Our Historical Faith

        It is good to have international students in our service.  Through the hospitality of Nick and Anita we have come to know young adults from Asia, South America, and other places in the world who have come to study at the University of Oregon.  Meeting students from China always reminds me of a history course that I took as an elective at the University of Oregon on the history of China.  This was only a few years after World War II and my professor had been an army intelligence officer stationed in China during the war.  Ironically, his name was Professor Dull -- but he was anything but dull as a professor.  He made it interesting but above all he demonstrated how important it is for us to know such history.

         Certainly, the history of our faith, particularly of Jesus and his actions, is particularly important and full of life.  I heard an atheist on Larry King Live one day say that there is no secular evidence that Jesus ever lived.  Of course, she denied the validity of many eye witness accounts in the New Testament, and ignored Josephus and other writers who provide important evidence.

        The historical character of the Christian faith sets it apart from some other world religions that are based more on myth and philosophical ideas.  We can point to specific historical events in which our faith is rooted. The sermons in the book of Acts demonstrate how our faith is rooted both in the history of Israel and in the life of Jesus as well as in the life of the early church.  One of the historical events that is of particular significance to us now is the execution of Jesus on the cross, and his meeting with the apostles for the last supper in the upper room.  As we think about these and other events in the life of Jesus our faith comes alive.  It is anything but "dull."

        We remember, therefore, what Jesus said in the upper room.  Paul was the first to record the history of this event when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, "For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and said, 'this is my body that is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.'  In the same way, he took a cup also, after supper, saying, 'this cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'"  Paul concluded by saying, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."  So let us do what Paul says and proclaim history -- proclaim his death until he comes.