The Next 500 Years

    Many years ago, I read Martin Marty’s book A SHORT HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY.  (I loaned the book to someone who has not returned it so the rest of this blog is from my memory.)  Marty divided his understanding of Christian history into four parts.  The first part (the first 500 years) is the church defining the Christian faith.  Most scholars maintain that the Council at Chalcedon (451 CE) finally defines the two natures of Jesus.  The second 500 years (500 - 1,000 CE) is the expansion of the Gospel and the church throughout Europe.   This is the period of the great missionary saints such as St. Patrick to Ireland and St. Boniface to Germany.  The third 500 years (1,000-1,500) is re-teaching the faith because the laity and most clergy were woefully ignorant in their theological understanding of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit.  The fourth 500 years is the expansion of Christianity throughout the world; i.e., North and South America, Russia, and the Far East.
    After reading this book, I asked the question, How will future generations define the next 500 years of Christian history?  My answer is that the next 500 years will be a time when the church had to re-teach the faith to its members and those who have never heard of Jesus, the Christ.  Every poll that I read about the state of our faith maintains that we, as a nation, cannot answer the simplist questions about scripture, Jesus, or the teachings of the church.  These questions include such topics as: 1, What are the two parts of the Christian Bible?  Name at least two of the patriarchs.  3. Who were the parents of Jesus?  How many disciples did Jesus have?  What did the Apostle Paul do?
    For my entire career as a pastor, I have tried to teach the faith to members and non-members of the congregations I have served.  So, teaching the faith is nothing new to me.  Having said this, I am going to try something new for the next 10 weeks.  I am writing a five-week sermon series on five major teachings of the Christian faith.  For five weeks, I will preach this series at Far Hills and then the next five weeks I will teach it at Austin.  The title of the series is FINDING GOD.  I know the title is theologically incorrect because it is God who seeks us out.  I chose the title because I believe it has more drawing power than GOD COMING TO US.
    I do not know if one can teach the faith in a 20 minute sermon.  What I do hope is that those worshiping at these services will be intrigued enough to begin their own study of the major teachings of the Gospel and the Christian faith and they will share what they are learning with at least one other person.  To say the least, I am a little anxious but then nothing ventured, nothing gained.
    See you at worship this Sunday.
Pastor Pete