On this date in 1534
Dear First Pres SLO Family,
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus, the one true King of the Church Universal, and the one who walks with us in our own journeys of faith.
As we move through this Stewardship Season, where we’re reflecting on our individual commitments to the work of First Pres, it’s good to be reminded that this is Christ’s church—we are a part of his ongoing saving work on earth. Not a bad job description, right?
You won’t be surprised that there’s a lesson from history for us today. On this date in 1534, the English Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy, making King Henry VIII the head of the Church of England. It was a radical move during that time—in western Europe the Roman Catholic Church was the church, and so this was a serious challenge to its authority. Eventually Henry was excommunicated (kicked out!) of the Catholic Church for his rebellion. No one was allowed to challenge the power of the pope, not even a king.
Why on earth bring all of this up today? Besides the fact that it’s really interesting history, we learn something important from the behavior of this king and this pope. Both of them saw the church as either the center or the tool of their power, and when either were threatened, they went on the attack.
Here’s the lesson we learn: The church isn’t ours, it’s Christ’s.
There are all kinds of debates and even conflicts in the church that can be healthy. When they stray into power grabs and unloving behavior, that’s when we move into a dangerous area. Whatever matters to us about the church, both the Church Universal and our own local congregation—whatever matters to us most, has to yield to what Christ wants us to do, and who Christ calls us to be.
That’s a good reminder for us as we enter another Stewardship Season. Yeah, budgets are tight and inflation is scary and everything seems so uncertain. But…this is Christ’s church, with a calling and a mission and a purpose for being in this community.
Our shared giving will move us farther along in living into that calling. I’m inviting all of you to consider increasing your giving from 2022. I’m doing the same—I would never ask you to do something that I wasn’t willing to do myself. We have some wonderful ministry opportunities here in San Luis Obispo and beyond, and it’s through our pledges and extra giving that we’ll see it all happen.
This is Christ’s church, and we are his people. I look forward to seeing what we can do together in the coming year.
Blessings to you and yours,
Pastor John