Message from Bob Henderson Thursday, April 13, 2017
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Dear friends:
Albert Einstein spent the last 22 years of his life at 112 Mercer Street in Princeton, New Jersey, right across the street from Princeton Theological Seminary. During his years there, the seminary decided to move its chapel, a lovely little Greek Revival box, not very large.
 Einstein was among those on hand to watch the moving operation, quite a sight even though it was only going a few hundred yards across campus. The story has it that as he watched Miller Chapel slowly lumber by, Einstein quipped, "I hope they don't think they can keep God in that little box."
It was a keen observation in which Einstein (inadvertently?) affirmed a classic Christian doctrine: everything Jesus Christ shows us about God is wholly true, but what Jesus shows us is not the entire truth about God. That is to say, even though what Jesus shows us about God is trustworthy, God will always remain bigger than anything we are capable of knowing about God.
It's a refined theology of Easter. Despite all appearances to the contrary, the resurrection of Jesus claims that God is stronger than death, stronger than cancer, stronger than Sarin nerve agent, stronger than poverty, stronger than terrorists, stronger than crosses. Thus, death will never have the last word.
But in our story this weekend (click here to read it), Jesus also says to Mary "Do not hold me," warning against the human impulse to limit and define, to build a box around this God, to be so sure of our particular understanding of faith, our beliefs, our convictions, that we limit a God who always transcends full understanding and cannot be confined.
We will explore this polarity in all services on Sunday (rumor has it there will be available seats at the 8:45 a.m. Chapel and 11 a.m. Fellowship Hall services) and enjoy great music, beautiful flowers and other festivities.
- Tonight at 7 p.m., our Contemporary Worship Team will lead a creative re-telling of the Last Supper and Betrayal.
- On Friday at 7 p.m., our Chancel Choir will lead a service of Tenebrae with selections spanning from 16th century English works to an African-American spiritual.
- And, of course, the 10 a.m. children's service on Saturday will bring joy, laughter and - out on the Circle -- many animals!
Join us, and bring a friend,
Bob Henderson, senior minister
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Worship Services this Sunday (click for bulletins)
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Traditional
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Contemporary
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Bob Henderson preaching
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Bob Henderson
preaching
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Bob Henderson preaching
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Bob Henderson
preaching
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