...from the desk of Rande Wayne Smith D.Min., Th.M., M.Div.

 
#244

OUR HERITAGE

Exodus 12:21-28
Moses called for all the leaders of Israel and said to them, "Each of you is to choose a lamb or a young goat and kill it, so that your families can celebrate Passover. Take a sprig of hyssop, dip it in the bowl containing the animal's blood, and wipe the blood on the doorposts and the beam above the door of your house. Not one of you is to leave the house until morning. When the LORD goes through Egypt to kill the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the beams and the doorposts and will not let the Angel of Death enter your houses and kill you. You and your children must obey these rules forever." "When you enter the land that the LORD has promised to give you, you must perform this ritual. When your children ask you, 'What does this ritual mean?' you will answer, 'It is the sacrifice of Passover to honor the LORD, because he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. He killed the Egyptians, but spared us.'" The Israelites knelt down and worshiped. Then they went and did what the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.

May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion to His glory and our edification.  Amen.

I love reading bumper stickers. Some are funny, some thought provoking, and others are just plain stupid. But regardless, they present insight about the person who owns the vehicle.

Christian bumper stickers offer the same variety as the secular ones. Some I like - some I don't. One of the ones I have difficulty with states: "The Bible says it … I believe it … that settles it."

My problem with that is that God has given us brains and wants us to use them. He wants us to think about our faith. He wants us to have a theology. He hasn't called us to follow Him blindly.

Sometimes when our kids would ask questions we'd answer "because." We did that "because" we didn't know the answer. That isn't the case with God. He expects questions, and is prepared to respond.

The Hebrew children were commanded to ask, "what does this ritual mean?" Knowing why we do things deepens our appreciation of God, and our worship.

Central to our worship is the cross. We see crosses throughout our building, inside and out. When Kathy and I came here in February 2001, the 1st thing we saw, from way down on Kirchoff Road, was a cross, sitting atop the steeple, 80 feet above the street. It's the highest cross in Rolling Meadows.

Unlike our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters, to whom the crucifixion is central, (hence they have a crucifix); there is no Body on our cross. The resurrection is central to our faith. Jesus is no longer on the cross. He is alive!

You've also seen the large yoke on the outside wall. This has a dual purpose. It reminds us of our modest beginnings in the barn that was just down the street.

But it has another meaning, which the words by each entrance indicate. "Yoked with God." "Take My Yoke Upon You And Learn From Me." "Come Unto Me Ye … Heavy Laden And I Will Give You Rest." We find rest for our soul here. As we look at this room we're sitting in, you'll notice that it is also in the shape of the cross, (better seen from the balcony).

This area in the back through which you entered is called the "narthex." It is comparable to the outer court in the Temple.

You're sitting in the "nave." That's Latin for "ship". Early Christians considered the Church to be a ship sailing toward Heaven. So, you're in the "ark of the Lord."

At the end of some of the pews there are symbols of wheat and grapes, which speak of the Lord's Supper. You'll notice 3 crosses on the lights, reminding us of the crosses on Calvary. This area is the "chancel." The 3 steps leading up to it represent "faith, hope and love," the cardinal tenets of our faith.

The pulpit is where the Word of God is proclaimed. On the pulpit is a "yoke."

The purpose of a yoke is for 2 animals to share in the work that needs to be done. The spiritual symbolism tells us that Jesus will help us carry our burdens throughout life.

Sitting here behind the pulpit I have this picture frame with words from Paul's letter to the Romans which I look at each Sunday morning. "Faith comes from hearing the message and the message comes through preaching Christ." I preach Christ. In front is the Baptismal Font. Baptism is 1 of the 2 Sacraments that we observe. A Sacrament is a visible sign of an invisible reality. Much like my wedding ring is a sign of something more than just a piece of metal - it speaks of a relationship Kathy and I have.

So too, with Baptism. Scripture commands us to be baptized. But it doesn't endorse any specific method. The normal ways are sprinkling, pouring, or immersion.

When the water is poured it reminds us of the pouring out of The Holy Spirit upon us. When a person is immersed it wonderfully demonstrates our dying to sin and rising to new life. The water speaks of our cleansing from sin. It marks the beginning of our walk with the Lord. Continuing up from the "chancel" to the "sanctuary" we take 3 steps that symbolize the Trinity: the Father, Son, and The Holy Spirit.

Now most of us refer to this as the altar. But technically this is the Communion Table. I suppose if we were really going to split hairs, an altar is where sacrifices were made to the Lord. We don't do that anymore. There are no sheep, cows, or doves sacrificed here.

