The Communion of Saints

I bow my knee unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named (Eph. 3:14, 15).

In the Apostles’ Creed you often say: “I believe … in the communion of saints.” Do you so believe? “Yes, perhaps,” someone replies. “But really I do not know what it means.” For no small part of the answer turn to Ephesians, Paul’s epistle about Christ and the Church. In our text he starts with saints in glory, and we can do no better. Christians believe in communion, or fellowship, with hosts of God’s redeemed children now in glory.

I. Saints in Glory. In a first-class hymnal the 15 songs under the heading “Communion of Saints,” all have to do with the children of God in glory. Here we enter a realm of mystery, of light, also of experience. A recent novel by Agnes Sligh Turnbull, The Day Must Dawn, tells of a pioneer mother who in middle age lies down to die. Listen to the way she comforts her daughter, a comely maiden soon to become an adult.

“I’ll never be far away from you. It’s been that way with my own mother. A dozen times a day, like, it has always come to me: ‘That’s the way mother did,’ or else, ‘I can just hear mother say that!’ You never really lose your mother, my child, not when you love her. So don’t you grieve.”

II. Saints Throughout the World. As redeemed children of the God who loves the world, so do we. Many of the saints whom we know by name we never yet have seen, but as lovers of world missions we have much in common with hosts of believers now witnessing and suffering for him, among them Alan Paton in South Africa. Through current writings and in other ways, you may come to know a certain woman missionary in Pakistan even better than the good neighbor next door.

III. Saints Here at Home. Alas, at times believers in God become so farsighted as not to see the saintliness of a loved one in the family circle, nor in the home church. Not at least until the loved one falls asleep and leaves in home and church an abiding influence like that of heaven. Do you as a Protestant ever think of a saint as a holy person long ago and far away? If so, may the Lord open your eyes to behold, here and now, some of God’s most beloved holy ones.

My friend, as a member of a godly home and of a Christian church, you may here and now enter into loving fellowship with the whole family of God’s redeemed children. In this happy fellowship you will find many of earth’s purest joys, and in the world to come you will enter into eternal bliss that God has prepared for everyone who by faith belongs to God in the redeemed family of Christ Jesus.

Scripture In The Schoolroom?

RECENT U.S. DISTRICT COURT DECISION—A special three-judge Federal district court in Philadelphia … held that the Pennsylvania statute requiring the daily reading of ten verses of the Holy Bible interfered with the free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.… None of this means that the court is anti-religious. It was simply adhering to the opinion … that “both religion and government can best work to achieve their lofty aims if each is left free from the other within its respective sphere.” Pennsylvania should now be satisfied that this is the safest rule.—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

WHAT THE COURT SAID—The reading of the verses, even without comment, possesses a devotional and religious character and constitutes in effect a religious observance.… The fact that some pupils, or theoretically all pupils, might be excused from attendance does not mitigate the obligatory nature of the ceremony.… Since the statute requires the reading of the “Holy Bible,” a Christian document, the practice … prefers the Christian religion.—Circuit Judge Biggs in Schempp v. School District of Abington Township, Pennsylvania (1962).

OBJECTION TO NON-PARTICIPATION—An excusatory provision divides children into religious groups so that instead of being American children, they become Protestant children, Catholic children, Jewish children and non-believing children.—Dr. Leo Pfeffer, associate general counsel of the American Jewish Congress, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

EARLY ILLINOIS CASE—Christianity is a religion. The Catholic church and the various Protestant churches are sects of that religion.… Protestants will not accept the Douay Bible as representing the inspired word of God.… Conversely, Catholics will not accept King James’ version.… The reading of the Bible in school is instruction.… They cannot hear the Scriptures read without being instructed as to the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Trinity, the resurrection, baptism, predestination, a future state of punishments and rewards.… Granting that instruction on any one of the subjects is desirable, yet the sects do not agree on what instruction shall be given. Any instruction on any one of the subjects is necessarily sectarian, because, while it may be consistent with the doctrines of one or many of the sects, it will be inconsistent with the doctrine of one or more of them.—People ex rel. Ring v. Board of Education (1910).

WEIGHT OF PAST OPINIONS—In most of the jurisdictions in which the question has arisen, the courts have given judicial approval to Bible reading, without note or comment, in the public schools.—45 American Law Reports, 2d, p. 748.

EARLY MASSACHUSETTS CASE—The Bible has long been in our common schools.… It was placed there as the book best adapted from which to “teach children and youth the principles of piety, justice, and a sacred regard to truth, love for their country, humanity, and a universal benevolence, sobriety, moderation, and temperance.… To read the Bible in school for these and like purposes, or to require it to be read without sectarian explanations, is no interference with religious liberty.—Commonwealth ex rel. Wall v. Cooke (1859).

RECENT DECISION OF MARYLAND’S HIGHEST COURT—As we see it, neither the First nor the Fourteenth Amendment was intended to stifle all rapport between religion and government.… particularly because the appellant-student in this case was not compelled to participate in or attend the program he claims is offensive to him, we hold that the opening exercises do not violate the religious clauses of the First Amendment.—Judge Horney for the majority in Murray v. Curlett (1962).

A ROMAN CATHOLIC VIEW—… Mere Bible reading, like the mere reading of anything else, is … poor education. Whether it is read as literature or as an exposition of doctrine, it needs comment. That comment should be given by a teacher of the pupil’s choice, in school hours on school grounds. Otherwise, Bible reading in the public schools is purely a sectarian practice.—The Register.

EDUCATOR’S RECOMMENDATION—To exclude from the school experience all references to the Deity with reverence and belief would be to make the schools mechanistic and essentially materialistic in character. To prohibit any expression of a religious nature could ultimately destroy confidence in public education in a national community with deep religious commitments.… To prohibit reference to the Deity in any school exercise would be a restraint upon the rights and privileges of most children and their parents.—Recommendation of Carl F. Hansen, District of Columbia Superintendent of Schools, to Board of Education to retain present non-compulsory opening exercises consisting of the salute to the flag, a reading from the Bible without note or comment, and the Lord’s Prayer (April 18, 1962).

AN EDITORIAL REACTION—We fully agree with the views expressed by School Superintendent Hansen.… The values derived from the program outweigh the objections which can be cited in individual cases.—The Sunday Star (Washington, D.C.).

THE FINAL AUTHORITY—It remains for the Supreme Court to say the last word in a controversy which goes … to the philosophical deeps.—Baltimore Sun.

WHAT JESUS SAID—Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.—Luke 11:28.

THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD—The holy scriptures … are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly [thoroughly] furnished unto all good works.—2 Tim. 3:15–17.

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