A Sojourner's Quest

A Sojourner’s Quest: A Companion to the Sacred Roots Annual

© 2010, 2017. The Urban Ministry Institute. All Rights Reserved.

First edition 2010, Second edition 2017.

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ISBN: 9781456334956

Published by TUMI Press A division of World Impact, Inc.

The Urban Ministry Institute is a ministry of World Impact, Inc.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bible, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All Rights Reserved.

A Sojourner’s Quest Introduction

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” [18] But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. [19] Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” [20] And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. [21] And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. [22] The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. ~ Exodus 13.17-22

On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. ~ Numbers 9.15

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. [35] And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. [36] Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. [37] But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. [38] For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. ~ Exodus 40.34-38

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In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. [13] He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. [14] In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light. ~ Psalm 78.12-14

The Sojourner’s Quest Don L. Davis • © 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Sojourning as pilgrims to see the Great King In the New Jerusalem, our glorious dream; From all people and nations we journey above – We’re marching to Zion, awash in his love. In friendship with Jesus, our Glory and Crown, Our Shield and our Shepherd, where true joy is found; To see with new eyes ev’ry single soul’s worth, To cherish the unseen above all else on earth. We burn with deep longing the Savior to see, And filled with his Spirit, we long to live free. As pilgrims to glory we hasten to go, Whether feasting or fasting his beauty to show. Yes, this is our goal, our glory, our aim; That Christ might be seen on this earth once again, That his Kingdom and glory would ever be known, That more of his likeness through us might be shown; That for our friend’s sake we’d lay down our lives, That fruit may be borne, and Christ glorified, That on this great quest our lights would so shine, That souls would now come to him, one heart at a time. So let broken vessels, all the humble and meek Come, taste our Lord’s mercies; be healed, and set free. Let’s count now as dung this world’s phony design, And press toward the mark of the heav’nly prize. Now come, all you saints, join this sojourner’s quest – Come, seek his coronation; we’re called as his guests; Let’s give all that we are and we have for one thing – To dine at his banquet before Christ the Great King.

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The Great Adventure: Sojourning to the Promised Land One of the great motifs of Scripture is the idea of pilgrimage, the sojourn of the freed slaves of Jacob’s clan from Egypt to the Promised Land. While the idea of spiritual pilgrimage today means a physical journey toward a place of sacred or religious significance, for us as believers in Christ the notion of sojourn or pilgrimage is our identity. As those called out of the world to pursue the city whose maker and builder is God, we undertake a journey with a specific destination, with a particular route, led by God’s own Spirit, with an intent to see at the end of the journey the Great King of heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ. For us who believe the Christian life is a journey, a quest of adventure and discipleship, a movement where our faith and devotion to the living God leads us on an adventure of faith. We are strangers and aliens in this world, for we belong to Christ. The Israelites on their journey from Egypt were led by the cloud and the fire which rested over the Tabernacle by day and by night respec- tively. Exodus chapter 40 details the nature of their travels: whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, then the children of Israel would set out on their journey to the Promised Land. They limited their movements to the cloud’s sign: if the cloud was not taken up from the Tabernacle, then the people of God would not set out till the day that it was taken up. This visible, tangible sign of the presence of the Lord, the cloud of the LORD which was on the tabernacle by day, and appeared as fire by night, remained in the sight of the entire company of God’s people, and led them throughout all their journeys. It must have been a remarkable sight to see the cloud and the fire each day and night over the Tabernacle, and to know that the Lord was leading his people day by day, mile by mile, to the place of their homeland, to Abraham’s inheritance. It is clear that they moved as God led them, and remained in place while the cloud remained. Such a visible, powerful image of God’s leading bound the community together, with the tabernacle in the center of the tribes, who journeyed day by day to the place God promised for his servants. What a vision, and what an adventure!

