The Westminster catechism is a classic piece of teaching for the whole reformed branch of Christianity. Formulated in England in 1647, it has been influential in both Presbyterian and Congregational circles. I’ve known of churches in both traditions that were named for it.
The first one I heard of was in Topeka, Kansas. My grandparents were members of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Topeka for many years. I remember it came up when we were traveling. I asked my grandmother what the name of her church was, and she told me but the name “Westminster” was hard for my 11 year-old mind to hold on to. And my grandparents were taking me and my brother on a cross-country trip. Along the way we would sometimes stay at Best Western Hotels. So when a friend asked me later what my grandparents church was, I told them it was “Best Western Presbyterian”. That wasn’t quite right. But in the years since then I’ve come to appreciate some of the Westminster catechism’s most famous teaching. It’s given in a question & answer format that is great for learning church doctrine. The most famous part is at the beginning:
This teaching format is also employed in the Bible. God sent a night vision to King Solomon (in II Chronicles 7:12-22) after he had dedicated the new temple in Jerusalem around 970 B.C. The vision concludes by anticipating the destruction of the temple and the exile of the people (in 7:20, which later happened in 587 B.C.). It also emphasized the educational value of seeing the ruins of the temple. An abandoned church building is a sad thing to look at. For many of us it naturally leads to questions: What on earth happened here? What happened to the congregation that used to worship here? What was this place like in its hey-day? In the case of the Jerusalem temple, the answers would be instructive. When God spoke to Solomon, He emphasized that for Israelites it would go back to two things…
For the Israelites, there was the danger of forsaking divine teaching and taking up the idols of the ancient near-eastern world (7:21-22). This observation was paired with a historical reference to the exodus, which was Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt centuries before. This had been God’s manifestation of grace to them. Think of how this applies to each of us: If God has ever taken you out of a bad situation and put you into something better, you can relate. Think of the “Egypt” that God brought you out of. Think of your experiences of grace, and whatever they were, hold on to them. There may be other things you can let go of, but not these. God bless you. Pastor Andrew McHenry First Congregational Church – Oroville, California Trinity Presbyterian Church – Oroville, California
0 Comments
|
Andrew McHenryI am a husband, a Congregational pastor, and a native Kansan currently living in Thermalito, California. In the past I have also been a prison chaplain and a youth pastor. Interests include reading, railroads, prog rock, KU, and the KC Royals. Archives
March 2024
Categories |