I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church

Last week, we looked at the Church from the perspective of its history. We began with the dilemma of man—severed from his God by rebellion—driven from his paradise of fellowship in the garden of Eden—estranged from his heavenly father, and growing more wicked with each succeeding generation. First God tried to redeem man through judgment—but man’s return was only a temporary one. Finally God used a new attack on man’s problem. He looked around in the world and found one man who had not lost faith in him—nor had he given his life to the wickedness that seemed to thrive around him. He decided to lead this man into a new land, and make of his seed a great people of God—to live in the evil world around them as a repository for the truth of God’s revelation—and to show the world what life could be like if man was willing to return to his God and live in fellowship with him—and live in harmony with his fellow man within the family of God.

Today, I would like to address this very simple question: “Where do we find this people of God today?” You may be shocked at first at the answer that I will give to this question. However, the more I search the scriptures and cogitate upon this question—the more convinced I am that there is only one answer to this question, namely this: I believe that for you and me here in this very place, where we are meeting this morning, the visible people of God exist, and the work of the holy spirit takes place.

If a man from outer space were to come to you or to me and ask us where he could find the Church of Christ he had heard so much about—our first reaction might be to take him up on a high building and point to the many spires reaching into the heavens and say—this is the Church. On second thought, we might point at the many Christian colleges, the multitude of Christian hospitals—the many mission stations in dark places and say—this is the Church.

But when we go back to the New Testament we find a much different answer. Jesus simply stood on the earth in a definite place and said: “the kingdom of God is here. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in their midst.”

As Karl Barth has said so simply:  “By men assembling here and there in the holy spirit, there arises here and there a visible Christian congregation.”

The Christian congregation arises and exists neither by nature nor by historical human decision, but by the divine call. Those called together by the work of the Holy Spirit, assemble at the summons of their King.

If I understand Christian theology correctly—the story of the incarnation was a very simple one. God decided to come down and live among men and become himself, the core around which the new society of the kingdom of God was to be wound in entwining circles of love. His ministry began when he called the twelve to form a community of faith—a faith which ultimately was to bind them to him so strongly that these were closer than any other bonds.

He said they were to be closer than the bonds of family he said: “If any man will come after me, and hateth not his Mother and his Father, he is not worthy of me.” What did he mean by that? I think he meant simply this: “From now on, you must put your allegiance to me first, even before the bonds that bind you to your mother and father—because this community of faith of which you are a part must now become the primary allegiance of your life.”

Now you say these are hard words and it is true. However, we have an analogy to this in marriage. What girl is there who is willing to play second fiddle to her mother-in-law. Or what man is there who will stand by and allow his mother-in-law to continue to run the life of his wife—even though she is a daughter. When a young man or women become betrothed—or engaged as we now call it, they really foreswear their primary allegiance to their own families— and they begin a new household—a new intimate community—and the old intimacies between their brothers and sisters and mother and father now are relegated to a secondary role. This is the only way that marriage can come about in its truest sense.

Jesus was here bringing into being the most primary family of all—the family of God. In fact, some of these young men who followed Jesus actually left their own families and became disciples. You remember Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. Now you cannot have a mother-in-law unless you are married. Yet Peter became the great visionary—going about the earth preaching the gospel—I am sure many times at the expense of his family.

When Jesus called this little community of faith together, it was a real, visible group—it was very intimate—each called the other by their first names. Sometimes they became angry with each other. One time, the rest of the disciples became very angry with James and John, because they were trying to get a corner on the seats of power, when Christ established his kingdom. However, this was the only community of faith there was. Christ had nobody else with which to work but these twelve men—and later the wider fellowship of disciples that showed themselves at Pentecost. This first congregation was not only a visible group, but it caused a visible uproar. Before long they had many people around them mad at them. Some were put in prison for their zeal in their Lord. Others were stoned and crucified—for their witness to their living Lord.

Before long, they gave to the world a book, which it cannot forget. This book was really a compendium of their best preaching we call it the New Testament. You know it is a strange thing, but they did not pay near as much attention to defending that book as you and I do. There was a young man by the name of mark in that first Church, who decided the basic facts about the life and teaching of the Christ ought to be written down so that men could read about it. Later there was this converted tax-collector who was one of the twelve—he read marks account and decided he should write one too, and add some things that mark didn’t include. Then another layman—a medical doctor Luke—who incidentally was a gentile—decided he would do some historical research, and make sure that mark and Matthew were not leaving out some things that were important, and the Church might forget them before long. Then many years later, a Christian by the name of John, decided it was time that somebody began to interpret some of these events, and seriously answer those who said: “What do these things mean?”