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Strangers and Aliens on the Way: Church of Jesus Christ The book of Hebrews takes up this powerful motif of sojourn and connects it directly to the longings and lifestyle of believers in Christ today. Beginning with commentary about Abraham’s personal quest of obedience and faith, the writer extends his adventure of faith to all those who believe who, like their spiritual father Abraham, seek a city whose builder and maker is God: By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. [9] By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. [10] For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. Indeed, Abraham left his original dwelling place and hometown and went out to a place which God promised him as an inheritance. Amazingly, he went out, not having a clue where he was going or would finally land, but instead went to live “in the land of promise” as in a foreign land, living in tents with his sons, who too were heirs of the same promise. The writer makes clear that Abraham’s heart motive for his journeying was the pursuit of a city designed and built by God himself. It truly was the initial and determinative sojourner’s quest. The writer of the Hebrews links Abraham’s quest to that of all the faithful, who, like Abraham, died in faith without having received all the inheritance promised, but, having beheld them by faith on the horizons of time, “greeted them from afar,” acknowledging that they indeed were “strangers and exiles on the earth.” Look at how the author of Hebrews discussed the motif of journey and the faithful’s pursuit of a new, heavenly homeland: Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. [13] These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. [14] For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. [15] If ~ Hebrews 11.8-10

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they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. [16] But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

~ Hebrews 11.12-16

What a vivid and inspiring picture of the Christian life in community! To be a Christian is to be engaged in a sojourner’s quest, a journey to a better heavenly country, a city prepared for them by God, a true resting place and homeland. The Church of Jesus Christ, each member of it, is engaged in a spiritual pilgrimage from the Egypt world arrangement of our time to the Promised Land of eternal life and blessedness with Christ. The motif of a sojourner’s quest determines how we ought to live, what we long for, how we walk with Christ day by day, and how our communities of faith journey together in search of transformation and fruitfulness in the Kingdom. This journey heightens the meaning of our everyday lives, fuels the yearnings of our hearts, and directs our attention in the daily grind and monotony of living in this current world system. We are in the world but not of it; we are on a quest to see the great King, to live in our true homeland, and through the leading of the Holy Spirit and the grace of Christ, to reach our destination: the city whose maker and builder is God. A Sojourner’s Quest: A Knapsack for the Journey In connection to the vibrant motif, we have collected within this book a select group of spiritual resources designed to enrich and strengthen you on your spiritual journey. Designed specifically as a companion to our Sacred Roots Annual , this resource contains dozens of prayers, poems, articles, graphics, and spiritual resources all to enrich your spiritual walk. Special emphasis is given to enhancing your spiritual formation through the Church Year, with its concentration on the Story of God in Jesus Christ. Although it is divided into identifiable parts, the resources allow for your own unique usage of the material as the Spirit leads you day by day. Use the sections to concentrate on specific topics of interest, or freely browse through the materials, and rest awhile on any graphic, poem, or article that can refresh or renew For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. ~ Hebrews 13.14

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you in your spiritual walk. Whatever your strategy, we are convinced that within this book you will find tasty nourishment to strengthen you on your journey to Christ. The notion of spiritual pilgrimage is nothing new in Christian spiritual formation. People have been making actual pilgrimages to specific sites and places for thousands of years. During medieval times, Christians commonly journeyed for hundreds of miles in order to visit a place of spiritual significance – the resting place of a Christian martyr or the location of key spiritual importance. For us who know the Lord Jesus and long for the true Promised Land to come, each day we make pilgrimage as we seek the Lord and prayerfully pursue the mark of the upward prize in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3.7-14). As believers in Christ and the spiritual children of Abraham, we gladly admit that we too are pilgrims, strangers and exiles in this present land; we look for the land of promise to come. And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, [18] knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, [19] but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. ~ 1 Peter 1.17-19 Come, Join the Sojourner’s Quest As the people of Israel were supernaturally guided by the Lord each day by the pillar of cloud which became a pillar of fire at night, so we too, the children of Abraham by faith in Christ, travel each day toward the Promised Land to come. As the cloud symbolized the presence of God, so today we are the Temple of God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, whose loving strength and faithfulness guides us to our true homeland. Let us gladly admit that like Abraham and the people of Israel we too seek a homeland, a city, a destination where, after long last, we will see the risen, exalted Lord Jesus Christ: I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, [14] to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, [15] which he will display at the proper time – he who is the blessed

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and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, [16] who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. ~ 1 Timothy 6.13-16

Come, join our quest. We are going to see the great King!

