Thursday, September 06, 2007

Passionate, Simple Docrinal Preaching (Article 1)

Rather foolishly, perhaps, I have set myself to preach on Article 1 of the 39 Articles of Religion of the Church of England at our main morning service on Sunday 16th September.

I shall consult Griffiths Thomas, The Principles of Theology, which is an exposition of the articles, of course. Good to be able to read something positive about Anglicanism by a Welshman. And the English Prayer Book has a helpful modern language version of the aricles.

The Bible reading is going to be Exodus 3 (God's name is I AM WHO I AM, implying his eternality, unity, asceity, perhaps?).

The sermon will be largely doctrinal but I think it will be necessary to show that these are biblical doctrines, not just made up philosophical gobbledygoook.

I also need to show why these things matter and what their practical application is.

In general the title of the 39 articles says they are for:

… for the avoiding of diversities of opinions and
for the establishing of consent touching true religion

Noble aims: unity & truth.

I'm starting to think, though, that one sermon on the 1st Article is pretty impossible:

Article 1: Of faith in the Holy Trinity

There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker, and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in the unity of this Godhead there be three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.


So much there! That gives you maybe 2.5 mins on impassibility in your 30 min sermon, if you're lucky.

In particular, does anyone have any tips on preaching the simplicity and impassibility of God? How would you explain "God... without parts, passions"? Is there one text for each you'd turn people to? And a main practical application?

Which bit of the article should I do the children's talk on?

In fact, I wonder if the Article might not give us a sermon series. Something like:

(1) The One God
(2) The Living God
(3) The True God

(3) The Everlasting God - The Eternality of God
(4) The God without a body - The Spirituality of God (or is there a better way of putting that?)
(5) The God without parts - The Simplicity of God

(6) God's infinite power
(7) God's infinite wisdom
(8) God's infinite goodness

(9) God the Maker
(10) God the Preserver

(11) The Three Persons: Father, Son and Spirit
(12) The Trinity: One in Substance, power and eternity

Do you think there's enough material for each of these sermons? Would they all be worth doing? Or should they be broken down more: e.g. a sermon on homoousios, God the Preserver of the invisible things, and so on?

Any thoughts or tips or things I can plagarise or look at, most welcome.

4 comments:

Neil Jeffers said...

Wow! Lucky Holy Trinity, Eastbourne.


I always found MO and DF's explanation of simplicity helpful. If you cut off my arm/hair/nose/ear etc., I'm still Neil Jeffers. If you cut anything out of God (not that you could precisely because he's simple), he wouldn't be God anymore. Or, we are made up of bits, God is not. This also helpfully ties God's incorporeality to his simplicity.

In terms of application, you could show what happens when you abandon simplicity: God is PRIMARILY love - open theism; God is PRIMARILY just - he's not very nice is he?

I think incorporeality would be more commonly used than 'spirituality.'

Aseity doesn't have a c in it. Important lest we confuse it with asceticism. Aseity from a se: from himself.

Marc Lloyd said...

Thank you, Jeffers. Most helpful and erudite as ever.

So I could do a children's talk where I take a lego man apart or cut up a potato or something?

Ros said...

Is there enough material for a sermon for each point? Well, you were in Puritans, weren't you? I'd say there's enough material to preach for the rest of your life should you so choose.

Marc Lloyd said...

Yes, true enough. I suppose I meant could I manage it, not could John Owen!!!