1 24 4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/71a12e111240cf03d4c2eb911e48f322.pdf 77aeb20c9c9fe62ab06a2c421f3ff77e PDF Text Text Fundamental Trust All Saints’ Day; Reformation Day Text: Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:29-30; John 20:22; Acts 2:2 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan October 31, 1999 Transcription of the spoken sermon There is a word that combines all the scripture lessons - Genesis and Creation, the Spirit of God or the breath of God or the wind of God hovering over the chaos. On the Day of Pentecost, it's a mighty rushing wind that brings new life. In the Psalm, the Psalm that celebrates all living creatures says, "God, when you withhold your breath, they die. When you breath, grant them your Spirit, they live, they are created." In the Gospel, the story of resurrection as John tells it, on the eve of Easter, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." Throughout the whole of the scripture, breath and wind symbolize the life-giving, energizing power and presence of God. The wind that cannot be seen, but whose effects one can feel, the wind and the spirit and the breath in Hebrew all the same word, indicating the fact that there is the sense that life and vitality and energy is the consequence of the outflowing of that font of all being breathing life into all that is. On this All Saints Day, I was thinking about death and dying, memory and hope, and yesterday for some reason, uncharacteristically, my eye fell on the obituary section. I never read the obituaries. Someone suggested to me recently that at my age I perhaps ought to because I may show up there. But, I simply don't. Some people always read the obituaries. I never do. But, something caught my eye; it was the death of a person announced as "leaving for the throne of God where she is now at worship," and it went on to speak about the service that would be a celebration of her life and of her eternal salvation. The question that came into my mind as I read that obituary was, "Do you really believe that?" Not, "Is that true or not," but whether those who wrote the obituary really believe it because it struck me that it was almost saying too much, it was almost shouting too loud, it was the kind of thing we do when we're not sure of ourselves, so we keep repeating it to ourselves until we finally believe it. I'm not saying that that was at all the case, but, simply what came to my mind. It seemed like there was too much affirmation of too much certainty about things about which we really don't know. I just wonder whether or not that strong affirmation did not mask a deepseated doubt. © Grand Valley State University   �Fundamental Trust Richard A. Rhem Page 2   I went on, I suppose because of today, to read more of the obituary entries and I found that it was somewhat common to say so and so went to be with the Lord or is in eternal rest or whatever. Those kinds of customs, that kind of language is so deeply rooted in us, it sort of trips off our tongue very easily, without even thinking. Those statements in the obituary underscored in my mind that of which I have become increasingly aware, but affirmed again that the Christian tradition has been very largely "other-worldly," that the big event is somewhere else, some other time, and that there is, it seems to be inevitably, a denigration of this present life and existence, where that focus is so strong on a future, another round, another act, the big event, as I said, a failure to recognize the wonder and the beauty and the grandeur of this present existence. Then, as I got to thinking about that, I started to ask myself all kinds of questions. I wonder, if heaven was the necessary counterpoint to hell, hell being the condition or place, whatever, depending on the imagery, of eternal condemnation for those who do not find their salvation through Jesus Christ. And if I've done away with hell (just a minor move on my part), I wondered whether or not that removed the necessity of heaven. I wonder if heaven was simply that counterpart if you have a system of rewards and punishment and if this life is controlled and well-controlled by ecclesiastical authorities, to have some punch there has to be something at the end. Because, the more I thought about it, the more I recognized in my dealing with people that it's very primal in people, this idea of what's going to happen in the end, or the desire for immortality or the resurrection of the body, or how ever you want to phrase it, something very primal in us, wondering about the mystery of life. Life is such a mystery. I've been with a number of people who breathed their last. What a mystery. There is a person, particularly those who are still cognizant and conscious, and then the last breath. Life is such a mystery, and inevitably, we'll wonder about it and deep down there is that primal need and desire for something more, and I recognize, too, that there is good reason for that whole structure of final judgment because, after all, life is not fair. Some people get away with murder. Some people suffer all their days. Some people leave us too soon. But yet, what is too soon? The spouse of 50 or 60 years? Certainly there are children who die who never have the opportunity to realize all of their marvelous potential. I understand. There are reasons why humankind in its various traditions of faith have had something to say about the end or something more or the final solution. But, as I thought more and more about it, thinking about today and this moment, I thought about how my own understanding and sensitivities have moved in recent years. I just have to tell you, I think you sense it, probably, that for me, the focus has moved so much more from anything beyond to this present moment, enabling me to celebrate this life, to live it with reverence and with awe and wonder-filled amazement, to appreciate this life, this world, this good earth, these human relationships, this present moment to live and to love. That, for me, has become increasingly the focus of my own fascination and attention and passion. © Grand Valley State