Hold Firmly

 Hold Firmly 

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

A devotion written for our church to complement yesterday's sermon. 

In her book Teaching a Stone to Talk, writer Annie Dillard tells of the small church that she had been attending. She memorably comments, 

“Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely involve? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flames; they should lash us to our pews” (p. 40). 

Dillard realizes that an encounter with God is life-changing, even scary and dangerous, as the Bible teaches. People died approaching God. The sons of Aaron entered the tabernacle in a careless way (Lev. 10:1-2). In another story, Uzzah died when he touched the Ark of the Covenant, so “charged” as it was with God’s presence (2 Sam. 6:1-7). In two other stories, Moses got so close to God that his face glowed, which made people afraid (Exodus 34:29-35). And in Genesis 28:16-17, Jacob awoke from his dream afraid, because he had perceived the divine presence in that place—and he hadn’t died!  

Our scripture is from 1 Cor. 15:1-11, but there are two other lectionary scriptures that we can read. One is Isaiah 6:1-8, the famous story of Isaiah the priest who suddenly realized he was in the powerful presence of God. He feared that he was lost; he called himself and his words “unclean,” which in this context means unholy, unworthy of God. He was confused—and despaired of his life. But the angel touched Isaiah and declared him and his words worthy, empowered by God. Consequently, Isaiah’s life was changed: the priest was also a prophet who communicated God’s words. 

Similarly, Luke 5:1-11 tells the story of the first meeting of Jesus with Peter and his friends. Jesus performed a miracle of abundant fish that the fishermen could sell. But Peter told Jesus to go away! Peter recognized that he was in the presence of holiness—the frightening presence of God—and like Isaiah, he didn’t want to die because of it. But Jesus gives them an invitation to “catch people.” Peter and his friends had brand-new lives and a mission. 

Our scripture from 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 was originally a reminder to that congregation to “hold firmly” to faith. Just in case they forgot, Paul reminds them of the Gospel story. This is their story, too! They are acting like they don’t believe a word of it.  

Paul reminds them that he is the least of the apostles. Remember the story of Paul’s conversion. He, too, had an encounter with the presence of holiness. It physically knocked him to the ground, temporarily blinded him, and he couldn’t even eat or drink for a while. 

Paul’s story became linked to the story of God’s salvation. He concludes his recitation of the creed with a few sentences of his own story. Paul was always sensitive that people would think of him as a second-string apostle or even a phony. But he affirmed that God in Christ had appeared to him and called him. 

Think again about what God’s power has brought about: 

“Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures,

and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures,

and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me” (1 Cor. 15:1-8)

When Paul says, “hold firmly,” he means: live so that we are guided by the Holy Spirit and know how we are part of God’s great story in Christ. Don’t neglect that gift. But I like to think of another meaning: hold on tight, because God is in your life, and you’re in for a wonderful, life-changing ride!  

Dear Lord, thank you for guiding us and transforming us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.