So, now the book began to be the center of the lives of this committed Community. As they read over-and-over again, the things their Lord had said and done, they felt his presence in their midst in a new way—and somehow his spirit began to possess them again—the flame of love was kindled ever more warmly—and they went out into the world holding the great torch of God in their hand—the visible community Of God—showing to the world the light of God.

Now we come to that word Catholic that is in the creed. We say: “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church” Now, the real tragedy for us today is that this word Catholic is tainted for us, because of its connection with the Roman Catholic Church. But the reformers held onto this word in the creed for a good reason. There is no other word that really means what this word means, which is the One, Holy, Catholic, people of God. It really means that through the whole of history, the Church remains identical with itself. It means that Christ has lived on from age-to-age through the holy spirit who in dwells his Church. That this little band of disciples whom Jesus called to be the community of faith grew in numbers and in power.

Each Christian called by God, drew in his brother to himself. When Jesus went away in the flesh, he sent his spirit down upon that little fellowship to indwell them and fan the holy flame and make it burn more brightly. Some had the book, too. In the reading of the book, they remembered their Lord and master, and were brought close to him through the book and his Holy Spirit upon them. This was no man-made fellowship. It was the fellowship of the people of God.

What does this mean to you and to me now? When you and I say, “I believe in the holy Catholic Church” you and I are saying—I believe that this congregation to which I belong in which I have been called to faith and am responsible for my faith, in which I have my service, is the one, holy, Universal Church. If I do not believe this here, I do not believe it at all.

I am sure the man outside says: “How strange it is that you should come and sing hymns that speak of a man who lived two thousand years ago—and that you should pray to God through that man’s name—and that you should read over-and-over again that book that tells all about him.” Yet strange to say, somehow, as men today gather together around that book—the holy spirit today fans the flame of the living Christ within our lives—and we become alive unto God—and alive to the world.

It is a wonderful thing to see a young man suddenly become alive unto God. It has been a real thrill to see some of you grow in the Lord. Last Monday night, I sat in on a stewardship meeting. There I witnessed this very thing. Here was a group of men who had suddenly become alive unto God. I felt as though the air was charged with power. Suddenly we looked up at the clock and many hours had passed— and we had hardly been aware of it.

The tragedy is that at times I have also seen the corollary happen.We forget that the Church is God’s human community of faith. At times some have withdrawn from the Church—some gradually, as though growing weary with well doing—others radically—out of anger or disappointment. We forget it is just as tragic to withdraw from the fellowship of faith as it is to draw a glowing charcoal nugget out from the rest of the briquettes. Soon it loses its glow—and ultimately it grows cold and black. How many there have been who have withdrawn from this fellowship and their lives grow cold just like that.

I remember Louis Evans telling about a man who came to him one Monday morning and said: “After yesterday I want you to remove my name from the roll—I will never come back again.” And Louis Evans responded: “I cannot do it, for you will be committing spiritual suicide. If I were to cut my finger off, it would lose its life, for it is no longer part of the body. So, I cannot cut you off from the body of Christ.”

So, when you and I confess our faith in the Holy Catholic Church, we really attest that this very congregation to which I belong, and for the life of which I am responsible, is appointed to the task of making in this place, in this form, the one, Holy, Universal Church visible.

Through us, Christ becomes visible to the world. The world will never come to know of the love of God, until they see the love of God expressed in the Church. If only the world can once more say as they did in the first century: “How these Christians love one another.” The forgiveness of God will only become visible and we forgive our brother, not 7 times but 70 times 7. And the world will never know of the power of God, until the flame of God in us is fanned to Pentecostal heat—until the world feels the white-hot heat of God through us.

A civil rights leader who is a jew recently said: “I like working with Christians”—and he spends his time training them to work in the field of civil rights—I like to work with Christians, because they are white hot. Two thousand years ago God came in the flesh and became one of us in order that he could call into being his holy fellowship—his own people the Church. Today he continues to call you and me to this holy community. You and I cannot escape his call. We must either open our lives to his call and respond, or we turn him down flat.There is no such thing as being neutral.

     Rise up O men of God
Be done with lesser things.
Give heart and mend and soul and strength,
To serve the King of Kings.

— Arthur Schwabe