Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they Belong to God.

On Sunday morning, Matt and I met with the seekers in our Confirmation Class after worship for a light, healthy lunch (from Five Guys, so 'light' and 'healthy' are definitely a given...) and a primer on the Reformed theological tradition that we like to call Theology 101.

The crux of the lesson? Our Book of Confessions is filled with the theological truths to which we hold claim... truths that are written in a specific context and for specific needs... truths that help to bring clarity and vision to the Good News found in scripture.

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​The scriptural backbone of our denomination's confessional documents are obvious, and run deep. A single line or phrase - let's go with the first line of The Brief Statement of Faith... "In life and in death, we belong to God" - is deeply informed by scripture. This particular sentence cites 8 scriptural references, which would certainly be considered only a partial listing of all that could be cited. The statement helps to bring words to the Good News as it brings Grace to whatever the context, and whatever the historical situation.

In life and in death, we belong to God. That's not only part of The Brief Statement of Faith. It has become something of my own statement of faith.

I belong to God.
You belong to God.
We belong to God.

To continue highlighting the deep scriptural connections in our confessional statements, and that Reformed theology marks a scriptural foundation as a primary hallmark, we asked one of the Seekers to open his Bible to a random page and read the first sentence he saw. A simple demonstration of how those words - those random words - can become part of the statement of our faith.

Random Bible reading isn't a practice to which I'd normally ascribe. I guess I'm just a bit too ordered and disciplined for it, myself. And I suppose if he had randomly turned to the words of Psalm 137:9 or Song of Solomon 4:5, Matt and I would have had our work cut out for us to easily tie in the whole "scripture as faith statement" conversation.

But, instead of infant homicide or an erotic love story, the seeker turned to a random page, and found himself staring at the words of Psalm 8.

"O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! ... What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor." (Psalm 8:1,4-5)

I belong to God.
You belong to God.
We belong to God.

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Yesterday morning, I awoke from what amounted to little more than a catnap with tired eyes, after enduring a long evening of watching election results.

A quick scan of my social media feeds saw some celebrating the victory of their preferred candidate. Many others (particularly people of color, families of immigrants, survivors of sexual assault, LGBTQ+ people, Muslims, and Sikhs) were grappling with the raw emotion of fear for their well-being. And perhaps a majority, on all sides of this long and bitter campaign season, simply asking "where do we go from here?"

It was as I stumbled toward the kitchen with one eye facing the beauty of my trusted coffeemaker that I laid eyes on our C.S. Lewis Bible sitting on the living room coffee table.

Random Bible reading isn't a practice to which I'd normally ascribe. I guess I'm just a bit too ordered and disciplined for it, myself. And, for the love of all that's precious and holy, what would I have done had I turned randomly to Psalm 137:9 or Song of Solomon 4:5?

But, seeking a Good Word, I turned to a random page of scripture, and found myself staring at the beginning of Matthew, the 5th chapter... the Beatitudes. 

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No matter where you find yourself in these "days after:"

• The Good News of the Gospel hasn't changed at all.
• It's Good News that is every bit as radical as it ever was.
• Perhaps it's even Good News that gives us greater clarity for the high and holy calling to which we're called.

No matter where you find yourself in these "days after:"

• Our high and holy calling hasn't changed at all.
• It's a high and holy calling that is every bit as radical as it ever was.
• Perhaps it's even a high and holy calling brought to greater clarity in these days by the Good News of the Gospel to which we cling.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

This is the vision for the Kingdom of God. We're called to be Kingdom-Builders. We're called to be peacemakers. We're called to be pure in heart. We're called to show mercy. We're called to stand with those who face discrimination and oppression and violence and persecution wherever it exists in our communities, in our nation, and throughout our world.

​So let's get to work.

And, in the meantime, in these "days after" - just in case a reminder is needed:

I belong to God.
You belong to God.
We belong to God.