Glory.
Since I brought up the word last Sunday, I seem to be finding it everywhere. It’s in our liturgy, obviously, but it’s also outside of church on the radio and on the blogs. Seeking glory, receiving glory, deserving glory—this isn’t all about God, but the meaning is still the same. Glory, whether about me, God or the country, is a truth that deserves to be noticed, so here are some thoughts about doing just that:
Right out of college, I got a part-time job as a youth minister for another church in my hometown. I remember talking to my Dad about a friend of his I had met at this new church home. Dad seemed surprised. “I didn’t know he was a Christian,” he said.
That didn’t seem right—being a Christian should show. But how—that’s harder to figure out than you might expect. How do you recognize a Christian? You can use bumper stickers or t-shirt slogans to let everyone know, but then you had better be very careful about what you do. “Hypocrite” is a great label used for Christians not acting as Christian, whatever Christian acting looks like. But even if we could all agree on what constitutes proper Christian behavior, getting there has to involve a learning curve. We who spend our time among God’s people know that, for all our talk about being known for our love, the people who make up the church are people, and even Christians have bad days. But the bigger issue–Jesus has always had a habit of calling the less-than-perfect into his community with the idea that they will learn along the way. Now add all those other aspects of human diversity– politics, behavior, priorities, backgrounds, lifestyles—as soon as you label one Christian, you leave out large numbers of Christians. For the last couple of weeks our Sunday Gospel readings have emphasized the unity of the Church, but if unity means agreement, then, Houston, we have a problem.
Another possibility: What if we assume that the Christian difference is found in not in Christians, but in Christ? Last Sunday’s Gospel story sets the stage. As Jesus prays for his followers to be united, he recalls that he has given them what he received from the Father: glory. When we substitute the word “truth” for glory, we have a pretty good sense of what Jesus means. What Jesus has, what has inspired everything he has done and said, is the truth of his message. Of course, he shared that. From the beginning Jesus invited his disciples to follow him to be part of this truth by living out its possibilities. Now, as he leaves them, the truth doesn’t depart with him. Jesus’ parting gift will be the ongoing inspirations and insights that will make this life possible far into the future. That’s glory.
Not done yet though–Trinitarians must notice the three-fold structure of this story of glory. Jesus begins with the glory of the Father, which is God’s will for salvation and unity, first revealed in creation, then in Law, and finally in Jesus’ message. The Son has glory because his message is this God-given truth. His life and death demonstrate that truth, but Jesus does more than act—he invites us to follow him, experiencing the glory (truth) of his Way. The glory of the Holy Spirit wraps up the story by giving each of us the presence and power to follow on our unique journey on the Son’s Way of the Father’s Truth. Trinitarian glory!
The Christian difference we are looking for is this glorious journey. Remember, it’s God’s glory we seek—anyone can pursue the importance of their own glory—and putting God first is the beginning of the Christian difference. It’s not that Christians demand people pay attention to us—we are trying to pay attention to God. The real glorious difference is that if we pay attention to God, everything changes. For example, in any pursuit or community, it is easy to see what is wrong, easier still to complain and blame, and easiest of all to conclude that nothing can be done. But glory describes a bigger picture, not just of what is wrong, or even what is right, but what is of God. Where do we see the truth of God’s creative presence and purpose? What about the truth of Christ’s way, that life comes through death? What about the inspiration calling us to be more? Looking for God’s glory should keep us way too busy to complain and blame.
That’s theology and theory, so are we ready to search for glory? To get us started, Trinity’s Vestry gave it a try at our last meeting. We found glory in having breakfast together, in the reality and building of community. There’s glory in the beauty of music, and as we use our talents and grow in their use. We saw glory in our community made up of different ages and experiences. We’re not supposed to connect with different generations, but the truth is that God has called us all on his Way. God’s glory is that this truth works!
That’s a start—other ideas? Of course, God’s glory isn’t seen just in the church—the truth is far too great to be contained by one institution. The Christian difference is in recognizing God’s glory, but we have no monopoly on truth. What we need is to see what we believe. If we look farther, might we see the truth of God’s will and purpose, the truth of Christ’s way, and the truth of the Holy Spirit’s presence? That’s what we’re looking for and what we will be celebrating on Trinity Sunday. So take a look, share some ideas—about ten more days to look for glory.