University �Fundamental Trust Richard A. Rhem Page 3   But, finally, we don't know, do we? It is a mystery, isn't it? I was in the car the other day listening to National Public Radio and a writer read an essay and he began by saying that he had never had a vision or a trembling in his soul or any kind of a spiritual moment like that, and I thought of myself because I've often said to you I've never had a tinkle in my pinkie. But, then he went on to say, "Life is mysterious. Let me tell you about my mother. My mother died recently and when I went home at the point of her death, I visited the neighbor woman who said, 'You know, your mother came over here the day before she died, and she told me this story. She said, "I was in the living room and there was Frank, my husband, and it was all very normal, and I got up and went into the other room and I said, 'Oh, my goodness, he's been gone for eleven years,' She said, 'I rushed back into the living room and he wasn't there.'" The writer said, "My mother lived all of her life knowing that she had an aneurysm that could go at any moment. That night the aneurysm broke and she died peacefully. I don't understand it. Life is more mysterious than we could ever fathom." I would agree. I don't know. I really don't know. But, I know that what has become more important for me increasingly is to live now and to love now and to be aware now, and then to live with fundamental trust over against whatever else may be. Fundamental trust. That's a concept which comes out of child psychology. I think it was Eric Erickson who distinguished fundamental trust from fundamental mistrust. The critical first year of a child, the way a child is handled, cooed over, cherished, makes that child bodily sense that reality can be trusted. I remember Hans Küng in 1983, and I spent some time with him talking about his book Does God Exist?, where he traced modern atheism down to the nihilism of Nietzsche and then he said, "I was trying to make a turn because I didn't want to leave in nihilism, I wanted to make an affirmation of my own faith in God," and he said to make that turn, to get out of the abyss of nihilism, he found the concept of fundamental trust the means by which he began again to build the steps of faith. Fundamental trust is a pre-rational disposition of the heart. It is not to be identified with a belief system in which we have faith. "I believe in the Christian creed," or something like that. It's a pre-rational existence of the heart; it's that which one sets one's heart upon before one even begins to think. It is the setting of the soul. That fundamental trust, it seems to me, is the most precious gift for a human being who lives in the wonder of this life and faces the mystery of death not knowing, but trusting. I put three quotations in your liturgy - Hans Küng, basic, fundamental trust in reality. And then a statement from Eric Fromm who looks at it all and says my © Grand Valley State University �Fundamental Trust Richard A. Rhem Page 4   conclusion is that the human person is alone in the universe. And then a statement by Dag Hammerskjold who says I don't know when it was. I don't even remember answering the question, but at some point I said "Yes" to someone or something and from that moment I know that my life has had meaning. Well, I think what Hammerskjold witnesses to and Küng points to is not even impossible for Fromm because one could live in this universe believing one is alone and bring meaning to it, nonetheless. But, I find myself more comfortable with a rather vague affirmation of fundamental trust. We use the words of Julian of Norwich around here All will be well. All will be well, and all manner of things will be well. We use them with integrity, because all will be well does not mean all will be peaches and cream. All will be well does not mean that any particular faith structure, be it Christian or Jewish or Buddhist, or whatever, that any belief structure is the way it is. All will be well, lived out of fundamental trust, enables me to live today, to celebrate today, to live fully and to love freely, and to trust, to trust, fundamentally to trust, to be deeply settled, to be at home in this world, wide-eyed and awaiting whatever there is beyond this. That is enough for me. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ad6ebc0dba3ac42e035c021417924511.mp3 ed1893754f397aeda159149a97275601 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Reformation Day and All Saints_ Day, Pentecost XXIV Scripture Text Genesis 1:2, Psalm 104:29-30, John 20:22, Acts 2:2 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19991031 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1999-10-31 Title A name given to the resource Fundamental Trust Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 31, 1999 entitled "Fundamental Trust", on the occasion of Reformation Day and All Saints_ Day, Pentecost XXIV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Genesis 1:2, Psalm 104:29-30, John 20:22, Acts 2:2. Fundamental Trust Mystery Presence of God https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f28744aa7429cf1fc49520ed131e7c9d.pdf fc28f734e818df2d69d153de79009820 PDF Text Text Confidence Scripture: Isaiah 54:1-10; Philippians 1:1-18 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan January 18, 1998 Transcription of the spoken sermon Confidence is a very common word used to describe the level of trust one has in oneself, in another, in the truth of a claim or reality of a situation. The word, as so many words in our English vocabulary, stems from the Latin: The prefix con, meaning with and fidere meaning trust. To live with confidence is to live with trust. Trust in what? A variety of answers are possible. One may have self-confidence in regard to one’s ability to perform one’s task or to negotiate some difficult feat. One may have confidence in one’s favorite team. In Green Bay, confidence runs high in the Packers only one week away from America’s Holy Sunday. One may have confidence in the people with whom one works, one’s spouse, one’s family. Obviously, one may have confidence in the goodness