Really, the cross is the true "altar" for us. It is there that the "sacrifice" was made for my sins and yours, once and for all. These lit candles represent the light and presence of The Holy Spirit.

Communion is the other sacrament that we recognize. Unlike Baptism, which is a one-time event in our life, Communion is to be celebrated frequently. Representing this we have a chalice, bread and a flagon.

Names for this Sacrament include: The Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, Breaking Of The Bread, and Eucharist. These terms tell us about the Sacrament.

The Lord's Supper reminds us about the meal that Jesus had with His disciples. Holy Communion speaks of the fellowship we have with God and one another. Breaking Of The Bread reminds us of Jesus' broken body and His sacrifice. And Eucharist means thanksgiving. We are thankful for what Jesus has done.

In most churches you'll find an American flag. Please don't misunderstand this. I love my country. I served in the military for 3½ years. I was prepared, and still am, to give my life for it. But, I'm always uncomfortable with a nation's flag in any sanctuary.

There are 2 reasons. Scripture has God stating, "I am the LORD your God and I tolerate no rivals." When we are here, it's not a time for patriotism; our loyalty has to be to God alone. Our God is a jealous God.

And then, Christianity goes beyond any earthly borders. I worshipped with a missionary a number of years ago and he told me that an American flag was an obstacle for some people around the world while trying to worship. We never want to hinder anyone worshiping Jesus. The 2 candles up here in the Apse are the Christ candles. There are 2, representing the 2 distinct natures of Christ. Jesus was totally 100% human, and He was totally 100% divine.

The green in this cross reminds us that Christ is not dead but is alive.

Surrounding the cross are 8 stained windows. The top one is the "Hand of God." It represents the creative power of God, and is reaching down to us.

Next is the "Lamb of God;" the suffering Lamb, who has made the ultimate sacrifice.

Next is a Dove flying down. That is the symbol of The Holy Spirit coming to us. Then we have the Bible, which is open. It is available to all.

Next is the Sword of the Spirit.

This next window reminds us of Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount."

The rooster crowing signifies Peter denying Jesus.

The final window shows that Christ has triumphed over the world.

You've noticed that there are colored cloths on the Communion Table and pulpit. These correspond to the liturgical year, which begins with Advent, which means, "to come." We look forward to the coming of Jesus, and observe Advent during the 4 weeks prior to Christmas. The color of the season is blue, representing royalty.

Next is the season of Christmas that begins on Christmas Day and lasts for 12 days. The name "Christmas" came for "Christ's Mass." The liturgical color is white, representing joy.

Epiphany, which means "manifestation," follows it. Here we celebrate the visit of the Magi, and Jesus' baptism. The color is green, representing universal redemption. Jesus came for both the Jews and Gentiles.

Next is Ash Wednesday, and the season of Lent, which comes from the Latin word for "lengthening," the days are getting longer. Lent consists of 40 days and 6 Sundays prior to Easter. Lent is a time when we "do" something, not "doing without" something. In other words, it's more than just giving up something for 40 days.

Ash Wednesday reminds us about repentance - sackcloth and ashes. The liturgical color is violet, representing the mood of the season.

The week before Easter is Holy Week. It begins with Palm Sunday, where we recall Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It's followed by Maundy Thursday, the night of the Last Supper. We remember Jesus' new "mandate," to "love one another."

Then comes Good Friday, as we recall Christ's death on the cross. The color is black, representing death and mourning. On Easter we celebrate Christ's resurrection. For this day and the Easter season the color is white representing the resurrection and victory.

By the way, stand up and look at our back window. That represents glory of Easter's resurrection morning.

Pentecost was the most important holiday for early Christians. It's when The Holy Spirit gave birth to the Church. The color is red, for "the tongues of fire."

The robe symbolizes the mantle of Christ and being covered by Him. The stoles represent the yoke of Christ. The tabs are for the 10 Commandments' 2 tablets and the ability to tell right from wrong. The hood shows academic preparation. The chevrons on my robe indicate a doctoral degree.

When I raise my hands at the end of the service it's symbolic of "laying on of hands." Before the Apostles sent anyone out into ministry, they prayed and laid their hands on them asking The Holy Spirit to empower them. That's what I'm doing for you at the end of our worship.

I always conclude each service with "Marana tha," which is the phrase that the early Church used to end their worship. It means, "our Lord come." We await His return.

So, when your children ask now, "what does this ritual mean?" You can tell them!

MARANA THA.