This week I attended the Diocese of Virginia’s 215th Annual Diocesan Council, held in Reston, Virginia. The theme of this year’s council was – "The Church is One Foundation." This is such an appropriate theme as the Diocese of Virginia continues the unfortunate litigation process regarding our property with those 11 break away parishes. I was reminded at council of our need to live, worship and exist in community. At the heart of Jesus’ ministry, community was important. For Christ, not only was gathering his followers around him an essential part of his ministry, but embracing diversity was vital as well; and what a diverse group of disciples he called to service! Jesus had a band of people from all walks of life serving as his Apostles. Through his band of followers, Jesus created a microcosm and model of the Christian community. He called and welcomed a tax collector, a Zealot, ordinary fishermen and even a traitor into his community of followers. What does this say about Christianity when even those who have bad intentions are allowed into the community of faith? It tells us that we are all welcome and that God loves the sinner. God welcomes the hurt, the oppressed, the sick, the lost, the outcast and loathed people. Jesus opened the community up to us all in order to redeem us all.
Still, how quickly we forget what it means to be a Christian. How easily we forsake community for individuality. How ever so subtly we become a club of exclusiveness, rather than a community of inclusiveness. From our roots we Christians have always been a diverse bunch. The reason we live together despite our petty arguments, disagreements and differences is that we are formed in Christ Jesus our Lord. He is at the center of our lives and faith. Jesus is truly the “Sure Foundation” that bonds us together providing the common ground for us to stand and gather.
If we are to grow as a community of faith and carry the Gospel message to all nations, we need to learn to accept each other for who God created us. While it is alright to recognize and even discuss our differences, in the end it is vital to the Church Universal that we embrace one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, laying aside the divisive need to be right or prove others wrong. There is no room for that kind of behavior in the economy of God.
“The Church is One Foundation with Jesus Christ her Lord” and she stands in magnificent beauty despite the threats of schism and sin's wicked stain. I encourage us to look at Jesus’ disciples and their diversity. I encourage us to look at the church and the diversity of her membership. I encourage us to look in the mirror and know that while we are a unique being, formed in the image of God, so are others; even those people we may not like or understand. As the Christian community we are founded on Jesus Christ our Lord, anything else is just a bad substitute.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Trinity Wall Street Conference Center Chapel
Our prayers rise like incense into heaven
Church of the Good Shepherd, Augusta, Ga.
"...And the sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night."
Posts
2 comments:
You KNOW I agree. But it's RestON, not RestIN.
It is perhaps over used that the Church is a hospital for sinners. I agree there is a large diversity of sinners. There is also a diversity of sinners, who have accepted the Christ, repented of their sins, and attempt to amend their life. Christ tells the women caught in adultery to go and sin no more, and this should be the message of the Church. When the Episcopal Church in Virginia call holy that which Holy Scripture calls sin that is not a petty disagreement.
Post a Comment