and mercy of God. But I want us to think about confidence more generally today at the top of another year. I want to think about confidence as a fundamental attitude over against the whole of one’s life, life itself and the attitude we share together as a faith community. Those who study human development point to the critical importance of fundamental trust as the foundation for a healthy adjustment to life. Trust not with a specific object attached to it, but trust as a basic orientation to life and reality. Studies in child development tell us nothing is more important for the nurturing of an infant through the earliest experience than the creation of a secure and loving environment in which the infant, the child, learns to trust. We know it is so. We know it is true for ourselves and we see it borne out in those around us. Healthy, whole, fruitful, productive people are marked by confidence; they live with trust. Where does it come from? © Grand Valley State University   �Confidence Richard A. Rhem Page 2   If one learns very early to trust or not, it must be passed on from generation to generation. But, where did it begin and on what is it based? Certainly trust in life’s goodness and ultimate meaningfulness is not obvious from simple observation of the human experience. Life is fragile, full of peril, haunted by tragedy. Experience is mixed. When one stops to think about it, trust cannot rise from experience. Concrete experience can often be the acid that eats away at trust. As I said at Christmas, children love fairy tales because, while filled with danger and darkness, things turn out all right and the good folk live happily ever after. But, it is not so in life - any honest appraisal will in the end reveal human experience as mixed. Still, there is something in us that goes on, picks up again, trusts again. And this is true of religious people and those who practice no religious faith consciously. Let me suggest that for the religious consciously and the non-religious unconsciously, confidence is rooted in trust in the goodness and mercy of God that at the heart and center of reality is God Who is for us, for life. Let me point you to the morning lessons which speak of confidence rooted in God. Second Isaiah, as we call the unknown prophet of chapters 40-55, sings of an eternal covenant of peace to the exiles of Judah living in Babylon. They were on the edge of despair thinking their God of covenant, Yahweh, had abandoned them, or had been overruled by the gods of the mighty Babylonian Empire. But the prophet begins to preach to them, interprets their experience and tells them stories of their past and encourages them to trust that God will yet deliver them. They will go home! He begins the poem recorded in chapter 54 with a call to the barren one to sing; she who was barren will birth many children. Therefore, the tent must be enlarged, the curtains stretched out, the stakes strengthened, the cords lengthened, for "You will spread out." The allusion to the barren woman would not be lost on these exiles. Who was the classic barren one in Israel’s past? Sarah, of course. You have heard me claim many times that Genesis 11:30 is a critical watershed in the biblical narrative. The first eleven chapters of Genesis record the repeated failure of humankind to live into the intention of the Creator and then God tries a new strategy - choosing one family in order to bless eventually all families of the earth. And how does God begin? With Sarah, who is barren. © Grand Valley State University �Confidence Richard A. Rhem Page 3   And not only Sarah, but Rebekah and Rachel and Hannah. The prophet of the exiles played on the memory of his people to remind them that precisely in barrenness, God acts to effect fruitfulness. And then, if that is not enough to trigger the rebirth of trust, he reminds them in verse nine of Noah. Out of the devastation of the Flood, God placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign of God’s promise that never again would the earth be destroyed. God’s faithfulness to Creation was signed with the rainbow. The Covenant with Noah preceded the covenant with Abraham and Sarah. With Abraham and Sarah, God sealed a Covenant of Grace with a particular family with the intention of reaching all families, but with Noah, the covenant promise embraced the whole Creation. Would not that story remind Israel that Yahweh was no tribal deity limited to their homeland, but the One Eternal God, Creator of all? Stories. They are the stuff of human confidence. When trust wears thin, we tell a story of what God has done and we find our confidence renewed that God will give us a future. Stories of faith. Remember and trust; trust God. Paul was a son of Israel and when he experienced the blinding vision on the Road to Damascus, he came to believe Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the anointed one through whom God was effecting that universal intention of the covenant of Grace sealed with Abraham and Sarah. We noted that last week; the secret hidden long ages with God was now being manifest. Paul was amazed and transformed. Now there would be no longer, as he wrote to the Galatians, Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, but all one in Christ Jesus. And, he adds, if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. No more barriers dividing humankind; No more hostility, No more outsiders and insiders. Thus transformed, the former persecutor of the people of the Way became the passionate Apostle of grace, the grace of God that is as wide as the whole human family. One of the ancient cities to which he took the story of God’s grace was Philippi, where a congregation was formed, a community with whom Paul had his most intimate relationship. There was a deep love affair between Paul and the Philippian congregation as is evident from his letter to that church. © Grand Valley State University �Confidence Richard A. Rhem Page 4   That letter begins with a rather extended thanksgiving - thanksgiving to God for this people who had stayed in touch with him and provided for his needs. Now in prison awaiting trial in