How Do We See God?

Today in the Daily Office readings, we pick up where we left off yesterday. Paul comes before Felix, and the accusations fly:

Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, and they reported their case against Paul to the governor. When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

“Your Excellency, because of you we have long enjoyed peace, and reforms have been made for this people because of your foresight. We welcome this in every way and everywhere with utmost gratitude. But, to detain you no further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness. We have, in fact, found this man a pestilent fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, and so we seized him. By examining him yourself you will be able to learn from him concerning everything of which we accuse him.”

The Jews also joined in the charge by asserting that all this was true.

When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied:

“I cheerfully make my defense, knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation. As you can find out, it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. They did not find me disputing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd either in the synagogues or throughout the city. Neither can they prove to you the charge that they now bring against me. But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors, believing everything laid down according to the law or written in the prophets. I have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience towards God and all people. Now after some years I came to bring alms to my nation and to offer sacrifices. While I was doing this, they found me in the temple, completing the rite of purification, without any crowd or disturbance. But there were some Jews from Asia—they ought to be here before you to make an accusation, if they have anything against me. Or let these men here tell what crime they had found when I stood before the council, unless it was this one sentence that I called out while standing before them, ‘It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’”

But Felix, who was rather well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing with the comment, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” Then he ordered the centurion to keep him in custody, but to let him have some liberty and not to prevent any of his friends from taking care of his needs. (Acts 24: 1-23).

In today’s USA Today, the front page article is “How America Sees God”. It discusses a new book done by some scholars at Baylor. Their survey says that 9 out of 10 Americans believe in God, but what kind of God is it? The scholars gave their subjects 4 choices for a view of God: authoritative, benevolent, critical or distant. What kind of God did Paul believe in? I don’t think he restricted himself to the 4 choices set out in USA Today. You can tell from today’s selection from Acts that Paul believed in a God who could do what we consider impossible. He believed in a God who could bring about the resurrection, a God who is not limited by our limited understanding. Paul believed in a God who is best described in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, the perfect expression of who God is. That is the God that Paul believed in, a belief shared by a great many, including me.

Let us pray: Lord God, we Your human sons and daughters are ever in awe of You, a God who makes the impossible a reality, a God who so loves us that You sent Your only begotten Son to reconcile us to You. We praise You and offer You thanks. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Saturday, 9 October 2010 at 10:00 a.m., the Blessing of the Animals on the Church lawn.

The Second Annual Art Show continues this weekend.

Carlos Williams and his group will begin this Sunday as our Second Sunday musicians. Tell your friends.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and especially Gladys, Pat, Lee, Cindi, Seth and Carol.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550