Rooted in Faith
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“Rooted in Faith” by Pastor Rosanna McFadden
Good morning! We are continuing our book study of Colossians today, and I have been impressed by a number of things as I re-read this material. First, by its theological density — holy cow, there’s a lot in just four chapters! Second, by its relevance to our lives today — at least one person at Creekside has shared with me that this passage from Chapter 2 has been a foundational part of their faith; and Third, I’ve been struck by the consistent of imagery, especially in these first two chapters, of being rooted, growing and bearing fruit. If that image of the Christian life as being rooted in faith, growing in the knowledge of God and bearing fruit in every good work does not sound familiar to you in any way, I have not been doing a very good job, either from the pulpit or in the things I write or that I share in ministry team meetings. Please give me some encouragement and put up your hand if you know that Creekside’s vision statement is Rooted in God, Growing in Jesus, and Bearing Fruit in the Spirit. Thank you.
I believe it’s healthy to remind ourselves of our vision regularly. This is part of the function of this season of the church year, the long stretch of time beginning on the day of Pentecost and ending just before Advent, when we remember Jesus’ charge to the disciples to Go and make disciples of all nations . . . and how the Holy Spirit empowered and guided the apostles and evangelists in the Great Commission of God’s mission. This season of the church year coincides with growth and fruitfulness and harvest in the natural world, at least in this part of the world. Tomato plants and apple trees — including those on Creekside’s property — are in the process of growing and bearing fruit as I speak. Anyone who is paying any attention to the natural world knows this to be the case.
So this morning I want to consider these verses from Colossians 2 particularly in light of how they could direct our understanding and our actions at Creekside and for Creekside Church. There is some debate about whether this letter was written by the Apostle Paul; it has themes and language which are different than his known letters. The church in Collosae was an obscure one, but it’s possible from context of this letter to figure out at least some of what was going on there, and it isn’t a different challenge than Christianity has faced throughout its history. Here’s the goal for the Colossians, and my goal for us at Creekside: to put Christ first in our lives, and to stay stable and firm in our faith. Would you agree with that goal? This letter is of course written to a much younger version of the church than is part of our heritage today, but the author’s language of being well established and being rooted holds true even now, because some of the same challenges face us in 21st century form. Those challenges are plausible arguments, philosophy and empty deceit which are the way the world thinks and acts, rather than what we have learned from Christ.
I have to say this is an understanding which takes some nuance. In my personal experience, the things which are most destructive are not the things which are clearly wrong; the most destructive things are those which have enough merit that I’m willing to overlook the parts which make me uncomfortable or don’t seem to fit what I think I ought to do, but are easier and more convenient than the often challenging way of Christ. In other words, it is not that clarity of black and white which is the problem, it’s what to do with all the stuff in between.
I am in favor of science, intellectual curiosity and education. Any system of thought which suppresses or demonizes these things should be regarded with skepticism, in my opinion. But for me, it is a matter of priority. How can we put our faith in Christ first? And I believe we do that by acknowledging that faith is not the same as intellect or knowledge. Faith means knowing Christ, and nothing else takes precedence over that. I ran across the following illustration of knowledge and wisdom which I think of often, especially at this time of year: Knowledge is knowing that tomatoes are a fruit, not a vegetable. Wisdom is not putting tomatoes in your fruit salad. I would add that faith is planting tomatoes with the conviction that they bear fruit, and the commitment to participate in that process, even though we can’t dictate how it’s going to happen. Knowledge is not necessarily a bad thing or an evil thing, wisdom is better, but neither is it the most important thing. Here’s the most important thing: Receive Christ Jesus the Lord and be rooted and built up in him, established in faith, and abounding in thanksgiving.
It should come as no surprise that thanksgiving, or gratitude, is so high on the list of what matters the most. If we have received Christ and believe what Christ did for us on the cross, what other response can we make beside thanksgiving? How can we ever go and make disciples of other people if we are not grateful for what Christ did for us?
Verse 11-15 makes a theological argument using the metaphor of circumcision. I confess it is not my metaphor of choice, given that it is hypothetical for more than half of the population. I get that circumcision represents Jewish law, and justification and identity which is rooted in the works of the law, in contrast to faith which is rooted in the grace of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. Circumcision is the knowledge of the law contrasted with the faith in the grace of Christ. I get all of that, I accept all of that — but it’s still not my favorite metaphor. Fortunately, my opinion does not detract from the power of verses 13 and 14 which are a beautiful description of salvation in Christ. Follow along with me if you have your Bible, or simply listen to Chapter 2 verses 13 and 14: “And when you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave all our trespasses, erasing the record which stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.” In the words of the hymn, My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more.
As God’s people holy and blameless, we must continually strive to give Christ first place in everything. On a nuts and bolts level this means looking to Christ in our personal lives and in our life together. I am grateful for the charge to Pathfinder Team to explore and propose new or expanded ministries for Creekside which make use of the resources we have been given. That team has been intentional about seeking the Spirit’s direction at the beginning of our work together, and we are grateful for those of you who have made time for listening and prayer and to share where we are being called to make disciples and be in ministry. My experience of ministry is that the most common limitation is our concerns about scarcity and our own lack of imagination regarding the guidance of the Spirit. If we have been called to make disciples and made alive through grace of Christ, we are already partners in the mission of God. That is why we most regularly remind ourselves of that mission and that vision. Knowledge is good; it’s important to gather information and educate ourselves about the issues at hand. Wisdom is even better — the discernment to make informed decisions that consider intangibles beyond the facts. But faith is what should set our course. We need to remember that the vision is not our vision, that beyond our knowledge and beyond our wisdom is God’s desire for the world, embodied in the life and death of Jesus Christ, who died so that we might live and be free from measuring our worth by what the world thinks of us. This enables us to live into God’s vision, which goes beyond what the world can offer or understand.That is why we must be rooted in faith, able to resist the storms of philosophy and empty deceit, the winds of human thought which are not grounded in the goal of putting Jesus Christ first in all things. This is why we need to support of one another, so we can remind and encourage each other to stay strong and remain rooted. Thank you for your prayers for this church and its leaders. Thank you for being the people who keep us rooted and growing and bearing fruit. It is well. Amen.