A fellow pilgrim on the Way,

Don Davis

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Once upon a Time The Cosmic Drama through a Biblical Narration of the World Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

From Everlasting to Everlasting, Our Lord Is God From everlasting, in that matchless mystery of existence before time began, our Triune God dwelt in perfect splendor in eternal community as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the I AM, displaying his perfect at- tributes in eternal relationship, needing nothing, in boundless holiness, joy, and beauty. According to his sovereign will, our God purposed out of love to create a universe where his splendor would be revealed, and a world where his glory would be displayed and where a people made in his own image would dwell, sharing in fellowship with him and enjoying union with himself in relationship, all for his glory. Inflamed by lust, greed, and pride, the first human pair rebelled against his will, deceived by the great prince, Satan, whose diabolical plot to supplant God as ruler of all resulted in countless angelic beings resisting God’s divine will in the heavenlies. Through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, they exposed themselves and their heirs to misery and death, and through their rebellion ushered creation into chaos, suffering, and evil. Through sin and rebellion, the union between God and creation was lost, and now all things are subject to the effects of this great fall – alienation, separation, and condemnation become the underlying reality for all things. No angel, human being, or creature can solve this dilemma, and without God’s direct intervention, all the universe, the world, and all its creatures would be lost. In sovereign covenantal love, God determined to remedy the effects of the universe’s rebellion by sending a Champion, his only Son, who would take on the form of the fallen pair, embrace and overthrow their separation from God, and suffer in the place of all humankind for its sin and disobedience. So, through his covenant faithfulness, God became directly involved in human history for the sake of their salvation. The Lord God stoops to engage his creation for the sake of Who, as the Sovereign God, Created a World That Would Ultimately Rebel against His Rule Yet, in Mercy and Loving-kindness, the Lord God Promised to Send a Savior to Redeem His Creation

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restoring it, to put down evil once and for all, and to establish a people out of which his Champion would come to establish his reign in this world once more. So, He Raised Up a People from Which the Governor Would Come And so, through Noah, he saves the world from its own evil, through Abraham, he selects the clan through which the seed would come. Through Isaac, he continues the promise to Abraham, and through Jacob (Israel) he establishes his nation, identifying the tribe out of which he will come (Judah). Through Moses, he delivers his own from oppression and gives them his covenantal law, and through Joshua, he brings his people into the land of promise. Through judges and leaders he superintends his people, and through David, he covenants to bring a King from his clan who will reign forever. Despite his promise, though, his people fall short of his covenant time after time. Their stubborn and persistent rejection of the Lord finally leads to the nation’s judgment, invasion, overthrow, and captivity. Mercifully, he remembers his covenant and allows a remnant to return – for the promise and the story were not done. Some four hundred years of silence occurred. Yet, in the fullness of time, God fulfilled his covenant promise by entering into this realm of evil, suffering, and alienation through the incarnation. In the person of Jesus of Nazareth, God came down from heaven and lived among us, displaying the Father’s glory, fulfilling the requirements of God’s moral law, and demonstrating the power of the Kingdom of God in his words, works, and exorcisms. On the Cross he took on our rebellion, destroyed death, overcame the devil, and rose on the third day to restore creation from the Fall, to make an end of sin, disease, and war, and to grant never-ending life to all people who embrace his salvation. Who, as Champion, Came Down from Heaven, in the Fullness of Time, and Won through the Cross

And, Soon and Very Soon, He Will Return to This World and Make All Things New

Ascended to the Father’s right hand, the Lord Jesus Christ has sent the Holy Spirit into the world, forming a new people made up of both Jew and Gentile, the Church. Commissioned under his headship, they testify in word and deed the gospel of reconciliation to the whole creation, and when they have completed their task, he will return in

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glory and complete his work for creation and all creatures. Soon, he will put down sin, evil, death, and the effects of the Curse forever, and restore all creation under its true rule, refreshing all things in a new heavens and new earth, where all beings and all creation will enjoy the shalom of the Triune God forever, to his glory and honor alone.

And the Redeemed Shall Live Happily Ever After . . .

The End

© 2009. The Urban Ministry Institute. Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis. Permission is granted to reproduce Once upon a Time: The Cosmic Drama through a Biblical Narration of the World in unaltered form with proper citation.

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From Before to Beyond Time The Plan of God and Human History Adapted from Suzanne de Dietrich. God’s Unfolding Purpose . Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1976.

I. Before Time (Eternity Past)

1 Cor. 2.7 (ESV) – But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory (cf. Titus 1.2).

A. The Eternal Triune God B. God’s Eternal Purpose C. The Mystery of Iniquity D. The Principalities and Powers

II. Beginning of Time (Creation and Fall)

Gen. 1.1 (ESV) – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

A. Creative Word B. Humanity C. Fall D. Reign of Death and First Signs of Grace

III. Unfolding of Time (God’s Plan Revealed through Israel)

Gal. 3.8 (ESV) – And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed” (cf. Rom. 9.4-5).