the Imperial Court of Rome, Paul writes to express his deep affection for this people who joined him in a partnership in the Gospel. And in the midst of his expression of gratitude, he writes, I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. Here the confidence has a specific object - that the work of grace begun among this people by God will be brought to completion. That confidence is, however, based on Paul’s fundamental trust in God - the God of the beginning is the God Who will be at the ending. Once again we find that Paul’s specific confidence is rooted in that basic confidence in God. Paul’s confidence was not based on experience; he was in prison. He would die for his faith. But, the particular circumstance did not dislodge Paul’s confidence. Indeed, he writes, the circumstance of imprisonment had actually resulted in an increase in the witness to the Gospel. I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel. The Imperial Guard received Paul’s witness; others gained confidence through Paul’s imprisonment and bore their witness with greater boldness, and even, what might have defeated a lesser person, some took advantage of Paul’s imprisonment to further their own rival point of view. But, says Paul, so what? Christ is preached. I rejoice. What lies behind this remarkable grace? Is it not Paul’s confidence that God is at work in what seems the most adverse circumstances? Confidence - a very great gift; a healthy way to live and engage life. Living with such trust, Paul rested easily. This restless, passionate Apostle who traveled the ancient world as a man with a mission of eternal significance found inner serenity as he contemplated the turn of events because, through it all, he trusted God. That was the bedrock of his life. Telling Paul’s story does for me what the prophet telling the stories of Abraham and Sarah and Noah did for the exiles in Babylon. Faith is renewed, trust restored when we remember - remember the stories of those who have gone on before us. There was a lovely celebration here last Sunday. There was joy. We have been through deep waters, but can we not say with Paul that what has happened to us has actually resulted in the furtherance of this work of grace? Is that not the © Grand Valley State University �Confidence Richard A. Rhem Page 5   wonder of it all - that the challenge and the struggle have positioned us with new freedom and joy to find our way to the embodiment of God’s grace here for the healing of persons? I could go back over the years to the times this text has been used here watershed moments when we were challenged to move out in a new dimension of faith. Always the ground was the God Who has begun a good work here and surely will not let it languish, but will bring it to completion. Confidence. It is a gift. It is the way to live freely, fruitfully, because it is a life rooted in God and the trust that God is for us. God will go with us, will keep us and will finally bring us home. All will be well. You can trust that, not because things work out, but because God is God. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e6e1d45af7daf1bb63a3b1c79c73bee4.mp3 fd6f0e7425e6f59c316ff20f0466fc78 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Epiphany II Scripture Text Isaiah 54:2-3, Philippians 1:6 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19980118 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1998-01-18 Title A name given to the resource Confidence Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on January 18, 1998 entitled "Confidence", on the occasion of Epiphany II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 54:2-3, Philippians 1:6. All Will Be Well Fundamental Trust Grace Love at the Core of the Universe https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/53000072d1a70f81f792fb2453c2a205.pdf 2e81236d2593aff2d86951c2fdd44882 PDF Text Text The Vision of Faith Article by Richard A. Rhem Minister of Preaching and Theological Inquiry Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Published in The Church Herald The Magazine of the Reformed Church in America December 6, 1985, pp. 6-7 The Advent season calls to our consciousness the end of history; to the realization that history has an end; that our personal history as well as the history of the world and humanity are moving toward a terminus, a final moment. If we can resist the insistence of the commercial world that the Christmas season begins before Thanksgiving and make space and time for the keeping of Advent, we will find rich resources for reflection on the biblical themes of the end of history. There is great curiosity about the “Last Things” and all too little calm and reasoned discussion about these matters of faith. Advent, properly kept, provides the opportunity to be reminded that the Christ who came is the Christ who is coming and to treat those questions which continue to live in the human mind and heart: What is the point of it all, this human drama? Where is it all going— whither the whole? What happens at death? What about heaven and hell, judgment and salvation? What do you mean by eternal life? In the autumn of 1983 I was involved in a seminar at the University of Michigan with Professor Hans Küng, who gave a series of lectures entitled “Eternal Life?” Standing in the center of that great secular institution of learning where there is but a token recognition of the whole sphere of religion, he spoke without apology on the themes of death, life after death, hell, heaven, and the kingdom of God. It was a fascinating experience to witness, not only because of the great depth of his discussion, but because there in the sophistication of this great university there were hundreds of bright young people eager to learn about life’s ultimate issue. This is simple witness to the fact that we can never be content to be born, to live out our days, and to die without asking why, whence, whither. God has put eternity into our hearts. When life has been experienced with its full spectrum of activities the question arises, “Is this all there is?” The biblical faith answers, “No, there is much