Still praying and pondering

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.” Job 19:25
What will you stand up for no matter what? You know, what is that which you won’t compromise on, give up on? I’m talking about what you think in your religion or in your world that you won’t ever, ever, never, compromise on?
What is ultimately what you will stand on? What will you never give up, never give in about?
There has to be something. Even atheists believe something. They believe there is no God. There, something to believe in. Nothing.
Yeah, thought so.
See, my denomination’s every four-year national and international General Conference kicks off Tuesday in Portland, Ore.
They will be discussing and discussing and cussing and such over tons of important lines that are in our “Book of Discipline.” There’s everything from human sexuality provisions to what is a pastor up for debate and such.
I’m not here this morning to debate anything, except, except I would love to know what is the rock-solid belief you will not give up on no matter the circumstances.
Yeah, thought so. Somewhere buried back in the corners of our minds is something that we won’t give up on.
Oh, in my home state, they’re arguing over flags and bathrooms. Let me repeat, flags and bathrooms.
In other words, while their children are starving and leaving school at a laughingly sad rate, there are states ready to fall on a metaphorical (I think) sword over flags and bathrooms and/or wedding cakes.
Yeah, thought so. It’s simply not worth the fight. You can’t fix crazy.
Look, it is easy to make fun of some things that the “other side” believes. But eventually, as time crawls past, there will come a point where the ultimate rock-solid belief will be hit and that’s when the stuff hits the fan.
I’m not sure we’re not closing in on it right now.
If you’re a Christian, I suspect you’re wondering what that point might be.
Let’s do some searching.
Tell me what you can throw away as unnecessary.
We ask, “do you believe in God?”
We can make sure everyone understands by saying, “Do you believe in the Christian God or the Judeo-Christian God?”
But we’ll get around to it. And the answer is: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.”
We ask, do you believe in Jesus Christ?”
And again believers respond, “we believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.”
Finally, we ask, “do you believe in the Holy Spirit?”
Finally, the believers respond:  “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”
Can you throw away any of those statements, beliefs, creeds?
Notice very carefully that we’ve been saying this stuff for hundreds upon hundreds of years.
I can’t. Really can’t. The virgin birth, conceived by the Holy Spirit, leaping ahead to Pontius Pilate and the crucifixion, to the resurrection.
Heck, I believe each and every one of them. They are fundamentally important to me.
What I’ve decided, after much prayer and pondering, is I’m not smart enough to eliminate things Jesus said in the red-lettering in one of my old Bibles. So, I’m not. Just not.
I’m just going to have to continue to pray and ponder.
Billy Turner is a pastor of the United Methodist denomination and a retired journalist.