First Presbyterian Church
Marianna, Florida
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Sermon by Huw Christopher, Pastor

Scripture Readings: John 16:12-15
                                Romans 5:1-5
Sermon Title: “Living as the Children of God Filled with God’s Peace 
and Love”
Sermon Text: Romans 5:1-2: Therefore, since we are justified by faith, 
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom 
we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in 
our hope of sharing the glory of God.

	Beginning this evening fifteen young people, along with five adults from 
this congregation, will be participating this week in the Montreat Youth 
Conference. Next Sunday as they lead us in worship here we will have the 
opportunity to think with them about the theme of this year’s conference, “Turning 
the Page.”
As we think about turning the pages of history here in Marianna I am sure 
that last night, June 2, 2007 will be one of those nights that will go down in the 
history of this community.  This will happen if for no other reason than for two 
events which did not even happen here in Marianna but which are directly related 
to the story of this community.  The one that will receive the most attention and 
publicity occurred in Grand Junction, Colorado where the Chipola College Men’s 
Baseball team ended a phenomenal athletic year for Chipola College by winning 
the JUCO World Series, thus giving to the College their first ever National 
Baseball Championship.  This victory combines with four State championships this 
year, and the Women’s Softball national championship last month.
The second event, which I am sure will receive far less attention in the 
media in this community, took place at Rocky Creek Presbyterian Church in 
Jefferson, South Carolina when Stephenie Maddox Hill was ordained as a Minister 
of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Stephenie in this way 
joins a long line of people raised in this congregation who have been ordained as 
Ministers of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  I know 
that there are many of you have been here much longer than I have, and may be 
ready to correct me after this service but as far as I am aware Stephenie made 
history last night in being the first young lady raised in this congregation to be 
ordained in this way.   
Last night Stephenie was ordained by a Commission from the Presbytery of 
New Harmony in South Carolina.  In this way she also turned over a very 
significant page in her own life story.  As she did so, the first question that she 
would have been asked was, “Do you trust in Jesus Christ your Savior, 
acknowledge him Lord of all and Head of the Church, and through him believe in 
one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit?”  If this question sounds familiar it is 
because it was not some unique question thought up by the people of that 
Presbytery in South Carolina.  It is the first question that is asked to all people as 
they turn over pages in their life stories as they come to be ordained or installed as 
Elders, Deacons or Ministers of Word and Sacrament throughout the Presbyterian 
Church (U.S.A.)
When we think about it the wording of this question is significant in the way 
in which it affirms the centrality of Jesus Christ for our faith as Christian men and 
women.  This, of course, is very obvious.  Our very name of Christian begins with 
the name of Christ.  As we affirm that we are Christians we are not saying simply 
that with 91% of the population of this country in a recent Newsweek poll “we 
believe in God.”  (Newsweek March 30, 2007)  We are affirming rather that we 
believe in God in a specific way, namely, the way in which God has chosen to 
reveal God’s self to this world in Jesus Christ.  
The opening words of our familiar creeds may speak of God the Father 
Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, but we remember that we have 
confidence to call the great Creator God, Father, only because Jesus has told us to 
do so. It is not as we look at the world of nature or the beauty and bounty of 
creation but only as we look at Jesus Christ that we have the assurance that the 
Creator God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things visible and 
invisible, desires an intimate, loving relationship with us, and is concerned about 
us so that we can call upon him for protection as we will do later in the service as 
we sing that famous Navy Hymn. It is through the love that God has shown for the 
whole world and for each one of us in Jesus Christ that we can know that we do 
not need to live in fear of the Father Almighty but that we can have peace with 
God, as we live in the assurance that our sins are forgiven, and know that nothing 
can stand between us and a loving relationship with God.  
As we listen to the words of Jesus to his disciples prior to his death he makes 
clear that the very reason that the Holy Spirit will be given to them is not for some 
new insights and esoteric reasons, but that they might personally come to 
appreciate even more the truth of all that he had spoken to them and done for them 
while he had been with them. Without Jesus Christ and all he has done the Holy 
Spirit would not be needed.  Paul reminds us that what was true for those first 
disciples is true for us today. The love of God seen in Jesus Christ now has been 
made personal to each one of us as it has been poured into our hearts through the 
Holy Spirit that has been given to us.  This, says Paul, is why our hope in God does 
not disappoint us. 
That first question asked to Stephenie last night, and asked to all elders, 
deacons and Ministers of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 
reminds us of the centrality of Jesus Christ for our faith. On this Trinity Sunday as 
we come to this Table to remember him we come to see that we cannot fully 
appreciate who he is, and what it means for us to be the children of God, until 
through him we come to believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  
Today we come to this table and so respond to his invitation “to do this in 
remembrance of me” by saying in the words of our anthem, “I will remember 
Thee,” As we prepare to come to this table, let us affirm again all that 
remembering Jesus means to us as we affirm our faith today using one of the oldest 
and most universally used creeds of the Christian Church, the Nicene Creed.  Let 
us stand and affirm our faith together using the ecumenical version of the creed as 
found on page 15 in the front of the Presbyterian Hymnal:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, 
of all that is, seen and unseen;
We believe one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of 
the Father, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not 
made, 
of one Being with the Father; though him all things were made. For us and for 
our salvation, came down from heaven, was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of 
the Virgin Mary, and became truly human.  For our sake he was crucified for 
us under Pontius Pilate. he suffered death and was buried. On the third day 
he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven, and 
is seated on the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to 
judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from 
the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and 
glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe one holy catholic 
and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of 
sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to 
come. Amen.

Prayer Hymn for the Protection of the Triune God No. 562                             Melita
                                      “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”
 
 
 
 


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