more.” Reflecting the biblical teaching, Küng concluded his lectures © Grand Valley State University   �The Vision of Faith Richard A. Rhem Page 2   after a careful and thorough examination of the questions from medical, religious, and philosophical perspectives with this affirmation of faith: To believe in an eternal life means—in reasonable trust, in enlightened faith, in tried and tested hope—to rely on the fact that I shall one day be fully understood, freed from guilt and definitively accepted and can be myself without fear; that my impenetrable and ambivalent existence, like the profoundly discordant history of humanity as a whole, will one day become finally transparent and the question of the meaning of history one day be finally answered. That is a well-packed statement. It says in capsule form what Advent faith teaches. Advent means “coming.” Advent means Jesus is coming; God's kingdom is coming; consummation is coming. Test Küng's statement by this most familiar word from St. Paul. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide... (1 Cor. 13:12-13). These are familiar words coming at the end of Paul's “hymn of love.” We rarely recognize the fascinating future reference of his declaration, but in this great statement we find acknowledged both the puzzle that is our history and the vision of our Christian faith. Let these words of the apostle provide our Advent reflection as we realize anew that God calls us to live trusting that he will fulfill his promises and bring his kingdom to its consummation. We must acknowledge the ambiguity of our present state. Is it not our common experience that a veil of mystery hangs over our lives and over history as a whole? It is impossible from an observation of the course of history to find history's meaning, to detect purpose, direction, and goal. We are caught up in the stream of history itself; we swim in the stream. We have no privileged position above history from which to survey it. There are those who deny any detectable meaning. H. A. L. Fisher, in his History of Europe, writes: One intellectual excitement, however, has been denied to me. Men wiser and more learned than I have discovered in history a plot, a rhythm, a predetermined pattern. These harmonies are concealed from me. I can see only one emergency following another, as wave follows upon wave, only one great fact with respect to which, since it is unique, there can be no generalizations, only one safe rule for the historian: that he should recognize in the development of human destinies the play of the contingent and the unforeseen. © Grand Valley State University �The Vision of Faith Richard A. Rhem Page 3   That is an excellent statement of the case by an eminent historian. From the study of history itself the conclusion is that it is “the development of the contingent and the unforeseen.” St. Paul admitted the same. If history itself be our focus or, more narrowly, the data of our personal histories, then, “we see in a mirror dimly.” For Paul, however, it is not only the data of history with which we have to do, but also the revelation of God in the history of Israel and in Jesus. Thus we bring something to history: the knowledge of the revelation of God. That revelation, which found its supreme expression in Jesus, embraced by faith becomes the interpretative principle by which we understand history. There is more to come. Paul went on to write: “Then [we shall see] face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been understood fully.” The meaning of history will be accessible to us only from history’s end. Paul believed that just as there was a beginning, so there will be an end. He who spoke and brought all things into being will speak yet again, and time will be no more. As another Advent season comes around, we realize anew that we are faced with a choice, a decision: Will we live by faith in God's promise or not? To do so is a decision, not a conclusion at the end of rational argument. Trust is necessary; not irrational trust but reasonable trust, trust as a decision of the whole person. Fundamental trust will live in the assurance of a gracious purpose threading its way through the confusing patterns of history. Such trust is a gift. Its foundation is laid in earliest infancy. We are from the beginning being pointed toward trust or mistrust. As an adult it is only through a significant emotional experience that one can move from mistrust to trust. An encounter with Jesus is the catalyst for a life lived in trust. Such trust is confirmed in experience; yet it always remains trust, an experience beyond verification in the scientific sense of verification. Mistrust is an option. It is the consistent position of atheism. The Nobel Prizewinning biologist, Jacques Monod, an atheist, maintains: If he accepts this (negative) message in its full significance, man must at last wake out of his millenary dream and discover his total solitude, his fundamental isolation. He must realize that, like a gypsy, he lives on the boundary of an alien world; a world that is deaf to his music, and as indifferent to his hopes as it is to his sufferings or his crimes (Chance and Necessity, p. 160). That is an excellent statement representing clear, concise thinking. As an atheist, Monod is consistent. If there be no God, then there is no future resolution of © Grand Valley State University �The Vision of Faith Richard A. Rhem Page 4   history's confusion, no future righting of wrong, no future realization of our hopes, dreams, and longing. If this be an impersonal universe with no heart, no mind at the center, no purpose at the beginning, and no consummation at the end, then it is true the universe is deaf to our music, indifferent to our hopes, our sufferings, our crimes. If, on the other hand, we bring trust to history’s puzzling data, then we live in the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Finally, we must choose. The vision of faith sees beyond history’s puzzle to the promise of his coming, who came to a people who had for centuries cried, “How long, O Lord, how long?” He has come. His promise is he will come again, scattering the darkness, revealing the eternal purposes of God which now are hidden from clear view. To keep Advent is to keep faith in the promises of God. The mystery will be removed and we will understand. Faith will be vindicated as the king comes and the kingdom comes to consummation. