A TOP-DOWN FAITH

The phrase “from the top down” is often used to denote a hierarchical system of management or governance. The will and beliefs and directives of those “at the top” are imposed—sometimes aggressively, sometimes even oppressively—on those below. From the top town.

We have entered the second half of the Church Year, the half that focuses on the teachings of the Christian faith. We will see that Christianity is very much a top-down faith. Christian teachings come “from the top down,” but not in the sense that those teachings are oppressively imposed on us. When we call Christianity a “top-down faith,” we mean that it tells us things about God that are so beautiful and good—teachings that couldn’t possibly have originated from human thinking. The Christian faith contains teachings that are so wonderful that we would never even believe them unless God himself revealed their truthfulness to us. So, God sent his Spirit from heaven to earth—from the top down—to empower his children to believe that which would otherwise be totally unbelievable.

Holy Trinity – First Sunday after Pentecost: Only a Triune God Can Deliver What Only a Triune God Can Offer

Second Sunday after Pentecost: Rest Is a Gift, Not Something to Be Earned

Third Sunday after Pentecost: The Devil Does His Worst, Yet Jesus Always Wins

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: From the Tiniest Seed Grows the Largest Kingdom

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost: Our Gracious God Is with Us through All the Storms of Life

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost: The Living Lord Completely Changes Our View of Death