A. Promise (Patriarchs) B. Exodus and Covenant at Sinai C. Promised Land D. The City, the Temple, and the Throne (Prophet, Priest, and King) E. Exile F. Remnant

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IV. Fullness of Time (Incarnation of the Messiah)

Gal. 4.4-5 (ESV) – But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

A. The King Comes to His Kingdom B. The Present Reality of His Reign C. The Secret of the Kingdom: the Already and the Not Yet D. The Crucified King E. The Risen Lord

V. The Last Times (The Descent of the Holy Spirit)

Acts 2.16-18 (ESV) – But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be,’ God declares, ‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.’”

A. Between the Times: the Church as Foretaste of the Kingdom B. The Church as Agent of the Kingdom C. The Conflict Between the Kingdoms of Darkness and Light

VI. The Fulfillment of Time (The Second Coming)

Matt. 13.40-43 (ESV) – Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all causes of sin and all lawbreakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

A. The Return of Christ B. Judgment C. The Consummation of His Kingdom

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VII. Beyond Time (Eternity Future)

1 Cor. 15.24-28 (ESV) – Then comes the end, when he delivers the Kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

A. Kingdom Handed Over to God the Father B. God as All in All

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Summary Outline of the Scriptures Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

The Old Testament

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Living in the Already and the Not Yet Kingdom Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

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Jesus of Nazareth: The Presence of the Future Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

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Living in a Story-Ordered World Principles Regarding the Nature of Story and Our Lives Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

1. Everyone has a story, and nobody can live without one.

2. Your story, for you, is the way it is, and informs how life works.

3. If you tell the wrong story, or tell the right story in the wrong way, you’ll inevitably get into trouble.

4. As your story is told and goes, so your life will speak and necessarily go.

5. Your story has multiple and critical effects and impact, and always reaps a harvest.

6. Just because your story contains true facts, doesn’t mean your version of the events underwriting your story is correct.

7. Your story is an interpretation of events from a vantage point (map), not the actual events themselves (territory).

8. All our stories are interconnected, and no one’s story stands alone; each personal story is a thread in the tapestry of all other stories, within the Story of God. 9. Sin causes distortions, reductions, and perversions in our making sense of our story, and impacts our understanding of other folk’s stories. 10. To you, your story is always compelling, i.e., the most credible explanation for who you are, how you got here, and where you are going.

11. What actually happened and how, and your version of the story about it, are not necessarily the same thing.

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12. Bullies like to “story-over” the folk they push around, and retell the story of others to suit their own understanding of their life journeys and meaning.

13. If your life is going to change, your story will need to be re-thought, re-conceived, re-understood, and re-told.

14. As the sovereign creator and controller of all things, God’s version of the world’s story is the ultimate, true, and final story of the universe.

15. You’ll never understand your life journey or personal story until you encounter, understand, believe, and participate in God’s story.

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Going Forward by Looking Back Toward an Evangelical Retrieval of the Great Tradition Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

Rediscovering the “Great Tradition” In a wonderful little book, Ola Tjorhom 1 describes the Great Tradition of the Church (sometimes called the “classical Christian tradition”) as “living, organic, and dynamic.” 2 The Great Tradition represents that evangelical, apostolic, and catholic core of Christian faith and practice which came largely to fruition from 100-500 AD. 3 Its rich legacy and treasures represent the Church’s confession of what the Church has always believed, the worship that the ancient, undivided Church celebrated and embodied, and the mission that it embraced and undertook. While the Great Tradition neither can substitute for the Apostolic Tradition (i.e., the authoritative source of all Christian faith, the Scriptures), nor should it overshadow the living presence of Christ in the Church through the Holy Spirit, it is still authoritative and revitalizing for the people of God. It has and still can provide God’s people through time with the substance of its confession and faith. The Great Tradition has been embraced and affirmed as authoritative by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant theologians, those ancient and modern, as it has produced the seminal documents, doctrines, confessions, and practices of the Church (e.g., the canon of Scriptures, the doctrines of the Trinity, the deity of Christ, etc.). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Ola Tjorhom, Visible Church–Visible Unity: Ecumenical Ecclesiology and “The Great Tradition of the Church.” Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2004. Robert Webber defined the Great Tradition in this way: “[It is] the broad outline of Christian belief and practice developed from the Scriptures between the time of Christ and the middle of the fifth century.” Robert E. Webber, The Majestic Tapestry . Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986, p. 10.

