John 14:1-15

Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And whither I go, you know the way. Thomas said unto him, Lord, we know not where you are going; how can we know the way? Jesus said unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also: from henceforth you know him, and have seen him. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it will satisfy us. Jesus said to him, Have I been so long time with you, and you do not know me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, Show us the Father? Do you not know that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me does His works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very work's sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, that will I do. If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

The topic I wish to present to you today is concerning the doctrine of Uses and its relationship to the purpose of human existence.

Our New Church writings teach us that there must be a balance of faith and works in our life if we desire to live a truly Christian life. Also, that belief is not a single idea and statement such as "Jesus is my Savior", which although being true requires other ideas and other beliefs; about Christ, about eternal life and about humanity, in order for it to become really meaningful in our life. If all we required for salvation is a single statement of faith, then that is all there would be in the Bible. All else, that is written there, would be irrelevant, and would only serve to confuse us. Instead there are literally thousands of stories and lessons, ideas and truths to be learned and upon which we can build our faith. According to the "Synopsis of the Four Gospels" Edited by Kurt Aland, there are 367 pericope's or distinct stories and lessons in the four Gospels alone. The purpose of the Word of God (Bible) is to describe His kingdom in heaven and on earth, not to give a single statement of belief. All of the Bible is relevant to our spiritual growth. By the same token, a single act or work such as declaring in public that we believe in Jesus Christ, by itself, will not bring about salvation. All of our work and activity, indeed all of our life, is relevant to our salvation.

The New Church teaches that salvation given to us by the Lord is not an instantaneous or one time experience but rather is a process that goes on throughout our life. It involves our whole life. As we learn more about God and His heavenly kingdom our belief increases. As we take what we learn, and act on it, or work with it, according to the truth that we come to understand, then the good in our life increases.

We readily recognize certain highlights, or times when we seem to take significant leaps forward in our faith, in our understanding and in our relationship to God and our fellow humans. But what about the rest of our life? What about those lengthy periods of daily chores and routine activities? Does that time and those activities account for anything in our spiritual growth and development? How dreary it is to suppose that most of our life is spent in just "putting in time". If we are really put here on this earth for a purpose then everything we do must contribute to that purpose. I am reminded of the words of Helen Keller in her book, My Religion (more recently published as Light in My Darkness); "Sick or well, blind or seeing, bond or free, we are here for a purpose. We please God better with useful deeds than with many prayers or pious resignation." I think also of Christ's challenge that if we understand the truth or the laws of God then we should go out and do them.

How can we begin to see the value of all the simple daily activities we do and often repeat over and over again? How can we see the value and contribution to spiritual and personal growth in time spent not doing "work" as we usually classify it. Many people find retirement very difficult because their so-called "work" is finished and they feel that the productive aspect of their life is over. But this need not be the case. 

In our teachings there is much written about the concept of "use" . In the book, Divine Love and Wisdom it is stated that "everything that love does it calls use". In Apocalypse Explained it is said, "Everything in heaven, in the world, and in the human body both great and small, was created from use, in use, and for use." If we look at all the things that we do in terms of their use, then we can begin to get an idea of the real significance of the things we do. When we examine some common activity like sweeping the floor, or planting the garden and think of the use being served we can always see some value in it. First of all is the contribution the sweeping makes to cleanliness and the development of a healthy environment for us to live in. But more interestingly, it can tell us something about our-self. Something about our personality, some insight into our character, how we are feeling at the time. Do we sweep the floor lovingly, taking pleasure in the appearance created and the absence of dirt, or do we sweep it begrudgingly and see it as a waste of time and energy.

Several years ago I built an arbor for our garden. I think the construction of it has been a good example, for me, of the doctrine of uses and how it works. Now this project did not begin just two weeks before I completed it. In thinking about it, I believe that the first time I looked at the garden in our backyard, which was almost five years earlier, I visualized an arbor there at the entrance. Over the years, Shirley and I discussed building something there, and one fall I went and bought a pile of lumber that I figured to use to build it. The next spring, when I wanted to begin the work on it, I tried in vain to draw some plans but they did not represent, very well, the picture in my mind. Shirley shared my vision, and found exactly what we wanted in "Mr. Chips 101 Plans". So then I could begin building with a stronger sense of being able to complete the project. Besides, the book said that it would take very little time. To quote Mr. Chips, "Here's an afternoon of rewarding work all laid out for you. A, climbing trellis to add shade and interest to your backyard. Follow the plan carefully and you'll wind up with a handsome piece of workmanship everyone will appreciate."

There was also a nice materials list given with the instructions and I quickly learned that the materials I had bought eight months earlier were not the same dimensions as the ones on the list, so right away I had a problem. Do I get all new material or do I adjust the plans to fit the pieces? Needless to say, my "one afternoon of rewarding work" turned into many, many hours of what at times has seemed more like "hard labor".

"What," you may ask, "has this to do with 'uses' or spiritual growth and development? First of all; what is the use of the arbor? Now that it stands in place we can see how it is a support for vines and flowers that adds beauty and an element of peace to the backyard. More than that, we can see the use of each board as it was shaped to fit in place and give strength and form to the whole structure. The tree from which the boards were cut is fulfilling some part of its use. The work of people at the sawmill and the glue factory is fulfilling its ultimate use; for without their contribution the arbor would never have taken shape and stood where it does today. Our arbor gives meaning to the work of the others, who supplied the materials, and to Mr. Chips, who drew the plans. The full use of the completed structure has come over the years as people sit in it and enjoy the garden and fresh air. In a sense, it has become a significant place, perhaps even what we might consider a 'sacred space.' Added to this, there is the use seen in the work of building the structure. The physical exercise and fresh outside air was probably good for my health and physical well being. But what can be seen in terms of personal growth? Wilson Van Dusen, in his little book called "Uses" says that, "The Divine response in manual labor is often to be shown how to do the work better or to learn of one's own personal faults". He says that, " Use means essentially spiritual function, and that it also has an immensely concrete or practical aspect to it, as well as a personal or spiritual aspect. In uses we can view the whole of creation in both concrete and spiritual terms." So in building the arbor I learned several things about myself. For one that planning and waiting until the right time can be very rewarding. Also that by making a definite commitment, such as buying materials in the fall, I was able to assure that the project would go ahead at sometime. I think I see some elements of flexibility in being able to adapt my materials to someone else's plans. None of this was anticipated or expected when I started out but that is one of the nice things about USES, they pop up in the oddest places when you least expect them.

"The Lord's Kingdom is such that everyone must perform a use. Nothing but use is regarded by the Lord in His Kingdom. Even the infernal must perform a use. (AC1097) No person is ever born for the sake of any other end than that he may perform a use to the society in which he is, and to the neighbor, while he is in the world; and a use in the other life according to the good pleasure of the Lord. Just as in the human body everything must perform a use. AC 1103.

And so we can find the use in everything we do if we look for it with a positive point of view. It is there in our leisure activities, in our work, and in all things that we often regard as being of little or no value.

Music: In the Meadow
© 1999 Bruce DeBoer

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