You've got 15 seconds to sum up the Christian Faith. Go!

I came across a blog post the other day. It was written by Dr. Gary Hansen, Associate Professor of Church History at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. UDTS is one of our Presbyterian-related seminaries. The particular post that Gary wrote was entitled, "What Christians Believe in 15 Seconds." This is how he begins this piece:

You are talking with your co-worker from the next cubicle over coffee. She knows you are active in a church. She is in a season of searching. 

"What is Christianity actually all about?" she asks. "I mean, what do you believe?" 

She really wants to know. You really want to tell her. Three problems:

• You have about fifteen seconds before your break is over - the big stuff always happens at the door, right? 

• She does not want an in depth dissertation - she'll listen for about fifteen seconds. 

• You have been a Christian surrounded by Christians your whole life - if you've never been asked, maybe you don't know what to say.

What would you say? How would you respond in this kind of situation? In other words, what would be your "elevator speech" to this woman? 

Interestingly, Gary takes us to the Heidelberg Catechism, one of the documents in the Presbyterian Church's Book of Confessions, which is Part I of our Church Constitution. (Part II is the Book of Order.) This particular document is one of three catechisms in our confessional tradition. A catechism is simply a statement of faith, like a creed or confession, but that is structured in question and answer form. Gary points to the second Q&A as a way to answer this query:

"Q. 2. How many things must you know that you may live and die in the blessedness of this comfort? 

A. Three. First, the greatness of my sin and wretchedness. Second, how I am freed from all my sins and their wretched consequences. Third, what gratitude I owe to God for such redemption." 

As he sums it up, "guilt, grace, and gratitude."

1. We live in brokenness in our lives, our relationships, and our world.
2. God's grace is freely and generously extended to us in the midst of our human condition.
3. Our response is to live lives that demonstrate our gratitude to God for such love and forgiveness.

Years ago I challenged the members of the Committee on Preparation for Ministry that I chaired in the Presbytery I was in then. "We require each of the seminary students under our care to write a Statement of Faith, expressing their own beliefs, and to do that in one page. If we ask them to do that, I'd invite each of us to do that as well." No one took me up on the challenge. However, I wrote my own page. The challenge of distilling this radically into an "elevator speech," when you literally have only a few seconds to share with someone what you believe... well, what would you say?