2 Ibid., p. 35.

3 The core of the Great Tradition concentrates on the formulations, confessions, and practices of the Church’s first five centuries of life and work. Thomas Oden, in my judgment, rightly asserts that “. . . . most of what is enduringly valuable in contemporary biblical exegesis was discovered by the fifth century” (cf. Thomas C. Oden, The Word of Life . San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1989, p. xi.).

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Many evangelical scholars today believe that the way forward for dynamic faith and spiritual renewal will entail looking back, not with sentimental longings for the “good old days” of a pristine, problem- free early church, or a naive and even futile attempt to ape their heroic journey of faith. Rather, with a critical eye to history, a devout spirit of respect for the ancient Church, and a deep commitment to Scripture, we ought to rediscover through the Great Tradition the seeds of a new, authentic, and empowered faith. We can be transformed as we retrieve and are informed by the core beliefs and practices of the Church before the horrible divisions and fragmentations of Church history. Well, if we do believe we ought to at least look again at the early Church and its life, or better yet, are convinced even to retrieve the Great Tradition for the sake of renewal in the Church–what exactly are we hoping to get back? Are we to uncritically accept everything the ancient Church said and did as “gospel,” to be truthful simply because it is closer to the amazing events of Jesus of Nazareth in the world? Is old “hip,” in and of itself? No. We neither accept all things uncritically, nor do we believe that old, in and of itself, is truly good. Truth for us is more than ideas or ancient claims; for us, truth was incarnated in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and the Scriptures give authoritative and final claim to the meaning of his revelation and salvation in history. We cannot accept things simply because they are reported to have been done in the past, or begun in the past. Amazingly, the Great Tradition itself argued for us to be critical, to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3), to embrace and celebrate the tradition received from the Apostles, rooted and interpreted by the Holy Scriptures themselves, and expressed in Christian confession and practice. Core Dimensions of the Great Tradition While Tjorhom offers his own list of ten elements of the theological content of the Great Tradition that he believes is worthy of reinter- pretation and regard, 4 I believe there are seven dimensions that, from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Ibid., pp. 27-29. Tjorhom’s ten elements are argued in the context of his work where he also argues for the structural elements and the ecumenical implications of retrieving the Great Tradition. I wholeheartedly agree with the general thrust of his argument, which, like my own belief, makes the claim that an interest in and study of the Great Tradition can renew and enrich the contemporary Church in its worship, service, and mission.

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a biblical and spiritual vantage point, can enable us to understand what the early Church believed, how they worshiped and lived, and the ways they defended their living faith in Jesus Christ. Through their allegiance to the documents, confessions, and practices of this period, the ancient Church bore witness to God’s salvation promise in the midst of a pagan and crooked generation. The core of our current faith and practice was developed in this era, and deserves a second (and twenty-second) look. Adapting, redacting, and extending Tjorhom’s notions of the Great Tradition, I list here what I take to be, as a start, a simple listing of the critical dimensions that deserve our undivided attention and wholehearted retrieval. firsthand experience of Jesus of Nazareth, their authoritative witness to his life and work recounted in the Holy Scriptures, the canon of our Bible today. The Church is apostolic, built on the foundation of the prophets and the apostles, with Christ himself being the Cornerstone. The Scriptures themselves represent the source of our interpretation about the Kingdom of God, that story of God’s redemptive love embodied in the promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, in the covenants and experience of Israel, and which culminates in the revelation of God in Christ Jesus, as predicted in the prophets and explicated in the apostolic testimony. 2. The Ecumenical Councils and Creeds, Especially the Nicene Creed. The Great Tradition declares the truth and sets the bounds of the historic orthodox faith as defined and asserted in the ecumenical creeds of the ancient and undivided Church, with special focus on the Nicene Creed. Their declarations were taken to be an accurate interpretation and commentary on the teachings of the apostles set in Scripture. While not the source of the Faith itself, the confession of the ecumenical councils and creeds represents the substance of its teachings , 5 especially those before the fifth century (where 1. The Apostolic Tradition. The Great Tradition is rooted in the Apostolic Tradition, i.e., the apostles’ eyewitness testimony and

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 I am indebted to the late Dr. Robert E. Webber for this helpful distinction between the source and the substance of Christian faith and interpretation.

