Gregory Stevenson opens his commentary, “Revelation is a dangerous book.” 1) “The strange symbolism of the book is a combustible mixture that often explodes into misinterpretation and abuse,” 2) “When interpreted faithfully the book of Revelation remains dangerous because it does not allow Christians to be comfortable in this world.” Richard Oster begins his commentary on the letters to the seven churches (Rev. 1 – 3) with a similar statement: “John’s messages in Revelation was too controversial and too unreasonable for those wanting to be at peace with the aspirations and mores [ethics] of the surrounding urban cultures.”

For those who like annual calendar religious ceremonies my calendar has Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, and Epiphany for the past three Saturdays. Epiphany? What is that? In some religious traditions it comes after the 12th day of Christmas to celebrate the visit of the Three Kings from the east to see him who has been born king of the Jews (Mt. 2:1-12). The Greek word epiphany means to appear or make manifest. It is not used in Matthew’s story but is frequent in Paul’s last letters, Titus, 1 & 2 Timothy. I asked myself, what if we followed the liturgical calendar and observed this Sunday as Epiphany what scriptures would we read and what lessons would be taught?

I wish to recast a song from one of Angela’s Christmas albums, “I just want an old fashion Christmas,” to “I just want an old fashion New Year’s celebration”. I walk back down memory lane 26 years to recall those wonderful New Years parties hosted by Jim and Sandy Bell. Going back 60 years I remember a New Years celebration in New Bedford, RI. Small churches in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island gathered to sing praises to God, remember their past year of ministry and cast visions for the year to come. In 1963 I came alone to announce that Joyce and I have a daughter four days old. Her name is Joy Carol – a “Joy to the world.”

We are created to live in a storied world. We are part of a story that begins before us and goes on after us. What we do as a community and as individuals is important. Ever since we told our stories at our 50th anniversary, I have been drawn to the story that is told by this worshipper in Deuteronomy 26:5. Should our worship today be more a story-telling event? If so, how?

On the wall downstairs is a crude scroll entitled, “The Storrs Road Story.” In telling that story we discovered who we are and declared who we wanted to become. The telling of our story enabled us to participate more faithfully and more fully in God’s story. At least this was and still is my thesis.

I love the traditional Thanksgiving song, Come Ye Thankful People Come, #729 in our songbook. I hope that we sing it Sunday and often during the year to come. Not only does it echo Ps. 100, it celebrates the work of our Creator on the Day 6 as He fashioned the earth (Gen. 1:29-30). Also, there are three unnoticed Thanksgiving Songs in Scripture that we need to sing – Rev. 11:15-19; Deut. 26:5-10, & Eph. 5:3-4.

I have a problem. I want to create a Thanksgiving dinner. Shall Joyce and I rise early to bake biscuits and cornbread, break them into pieces to combine with onions, celery, and seasonings. Stuff that into a plump turkey to bake 3 hours and make gravy from the drippings and giblets. Serve turkey, dressing and mashed potatoes and gravy and Joy’s green bean casserole. Is that good or shall I simply buy a “Tofurkey” and forget that messy work?

This statement by the 17th century philosopher, Rene Descartes, is understood by many as the essence of skepticism. Others point to it as the beginning of rationalism, that is, the existence of everything can only be comprehended by a rational process or it may not exist. What do you think?

Disciples of Jesus must learn to think as God thinks, not as man thinks. A pivotal point in the Gospel of Mark is when Peter confesses that this Jesus whom he had been following for the past two years was God’s Messiah, the Christ (Mk. 8:27-30). We may imagine that at that point he and the other disciples have solved the question of who Jesus is (4:41). But Jesus began at that same point to teach his disciples that he must suffer, be rejected, and be killed, and he would rise again. Ignoring that last statement, Peter rebuked Jesus, face to face for saying such things about the one he has just confessed as God’s anointed king. Jesus whirls around and puts Peter behind him saying, “Get behind me Satan!” The problem was that Peter and the other disciples were not thinking like God thinks but like humans think. This becomes the focus in Mark, and in Matthew. Jesus, confronts, challenges, and conflicts with his disciple so that they may learn to think and act like God, not humans.

Last week’s article asked, “Is it possible for this servant-survivor church to be used by God in the way He employed those servant survivors in Isaiah?” The servant of the Lord image is prominent throughout the oracles of Isaiah. We aspire to be servants of the Lord. It is a noble endeavor. An overlooked image in Isaiah is survivors. It appears in the first oracle. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors we should have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah (Is. 1:9). And it is in the last oracle of the prophet: The time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations … and they shall bring your brothers from all the nations to my holy mountain (Is.66:18-20). A “survivor mentality” is not what we aspire to be. It is an ignoble goal even when we admit that is what we are: survivors.

Last week’s scripture reading and sermon text ended with these words, The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered” (Isaiah 56:8). Those who are to be gathered to God’s holy mountain will include foreigners and eunuchs. They are to be joined with the joyful SERVANTS in God’s house of prayer (56:6-7. In addition to Rick’s excellent sermon on God who tears down walls that separate people, my thoughts jumped to the ending of Isaiah’s message where we see a parade of peoples who fulfill God’s promise. All nations and tongues are brought to God’s holy mountain (Isaiah 66:18-20). I was struck by the fact that God sent SURVIVORS to declare his glory and bring nations to Jerusalem in one of the weirdest parades in scripture.

By all accounts last Sunday’s celebration of our fifty years was wonderful. We had forty-eight in attendance, plus four online. We shared memories and hopes galore. So what do we do now? What is our future?

There are birthdays and there are BIRTHDAYS. There is THE BIRTHDAY of the church. There is the BIRTHDAY of a local church. And there is one’s personal BIRTHDAY in Christ to become a member of his church. On the first Sunday in October, 1973, fifty years ago, a community of believers in Christ and their children, 22 in all, assembled in a rented school room to form the Storrs Road Church of Christ. Today, we celebrate that birthday with affirmations of faith and remembrances of those years.

The following is the epilogue by Dr. Jack Lewis to his book, Basic Beliefs, published shortly before his death. The thirty-nine chapters of this book range from “Belief in God” to “Heaven.” His words speak to us and to all generations until the Lord Jesus comes. I recommend it for our study. “WARNING: This book will pull you into God’s Word and challenge you to think.”

The first song I remember singing in church was 80+ years ago in Jefferson City, MO — We’re Marching to Zion. I was excited to be in a real church and hear all those singing voices. The second stanza said, “Let those refuse to sing who never knew our Lord.” Standing in the pew beside my mother I said in a voice too loud, “Why isn’t that lady singing?”

Today I begin a series of studies on the tradition of acapella singing in Christian worship. I say “the” tradition not just “our” tradition in Churches of Christ. Historically the practice of unaccompanied singing in Christian worship continued for many centuries in the church. Witness the word “acapella” which means “in the manner of the church.” For now, permit this old codger to have his say, rather than argue the issue.

What do we mean when we speak of saving our souls or saving the souls of others? We may sing, “A charge to keep have I … a never dying soul to save and fit it for the skies” but to what do we pledge? Is our life a private endeavor to save ourselves?

In 2000 Thomas Olbricht was an editor of a study of Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address (D&A) entitled above. I cite from two of the several studies in that book including their own citations from the D&A. Don Haymes describes the occasion of that document.

Many times throughout its 2000 years history, churches have been called to become more like the church in its beginning. In our own restoration heritage, Thomas Campbell issued such a call in a document entitled Declaration and Address.