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-4-19851206 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1985-12-06 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource The Vision of Faith Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Church School Herald Journal Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Article created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on December 6, 1985 entitled "The Vision of Faith", it appeared in The Church Herald, Dec., 1985, pp. 6-7. Tags: Advent, Faith, Eschatology, Mystery, Love, Fundamental Trust. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Advent Eschatology Faith Fundamental Trust Love Mystery https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9957bd1a407548e3db84be007b1cc1bb.mp3 0f5909b8157305472cc50a387f90492f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c8a54ff423cae0a288d2a5a0a7e316be.pdf cb7da895282f2638976a9caa4cf2e1c4 PDF Text Text Credo: Personal and Community Deuteronomy 4:4-9, Ephesians 4:1-6 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan October 19, 2003 Transcription of the spoken sermon My sermon title this morning is "Credo: Personal and Community." Credo is the Latin first person singular form, translated "I believe." Obviously that is a personal expression, and yet I think when the community is thought of as community, it might also be legitimate to say, "We believe," in that same sense. Finally it comes down to that. I believe. You believe. And then there are some things that we share together that we believe together. Sometimes people will say to me, "We don't believe that, do we?" Or, "What do we believe about..." and I have to say, "We don't believe anything." But, I understand the question, because there is a sense in which a community is marked by a certain spirit, a certain posture. This morning I want to say to you once again in just another way what has been said here many times -I believe, you believe, and while we share many things in common, it finally comes down to that personal conviction of faith, a faith not simply an assent to a number of propositions or creedal statements, but rather, that fundamental trust, that fundamental trust of our lives, and that's a highly individual exercise. Nobody can do that for you. You cannot abdicate the responsibility to anyone else, church community, church official. There were a couple of items that came into my hand as I was contemplating my fall preaching and those two items determined the sermon for this morning. One was a review article in The Christian Century about six weeks ago by a theologian named William Placher who was reviewing the newly published four- volume set by Jaroslav Pelikan, the eminent church historian. Pelikan published this in cooperation with Valerie Hotchkiss just before his 80th year. Not too bad at this point to be publishing a four-volume work of 3,796 pages. The first volume is entitled Credo. 606 pages and you can buy it independently for a little under $40. But, if you want the four volumes with the CD Rom, it costs $995. Now, can you believe anybody would invest that much money in four volumes that contain 2000 years of creeds and confessional statements? That's what Pelikan has done. Two thousand years, right up to the year 2000, of creeds and confessional statements from around the globe from every conceivable kind of community and denomination and confessional family. Four volumes, almost 4000 pages. That could take care of your leisure time for a while. © Grand Valley State University   �Credo: Personal & Community Richard A. Rhem Page 2   Pelikan has written much. I have an earlier five-volume set on the Christian tradition in which he traces the theological development over 2000 years. I have quoted Pelikan here, a good Lutheran theologian. He's the one who said, "Tradition is the living faith of the dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living." An excellent scholar, he has put all of this together and toward the end of his life recognizes that what he has just engaged in is an archival exercise. As Pelikan observes, many in this age feel "that even if the time for faith as such may not have passed, the time for teaching Christian faith as authoritative dogma probably has, and the time for confessing it in a normative creedal formulary certainly has." Placher, Christian Century. September 20, 2003. What he is saying is what I have given my whole life to and what I offer in this final offering is an exercise in creating an archive for the future. Now, he doesn't mean, I'm sure, that the church is done thinking theologically or that the church is done expressing itself confessionally. What he's trying to say is that we have moved beyond the era of dogmatic authoritarian religious prescription. The time of formulating dogmatic statements and absolute creeds is over. We can go into the reasons for that. Fundamentally, it is because we have begun, over the last one hundred years, to think historically. We have seen how all of this has developed, and we have come to see not the absolute character of these statements, but rather, their relative character. We have come to see how all of this has evolved, and so we are less ready in this time to give absolute allegiance to some kind of formulation. We know that we are people on the way, and we know that being religious is not having some externally imposed, authoritarian statement of truth placed on us, but rather, in being engaged in seeking to find our human experience illuminated by our religious observance and practice. I think that Pelikan is absolutely right. The day of the authoritarian church, the ecclesiastical hierarchy, canon and creed, is past or is passing. I might be wrong about it, but I don't think so, and I surely hope not. The second item that came into my hands about this time was