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virtually all of the elemental doctrines concerning God, Christ, and salvation were articulated and embraced). 6

3. The Ancient Rule of Faith. The Great Tradition embraced the substance of this core Christian faith in a rule, i.e., an ancient standard rule of faith, that was considered to be the yardstick by which claims and propositions regarding the interpretation of the biblical faith were to be assessed. This rule, when applied reverently and rigorously, can clearly allow us to define the core Christian confession of the ancient and undivided Church expressed clearly in that instruction and adage of Vincent of Lerins: “that which has always been believed, everywhere, and by all.” 7 4. The Christus Victor Worldview. The Great Tradition celebrates and affirms Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ, the promised Messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures, the risen and exalted Lord, and Head of the Church. In Jesus of Nazareth alone, God has reasserted his . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 While the seven ecumenical Councils (along with others) are affirmed by both Catholic and Orthodox communions as binding, it is the first four Councils that are to be considered the critical, most essential confessions of the ancient, undivided Church. I and others argue for this largely because the first four articulate and settle once and for all what is to be considered our orthodox faith on the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation (cf. Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom , v. 1. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996, p. 44). Similarly, even the magisterial Reformers embraced the teaching of the Great Tradition, and held its most significant confessions as authoritative. Correspondingly, Calvin could argue in his own theological interpretations that “Thus councils would come to have the majesty that is their due; yet in the meantime Scripture would stand out in the higher place, with everything subject to its standard. In this way, we willingly embrace and reverence as holy the early councils, such as those of Nicea, Constantinople, the first of Ephesus I, Chalcedon, and the like, which were concerned with refuting errors–in so far as they relate to the teachings of faith. For they contain nothing but the pure and genuine exposition of Scripture, which the holy Fathers applied with spiritual prudence to crush the enemies of religion who had then arisen” (cf. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion , IV, ix. 8. John T. McNeill, ed. Ford Lewis Battles, trans. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960, pp. 1171-72). 7 This rule, which has won well-deserved favor down through the years as a sound theological yardstick for authentic Christian truth, weaves three cords of critical assessment to determine what may be counted as orthodox or not in the Church’s teaching. St. Vincent of Lerins, a theological commentator who died before 450 AD, authored what has come to be called the “Vincentian canon, a three-fold test of catholicity: quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est (what has been believed everywhere, always and by all). By this three- fold test of ecumenicity, antiquity, and consent, the church may discern between true and false traditions.” (cf. Thomas C. Oden, Classical Pastoral Care , vol. 4. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1987, p. 243).

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reign over the universe, having destroyed death in his dying, conquering God’s enemies through his incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension, and ransoming humanity from its penalty due to its transgression of the Law. Now resurrected from the dead, ascended and exalted at the right hand of God, he has sent the Holy Spirit into the world to empower the Church in its life and witness. The Church is to be considered the people of the victory of Christ. At his return, he will consummate his work as Lord. This worldview was expressed in the ancient Church’s confession, preaching, worship, and witness. Today, through its liturgy and practice of the Church Year, the Church acknowledges, celebrates, embodies, and proclaims this victory of Christ: the destruction of sin and evil and the restoration of all creation. 5. The Centrality of the Church. The Great Tradition confidently confessed the Church as the people of God. The faithful assembly of believers, under the authority of the Shepherd Christ Jesus, is now the locus and agent of the Kingdom of God on earth. In its worship, fellowship, teaching, service, and witness, Christ continues to live and move. The Great Tradition insists that the Church, under the authority of its undershepherds and the entirety of the priesthood of believers, is visibly the dwelling of God in the Spirit in the world today. With Christ himself being the Chief Cornerstone, the Church is the temple of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. All believers, living, dead, and yet unborn–make up the one, holy, catholic (universal), and apostolic community. Gathering together regularly in believing assembly, members of the Church meet locally to worship God through Word and sacra- ment, and to bear witness in its good works and proclamation of the Gospel. Incorporating new believers into the Church through baptism, the Church embodies the life of the Kingdom in its fellow- ship, and demonstrates in word and deed the reality of the Kingdom of God through its life together and service to the world. 6. The Unity of the Faith. The Great Tradition affirms unequivocally the catholicity of the Church of Jesus Christ, in that it is concerned with keeping communion and continuity with the worship and theology of the Church throughout the ages (Church universal). Since there has been and can only be one hope, calling, and faith,

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the Great Tradition fought and strove for oneness in word, in doctrine, in worship, in charity.

