© 1994 Meredith Sprunger
© 1994 The Christian Fellowship of Students of The Urantia Book
Last fall Dr. Richard L. Hamm, the new president of the Disciples of Christ, delivered a sermon at the First Christian Church in Fort Wayne, where he was formerly pastor. I wish every church member in America could have heard it. Dr. Hamm referred to an early Disciple minister, Walter Scott, whose sermon, “A Five Finger Exercise,” helped structure the church’s message. If I remember correctly, the “five fingers” were: Faith, the Bible, Repentance, Baptism, and the Holy Spirit.
In his sermon, Dick proposed “A New Five Finger Exercise.” The new criteria of truth he advanced was: the Bible, Reason, Experience, Tradition, and the Holy Spirit. He eloquently pointed out that using any single criterion alone can result in erroneous conclusions, such as the doctrine of the inerrancy of scripture or the dominance of outmoded traditions. The church, he emphasized, must use all of these criteria in creative tension and balance to seek out the creative path of spiritual truth.
We need the foundational guidance of revelation at the base of our endeavors. Unless we use the highest standards of reason in shaping our faith, it is likely to become a sloppy mishmash of euphemisms, otherworldly mysticism, or even irrational dogmatism. Sound religious practices must always be guided by and responsive to experience. Although there is a tendency for liberal religionists to reject tradition, the wisdom of historic group experience has authentic contributions to make to the present. Finally, the most important and most difficult criterion to ascertain in determining the will of God is the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
In this spiritually perceptive sermon, Dr. Hamm emphasized in large measure, unknowingly no doubt, the basic philosophic-theologic message of The Urantia Book. I wish all ministers had this unparalleled source of spiritual wisdom as a resource in their teaching and preaching. I believe that in time, this will happen.