the book I had with me last week, Elaine Pagels’ Beyond Belief. It is an excellent study, a very personal one. As I mentioned last week, Elaine Pagels gave up the church in her adolescence because of its absolute exclusivism. She was turned off by that. But, she still became a religious scholar, and she began her doctoral work about the time that a library was found in the sands of the Egyptian desert in 1945, the Nag Hammadi Library. A huge clay pot was found that had some fifty manuscripts in it. In the 4th century, when Athanasius was finally established on the Bishop's throne in Alexandria, they were in the process of determining what was to be the canon. Athanasius is the church father who first mentions the 27 books of the New Testament. Athanasius was a tenacious, ferocious kind of leader He passed © Grand Valley State University �Credo: Personal & Community Richard A. Rhem Page 3   an edict that all other writings that didn't make the cut of the canon should be banned and burned, and probably some monk who didn't like that kind of an attitude gathered some of the most valuable manuscripts, put them in this clay pot and buried them in the Egyptian sand where they stayed for 1600 years. Elaine Pagels at the time of her doctoral work, as these documents were becoming available, did an excellent study which still is looked to today on the gnostic gospels. As she did that kind of study, she learned all about those early centuries and the formation of the Christian church as an ecclesiastical institution and the theological tradition that formed and shaped that church in those early centuries. She had left the church, but she does this religious scholarship and studies particularly that period of the church that was developing orthodoxy. Orthodox means straight thinking. She was well aware of that period of three or four centuries during which this diverse Jesus movement was being brought under control, reined in and given a normative form. Then, as I mentioned last week, she has personal tragedy in her life and one Sunday morning while out jogging in New York City, to warm herself, slips into the narthex of a church and finds herself deeply moved by the music and the prayers and the liturgy. She goes back, she goes to the lower level of the church and gets into a support group and finds her life being nurtured by the religious observance from which she had absented herself for many years. Just as Pelikan sees no future for that dogmatic structure of Christian faith, so Elaine Pagels, who has studied the whole formation of that structure, while returning to community, to religious, specifically Christian, community, is not willing to return to that authoritarian, dogmatic, ecclesiastical structure, for she says, "While I learned again the things that I loved in the Christian tradition, I also learned the things that I cannot love." Part of what she cannot love is documented in that insert in your liturgy which I included from her book. I'm not going to read that, but in that little section she tells about the church father Irenaeus, who was a Bishop in the second century in the area of Gaul. Irenaeus, as a leader in the church, experienced people all over the place. He experienced all kinds of people who were having visions and revelations, who had their own intuitions, and their own insights and their own wisdom and they were all giving expression to it, and in a word, that Jesus movement, that early Christian church, was chaos. It was messy. There was no uniformity of expression of faith, and there was no uniformity of practice and observance. So, Irenaeus was one of the chief shapers of a movement that brought a normative structure to the Christian movement. Athanasius, I mentioned a moment ago, was another one. There were a number of such people. Finally, that Christian movement was brought into a uniform expression when the church was made legitimate by the Emperor Constantine. We speak about the Constantinian establishment of the church. All of that diverse expression was brought into an acceptable expression which was orthodox opinion. In the little insert I gave you, you can find how nasty that process can become because what happens © Grand Valley State University �Credo: Personal & Community Richard A. Rhem Page 4   immediately when you establish what is "in," is that you also rule out what is "out" and the process begins, the process of excluding and exclusivism and of a triumphalism that claims to have the very truth of God and damns that which differs from it. It is a normal process, it is a human process, we can understand how it happened, we can understand that these leaders were good people who sincerely believed they were doing the will of God. Elaine Pagels is sympathetic to these leaders, but as she indicates and as we religious leaders don't like to admit, if indeed we claim for your benefit that we have the truth of God, and if we believe that we are the guardians of that truth, and if we believe that for the honor of God and for the well-being of the church we have the obligation to hold to that authoritatively, then we can do that with all humility. Who am I but a servant of God? Except the servant has honor in proportion to the one he serves, and so if God has invested me with this deposit of faith, then some of the authority of God comes to me, too. As Elaine Pagels says, the process in those second, third, fourth centuries was to create a canon and a creed and an ecclesiastical hierarchy, and I'll tell you what, I was born too late. I wish I'd been born when there was a canon and a creed and authoritarian hierarchy. (I would like to have been a Cardinal, if not the Pope.) What a way to go! If you have the canon, and you have the creedal formulation, and the power to enforce it, you are golden! What I'm talking about is actually what happened very normally, very understandably in the process of the emergence of the Christian church into a dominant institution. Elaine Pagels says, "I can't go back there. I've come to see that I really need religious community. I've come to see there's a great treasure there that still touches me