7. The Evangelical Mandate of the Risen Christ. The Great Tradition affirms the apostolic mandate to make known to the nations the victory of God in Jesus Christ, proclaiming salvation by grace through faith in his name, and inviting all peoples to repentance and faith to enter into the Kingdom of God. Through acts of justice and righteousness, the Church displays the life of the Kingdom in the world today, and through its preaching and life together provides a witness and sign of the Kingdom present in and for the world (sacramentum mundi), and as the pillar and ground of the truth. As evidence of the Kingdom of God and custodians of the Word of God, the Church is charged to define clearly and defend the faith once for all delivered to the Church by the apostles. Conclusion: Finding Our Future by Looking Back In a time where so many are confused by the noisy chaos of so many claiming to speak for God, it is high time for us to rediscover the roots of our faith, to go back to the beginning of Christian confession and practice, and see, if in fact, we can recover our identity in the stream of Christ worship and discipleship that changed the world. In my judgment, this can be done through a critical, evangelical appropriation of the Great Tradition, that core belief and practice which is the source of all our traditions, whether Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, or Protestant. Of course, specific traditions will continue to seek to express and live out their commitment to the Authoritative Tradition (i.e., the Scriptures) and Great Tradition through their worship, teaching, and service. Our diverse Christian traditions (little “t”), when they are rooted in and expressive of the teaching of Scripture and led by the Holy Spirit, will continue to make the Gospel clear within new cultures or sub-cultures, speaking and modeling the hope of Christ into new situations shaped by their own set of questions posed in light of their own unique circum- stances. Our traditions are essentially movements of contextualization, that is they are attempts to make plain within people groups the Authoritative Tradition in a way that faithfully and effectively leads them to faith in Jesus Christ.

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We ought, therefore, to find ways to enrich our contemporary traditions by reconnecting and integrating our contemporary confessions and practices with the Great Tradition. Let us never forget that Christianity, at its core, is a faithful witness to God’s saving acts in history. As such, we will always be a people who seek to find our futures by looking back through time at those moments of revelation and action where the Rule of God was made plain through the incarnation, passion, resurrection, ascension, and soon-coming of Christ. Let us then remember, celebrate, reenact, learn afresh, and passionately proclaim what believers have confessed since the morning of the empty tomb– the saving story of God’s promise in Jesus of Nazareth to redeem and save a people for his own.

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Sacred Roots Reforming Our Identity on the Apostolic Faith Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

One of our central passions is to help urban churches participate as fully functioning contributors to the Church worldwide. We contend that urban churches can embody and defend the historic orthodox faith, anchoring their faith on a Christ-focused reading of the Scriptures, informed by the Great Tradition. These “common roots” of the ancient Church represent the underlying tradition that particular movements and denominations draw upon, embrace, and confess. We unashamedly anchor our resources in a Christ-centered, biblical confession that coincides with the Nicene Creed. As an evangelical institution, we work with various other evangelical churches and organizations to confess the lordship of Jesus Christ, and to share the Good News of the Kingdom. We strive in all our endeavors to enable urban churches to confess a faith and live out a spirituality that is rooted in historic orthodoxy. As we rediscover the confession of Jesus Christ given to the Church from the Apostles, we are transformed, renewed, and mobilized to be Christ’s witnesses in the city. We move forward by looking back, going “back to the future,” as it were. As we remain true to the historic faith, we are empowered for a fresh urban cultural application of the ancient faith and practice. Our use of the phrase “Sacred Roots” refers to our efforts to retrieve and appropriate in broad outline the Great Tradition, i.e., that distinct and determinative Christian faith and practice which developed from the Scriptures from the time of the Lord Jesus Christ to the middle of the fifth century. With hearts determined to be both historically credible and freshly contemporary, we strive to understand this rich body of tra- dition, recognizing it to be the “sacred roots” of our Christian identity. Together we explore ways that these Christ-centered, biblical roots can renew evangelical faith and mission in the cities among the poor. Why We Must Explore Our Sacred Roots: To Retrieve the Great Tradition

