God Only Knows
William Phelps taught English literature at Yale for forty-one years until his retirement in 1933. While grading an exam paper shortly before Christmas one year, Phelps came across the note: “God only knows the answer to this question. Merry Christmas.” Phelps returned the paper with this note: “God gets an A. You get an F. Happy New Year.”
I think it is funny how often people will use the phrase, “God only knows” to explain away the mystery of certain things that in reality is only a mystery because we are unwilling to do the work, spiritual or otherwise, to figure it out. I heard the phrase recently spoken in response to the question of why young people are growing more absent from church. I believe the answer isn’t a mystery but one that some people are unwilling to accept. I could go on and on about what I believe are the many answers to that question, but that isn’t the intent of this blog post. The intent of this blog is to set straight what is Holy Mystery and what God has equipped us to understand.
Holy Mysteries are the areas of supernatural phenomena associated with a divinity or a religious belief and praxis. For example, we refer to the sacraments (communion and baptism) as Holy Mysteries. We know what we are doing and why we are partaking in the sacraments, but we are not fully understanding of how God is working in those moments. That is the thing about a Holy Mystery, we are unsure of how God is working in that moment of mystery.
What is not a Holy Mystery are things I believe God has given us wisdom to understand. Circling back to the question of why fewer young people are coming to church, I believe God has given us wisdom. What is wisdom? Wisdom is the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. Wisdom isn’t granted to us by merely having experience or knowledge but tight the ability to apply the two with good judgement. A person can become old and have many experiences, but if they never learn from those experiences wisdom hasn’t been obtained. Likewise, a person can be filled with all sorts of knowledge but if they never learn to appropriately apply that knowledge it is useless.
This Sunday we will be continuing this conversation on wisdom and how it is a call from God. A God who seeks us, who connects with us, who guides and calls and shapes us. Wisdom cries out with the presence of God, if we would but have ears to hear. Join us this Sunday at 8:30 and 10:45 AM for worship as we continue this conversation.
In God’s grip,
Pastor Chuck Church
