Remembering Great Moments in Church History

By Ken Schurb

With the approach of each new year, we think about the passage of time. As another year is about to pass into the rear view mirror, as it were, let’s ask: Why remember great moments in Christian history?

First, today’s Christians need a sense of identity. Relationships not only go outward in the present but also backward through the past.

Second, history provides continuity. If a group of actors were to improvise roles in a drama, they would find it pretty important to know that there has been a script so far, and to know what is in the script.

Third, history helps with a sense of destiny. There are no laws of history like you might find in science. Yet even when you are in your car driving in a forward direction, don’t you keep an eye on that rear view mirror?

All of this can be said about any and all history. Yet at least one more reason remains to remember great moments in Christian history.

It lies inherent within the Christian Gospel. Christianity is historical. It is tied up with events in time. The Bible says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This occurred at a particular point, when Caesar gave the order to enroll for taxation people all over the Roman world.

Christianity is not a science. Nor, really, is it philosophy. It becomes de-natured whenever anyone tries to twist it so. Christianity is the reality of God become Man for human salvation. No wonder Christmas means so much to Christians!

Christianity includes the ongoing story of the Word made flesh. The first Church history, the Acts of the Apostles, forms the second half of a two-volume work. The first is the Gospel of Luke. Luke writes that in the first volume he told of all that Jesus began to do and to teach. Now, in Acts, Luke was going on to tell what the ascended Jesus was continuing to do and to teach through His Church.

As it has been famously put, Church history is the story of “how the dear gospel fared in the world.” This story reaches down to the present. Remember.

The Rev. Ken Schurb (Ph.D., History, Ohio State) is Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Moberly. These features can be heard on KTCM, 97.3 FM at 7:00 on Wednesday mornings beginning January 5.