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TUMI is dedicated to draw together urban churches, pastors, denominations, and associations in order to recover for spirituality and mission the Bible’s own salvation history in Abraham and the people of Israel. Furthermore, we want to regain in our theology that prophetic and apostolic witness to Jesus Christ about which that biblical history articulates. The majesty of the prophetic and apostolic witness to Christ can recenter our worship and witness from idiosyn- cratic emphases on culture to the deep roots of Scripture informed by the Great Tradition. We affirm that the revelations of Scripture and the apostolic witness the Church has believed and defended are indeed sacred, not in a hokey or oddball sense, but fundamentally as testimonies of God’s acts in Jesus Christ. That is, these roots are sacred because Christianity is at its core a historical revelation: God has spoken to us in history, cul- minating in Jesus Christ. Only in the faithful acts of the covenant-making and -keeping God of the Scriptures do we come to know God’s story of love in Christ, and by faith in him, we make that story (his-story) our own. These acts and the testimony concerning them, these roots, when retrieved and embraced, can renew and refresh all branches of urban spirituality and mission. Contemporary urban church worship, discipleship, and mission can be enriched and transformed as it reestablishes the wisdom embodied in the ancient Church’s theology, liturgy, and mission. Those who share an affinity with us in rediscovering our Sacred Roots seek to encourage urban Christian leaders and congregations to redis- cover the power of the Christus Victor motif of the Great Tradition, and to restore in our worship and mission today the same Christ- centered passion displayed by the ancient, undivided Church. This rich legacy of faith, theology, and action is the spiritual heritage of all believers, predating the distinctions of Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant thought.

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Christus Victor An Integrated Vision for the Christian Life and Witness Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

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A Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future Robert Webber and Phil Kenyon, Northern Seminary Revised 36 - May 5, 2006

Prologue In every age the Holy Spirit calls the Church to examine its faithfulness to God’s revelation in Jesus Christ, authoritatively recorded in Scripture and handed down through the Church. Thus, while we affirm the global strength and vitality of worldwide Evangelicalism in our day, we believe the North American expression of Evangelicalism needs to be especially sensitive to the new external and internal challenges facing God’s people. These external challenges include the current cultural milieu and the resurgence of religious and political ideologies. The internal challenges include Evangelical accommodation to civil religion, rationalism, pri- vatism and pragmatism. In light of these challenges, we call Evangelicals to strengthen their witness through a recovery of the faith articulated by the consensus of the ancient Church and its guardians in the traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, the Protestant Reformation and the Evangelical awakenings. Ancient Christians faced a world of paganism, Gnosticism and political domination. In the face of heresy and persecution, they understood history through Israel’s story, culminating in the death and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of God’s Kingdom. Today, as in the ancient era, the Church is confronted by a host of master narratives that contradict and compete with the gospel. The pressing question is: who gets to narrate the world? The Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future challenges Evangelical Christians to restore the priority of the divinely inspired biblical story of God’s acts in history. The narrative of God’s Kingdom holds eternal implications for the mission of the Church, its theological reflection, its public ministries of worship and spirituality and its life in the world. By engaging these themes, we believe the Church will be strengthened to address the issues of our day.

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1. On the Primacy of the Biblical Narrative We call for a return to the priority of the divinely authorized canonical story of the Triune God. This story – Creation, Incarnation, and Re-creation – was effected by Christ’s recapitulation of human history and summarized by the early Church in its Rules of Faith. The gospel- formed content of these Rules served as the key to the interpretation of Scripture and its critique of contemporary culture, and thus shaped the church’s pastoral ministry. Today, we call Evangelicals to turn away from modern theological methods that reduce the gospel to mere propositions, and from contemporary pastoral ministries so compatible with culture that they camouflage God’s story or empty it of its cosmic and redemptive meaning. In a world of competing stories, we call Evangelicals to recover the truth of God’s word as the story of the world, and to make it the centerpiece of Evangelical life. 2. On the Church, the Continuation of God’s Narrative We call Evangelicals to take seriously the visible character of the Church. We call for a commitment to its mission in the world in fidelity to God’s mission ( Missio Dei ), and for an exploration of the ecumenical implications this has for the unity, holiness catholicity, and apostolicity of the Church. Thus, we call Evangelicals to turn away from an individualism that makes the Church a mere addendum to God’s redemptive plan. Individualistic Evangelicalism has contrib- uted to the current problems of churchless Christianity, redefinitions of the Church according to business models, separatist ecclesiologies and judgmental attitudes toward the Church. Therefore, we call Evangelicals to recover their place in the community of the Church catholic. 3. On the Church’s Theological Reflection on God’s Narrative We call for the Church’s reflection to remain anchored in the Scriptures in continuity with the theological interpretation learned from the early Fathers. Thus, we call Evangelicals to turn away from methods that separate theological reflection from the common traditions of the Church. These modern methods compartmentalize God’s story by analyzing its separate parts, while ignoring God’s entire redemptive work as recapitulated in Christ. Anti-historical attitudes also disregard the common biblical and theological legacy of the ancient Church. Such disregard ignores the hermeneutical value of the Church’s ecumenical creeds. This reduces God’s story of the world to