Davison's Doodle

Old Words

Recently, I was looking though file folders full of papers and sermons I’ve written since seminary. I’m preaching a few times this month, Feb 19 and Feb 26, and was looking to see what I may have said about the lectionary texts in the past. I had already looked through the scripture texts I have stored in the cloud and hard drives. Sometimes, I haven’t kept everything in print or digitally, and I haven’t scanned everything and uploaded to the cloud or local digital storage. That takes time I would rather spend doing something else. One interesting part of reviewing old words is noting how my thinking has changed, and not, as a liberal Christian.

An example. I found a scholarship application that asked me to write a “statement of faith that discusses your personal relationship with Jesus Christ and your spiritual journey.” Reading those words were a moment of self reflection then and now.

My journey in one that is characterized by questions. It is through questioning tradition, scripture, and God that I feel called or lured into ministry. In Christ, I see one who was great at asking questions and befriending people. It is in this model that I wish to serve my years in ministry. In Christ, human beings are shown what authentic living can be like, and we are shown the depth of love that God has for creation. My journey to ministry, like my journey with God, is on full of questions so that I may continue to grow. Faith then, is that absolute trust that in everything I do God is there working with and through me. Jesus then, is my model for complete faithfulness and it is this type of faithfulness that I, as a minister, am called to represent and what the community of faith, the Church, are invited to respond to the love of God. Together, the ordained and the laity seek to step closer to God with each new day, and together we seek to learn how to be faithful to a love that will not let us go, not even in our death.

June 1991

I would use different language today, and better grammar, but the spirit of those words still captures my theological perspective. Today, in a longer writing or conversation I would distinguish between Jesus of Nazareth and Christ of faith. By that I mean the difference between Jesus, the human being, and the theological claim of Christ or messiah or savior.

Every so often it is good to look at old words, and thought, and consider the consistency of the new words and thoughts that animate your existence, your lifestyle, and journey in faith today.