and I can have confidence that your direction is always the best way to go. Hear my prayer, Father. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

 

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