Conceive

A sermon at Emmaus in the middle of a series on the Apostles’ Creed called “Creed: What Christians Believe and Why it Matters.”

There’s a church in New Jersey called Nassau Church.  It sits on the edge of a college campus along this busy downtown street.  You walk from the street outside, up the wide stairs, between these Roman pillars, through the front doors and a small foyer, and you’re standing in the back of the sanctuary – It’s one big rectangular room.  Rows of pews facing the front, stained glass windows along both sides.  You’d expect to see a large organ framing the pulpit (it’s that type of church) but instead there’s text on the wall that says, “the Lord is nigh unto all them that call on him.”  There’s a balcony that goes all the way around both sides.  The choir stands in the back on the balcony, so they’re right above you when you first walk through the doors.  Can you picture it?

It’s 2001 and I’m sitting in a pew about 10 rows back and we’re 30 minutes into the service when Lauren McPheters (one of the pastors) stands at the pulpit, and with this unwavering, booming voice, says: “People of God, what do you believe?” And all at once, everyone stands up and declares with 400 voices that sound like one…