Busy last week.
Busy last weekend.
Late Blog Post.
Short Blog Post.
Sorry.
God at work in history
Some Christians are forever trying to figure out what the future holds: When will the Second Coming be? When will the Lord return in Glory? Even we Orthodox often wonder – or at least I do, who have lived long enough to see worldly “empires “ come and go, and Christian establishments * rise and fall… I often wonder: What does it all mean? What is God accomplishing here? Because the Scriptures definitely tell us that God is at work in history.
- I’ve written before about how I’ve seen the “mainline” Protestant churches rise and then fall till they are scaracely a shadow of what they were a few decades ago, and Roman Catholic attendance and monasticism life and influence decline dramatically, and the rise of the evangelicals, though many of them have changed their stripes while doing so. The changes in the political world have been even more dramatic, but perhaps this is not the week to go into that.
The Prophet Isaiah certainly knew that God was at work in history: “The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.” Isaiah 60:22 The Prophet had seen how suddenly the Babylonians had reduced the Jewish nation to nothing – God’s judgment on an unfaithful people. Now He foresees the time when God will just as unexpectedly restore it again.
The Apostle Paul knew exactly what God was doing: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.” Galatians 4:4
Some translations have it “When the right time had come… “ The Greek word is pleroma/πλήρωμα/ “fullness”.
What was this “fullness of time” that Paul was writing about? Why did Christ come at just the right time? For three reasons, I think:
1 The Jews were ready. For over two thousand years God had progressively revealed Himself to the Jews, so they all now knew beyond a doubt that there was one God, Creator of Heaven and earth. Thus when He came, a few of them – His closest “associates” – would know and understand Who Jesus was. Contradictory to all they could conceive, He was that one God Incarnate.
2 The pagans of the Roman Empire were ready for something new, Someone new. For the most part, interest in the old gods and goddesses was fading – similar to what is presently happening to Protestant and Roman Catholic Christianity in Western Europe and segments of America. Most people, if asked would say they still believed, more or less, but belief seemed increasingly irrelevant to their lives. How lifeless the gods and goddesses were in First Century Rome is shown by the fact that on September 17 in the year 14 (AD), Augustus Caesar was declared a god – a mere human being raised to the pantheon. That meant rather that the pantheon of gods was lowered to the level of a mere man. That was all the gods mattered to the people. Some, especially among the military, were turning to Mithraism, a dynamic new religion from the East. Judaism was becoming admired for its positive moral code. People were now ready to accept this other and more profound Religion from the East which offered a high moral code, love, a community which accepted men and women and even slaves, a personal Savior and eternal salvation.
3. The Roman Empire itself was ready. Pax Romana existed from Britain and Hispania in the West to Armenis and Egypt in the East. There were two common languages: Latin in the West and Greek in the East. This meant that Apostles could travel freely to proclaim the Holy Gospel, and it would be understood, even if sometimes not accepted.
It was in this “fullness of time” that God sent His Son – so He could be accepted and worshipped, and His Church and the Faith be established in the world. And that is why you and I can go to church on Sunday.
What is God doing now in the world?
This is more problematic, to say the least.
When Hurricane Katrina devastated parts of New Orleans, a noted television evangelist proclaimed it God’s judgment on the sins of the city. However, what was most devastated was a neighborhood of poor people, while wicked Bourbon Street remained mostly untouched. Try again, Mr Prophet.
There are many false prophets around, many self-appointed “apostles”. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, sometime search for “apostles” and “prophets” among the radical evangelicals on the internet – some of whom are influential in high places in America.
Can we make any intelligent guesses about what God is doing today? Here is an excellent talk by Father Stephen Andrew Damick about the current “surge” of new – mostly young – people into the Orthodox Church, and what it may mean. This surely is a gift of God.
This fits with my very limited knowledge of what’s happening in American Orthodoxy today. I’ve been retired for over ten years now. I’m out of the loop. However, I know of three small parishes, all overwhelmed with between fifteen and twenty five Catechumens *, fitting the current pattern of young families and single men. My own Saint Nicholas, Cedarburg, is recently joining the trend, with more Catechumens *, Chrismations and Baptisms than I can remember at any one time during my thirty years as pastor. These young people who have joined the Church have, almost without exception, become especially devout and devoted members of our congregation.
- For any who don’t know: Catechumens are a formal category of people inherited from the early Church, who are taking instructions in preparation for entry into the Church by Baptism or Chrismation – sort of like being engaged to be married.
Father Stephen emphasizes something very important: What are we doing to attract these people? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We are just being Orthodox. It’s significant that churches that are changing their ways in order to be “relevant” are proving to be irrelevant, and are rapidly losing members.
I believe this has got to be the action of God at this moment in our history. However, a few thousand new members of the Orthodox Church do not give evidence that Orthodoxy is taking over the world! And as Father Stephen points now, we do not know yet how many members we may have lost in recent years. Nor is there assurance that this “surge” will last indefinitely. A few decades ago my Antiochian Orthodox Diocese was growing rapidly because of the dynamic outreach of our Metropolitan Philip (+) and Father Peter Gillquist (+), Chairman of Missions and Evangelism, who brought many new congregations into the Archdiocese. That era has passed now.
Q. So what does God have in mind for the Holy Orthodox Church today?
With all the commotion in the world and in the religions today, it is so tempting to ask: What is it all mean? What is God doing? I remember an old Protestant hymn: “God is working His purposes out”. But how? where? what are the signs to tell us?
During Jesus’ ministry, people were asking too many questions, wanting too many answers, some sign to show who Our Lord was and what He was doing. Hear His response:
“
When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Matthew 16:4
Ever since the First Century, all we need to know about the future is “the sign of Jonah”:Christ has died, and Christ has risen. Though I find it hard to believe sometimes, He is in charge, and if we follow Him – if we continue to follow Him faithfully in His Holy Church * – all will be well. Jesus Christ rules here. We don’t need to know the future. Trust Him.
- Sometime soon I’m going to write about my search for the true and authentic Church.
Next Week: Our three great Temptations in the Wilderness
Week after Next: Saint Paula of Rome