inside and I want to expose myself to it. But, I can't go back to those things that I cannot love, an authoritarian, dominating dimension marked by canon, creed and absolute, ecclesiastical hierarchy." I wonder about the future of the church. Pope John Paul II just celebrated 25 years and we're going to be seeing a lot out of Rome in these next weeks and months, maybe years, who knows? We know his failing health. Obviously, there were conversations in Rome. But, what a marvelous system. He has appointed all of the Cardinals that will appoint his successor, so the deck is stacked. How can he lose? But, isn't it amazing that that dogmatic structure can continue to perpetuate itself in our world today, our world of satellite and internet and four volumes of two thousand years of creeds and confessions? I wonder how long even the Roman Catholic Church can resist the democratizing spirit that undercuts authoritarianism? I think about a church sort of in-between, the Episcopal Church right now trying to keep from breaking communion. It's a grand tradition, again, but should the leaders of the American Church who believe that they have acted with integrity and honesty and in accord with the will of God as they understand it in the determination to consecrate a gay man to the office of Bishop, should they back © Grand Valley State University �Credo: Personal & Community Richard A. Rhem Page 5   down in order that the body of Christ not be rent? What is the future going to hold for grand ecclesiastical institutions? I don't know. But, I know this - and that's why I talk about it this morning because I want you to be very selfconscious about it -I know this, I am so delighted to be a part of a community, a religious community, a community committed to the religious quest, a community Christian in that it finds its access to God in the face of Jesus, the God of Israel whose creed was, "The Lord our God is one God." The Jew Paul saying that that one God for him was now seen through the lens of Jesus, his Jewish brother. It was Paul who pleads with the Ephesian community to be patient with one another and deal with one another in gentleness and to bear one another in love, and to keep the spirit of unity and the bond of peace. Now, Paul was passionate. He was so passionate about it because he did believe he had that apostolic mission, and yet in his better moments, he spoke to the community and those were all separate communities at that time, to be gentle and patient, forbearing one another and to keep that bond of peace and love. I am so happy to be a part of a community like this which is weak and vulnerable, that in the face of the world is powerless. The best way for a religious community to be is to be powerless and vulnerable so that we give attention to the things that are really those things to which we ought to be attending, and that is the illumination of our human experience before the face of that mystery, because finally, it is not some grand ecclesiastical institution or some absolute creed or some carefully defined canon apart from which there can be no other light, but it is credo, it is "I believe," and by extension, "We believe." A congregation that blesses diversity and encourages conversation, walking together. We're not isolated, atomistic, fragmented folks. We're in community and we converse and we care, we support. But, we don't have all that baggage beyond us. Nor do we have some authoritarian system imposed upon us. We can "roll our own" and do it together. I'm so delighted to be a part of a place like this, and I'm so proud that we have come this way together. It's not for everybody and we certainly have not arrived, but we've positioned ourselves to capture the future. Not everybody's happy about that. A couple weeks ago Don was accosted in the hardware store in Graafschap for affiliating with a place like this that doesn't believe anything. And this week we got an e-mail, it came to Barbara; must be that the Center for Religion and Life mailing that stirred this up. The subject is the truth. It's from Steve: I want to encourage your organization and Christ Community Church to abandon the liberal, non-biblical perspectives you are putting forth. You are misleading many people who are new believers or not mature in their faith with lies from the pit of hell. I pray that you will preach the gospel of Jesus Christ alone, not your gospel, and teach the Bible as the true and complete revelation of God to man. This will change lives and bring people into God's kingdom rather than waste time on the useless discussions you © Grand Valley State University �Credo: Personal & Community Richard A. Rhem Page 6   seem to promote. Thank you for your consideration. May God bless you and return you to the truth. Well, thanks, Steve, but no thanks. I've been there. I know about that experience of authoritarian domination and authoritarian absolutism and narrow exclusivism, and I don't ever want to be a part of it again, because you spoil me. You're wonderful. And together we live before the face of God with confidence, with joy, and it's so good. References: Elaine Pagels. Beyond Belief, 2003. William Placher. (Review of Jaroslav Pelikan. The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Vols. 1-4. University of Chicago, 1984.) Christian Century, 2003. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Pentecost XIX Scripture Text Deuteronomy 4:4-9, Ephesians 4:1-6 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References William Placher, Review of The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, 1984, in Christian Century, 2003. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20031019 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2003-10-19 Title A name given to the resource Credo: Personal and Community Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 19, 2003 entitled "Credo: Personal and Community", on the occasion of Pentecost XIX, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Deuteronomy 4:4-9, Ephesians 4:1-6. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Community Fundamental Trust Non-authoritarian