[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church on 22nd October 2020]
History, or rather Wikipedia, records that on this day in 451 the Chalcedonian Creed was adopted by the ecumenical Council of Chalcedon. Many Christians will be aware of the earlier ecumenical councils at Nicaea and Constantinople which resulted in the Nicene Creed – a statement of faith that is still used in many churches today.
The council at Chalcedon was intended to issue a statement defining the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ. This it did, but the resulting document has neither the simplicity nor the wider acceptance of earlier creeds. The records of the proceedings reveal a great deal of dispute between people who considered themselves to have some authority in the churches of the time, and led to further divisions between different branches of the church – not what was expected.
On this day in 1844 the followers of American pastor William Miller expected to see Christ return in His second advent. Some had even sold their possessions in anticipation. Miller had done a great deal of research into the Old Testament prophecies and had concluded that they all pointed to that date. Unfortunately he had apparently overlooked Christ’s own statement recorded in Mark 13:
But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
On this day in 1887, coal miners in Blantyre went to work as usual, expecting to return home at the end of their shift; 207 died following an explosion of gases underground. In 2005, 117 people boarded a plane in Lagos, expecting to arrive safely in Abuja. The plane crashed; there were no survivors.
What will history record about this date in 2020? Do you have great expectations for this day? Are you afraid that it may turn out to be a day of great disappointment? Proverbs 16 v3-4 advises us:
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end”.
Is this talk of disappointment depressing? Here is an antidote:
“This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
