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From the Pastor… November 2009
God Is Still Speaking
“The Pillars of the Church” by Henry Nouwen taken from his book “Bread for the Journey”
“The two main sacraments, baptism and the Eucharist, are the spiritual pillars of the Church. They are not simply instruments by which the Church exercises its ministry. They are not just means by which we become and remain members of the Church but belong to the essence of the Church. Without these sacraments there is no Church. The Church is the body of Christ fashioned by baptism and the Eucharist. When people are baptised in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and when they gather around the table of Christ and receive his Body and Blood, they become the people of God, called the Church.”
Our spiritual awareness with each other is found through the covenant of baptism and eucharist. We covenant to grow, work, and support each other through baptism whether it is the baptism of a newborn or fellow believer. Through that baptism we are marked by the sacredness of God’s living grace, cleansed of our sins, held blameless until the end of time. Through the eucharist, the gifts of bread and the cup, our sins are realized, forgiven, and forgotten. We drink of the cup of new life, eternal life, in Christ jesus who died for our sins and set us free. Free to choose, to makes choices, to live as brother and sister. Nowhere in baptism are we called to make judgement on each other nor to judge one another. Nowhere through the eucharist are we called to judge each other or ourselves. We are set free in Christ Jesus from our earthly selves and called to be disciples to spread the word to the world.
During the recent World Communion Snday worship folks were invited to re-visit their baptism in a private moment with the Holy Spirit. Through the cleansing power of the baptism font and its living waters people were invited to ask for forgiveness, to ask for healing, and allowed to let their hurts and injuries go. I have heard many comments of how special and meaningful those moments were, each one unique and different for the one speaking. I was also asked to do it again… soon.
The Church as we know it is changing. What it will look like tomorrow is anyone’s guess. What is important is that as its members it is crucial for us to remember and remind each other that the “Church” is a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints.” There is no single member within the community that is more or less than any other. We do not gather to judge each other nor to be judged. We gather to celebrate God’s grace in baptism and eucharist. Perhaps, I should offer the journey to the baptism font and eucharist every worship? Perhaps that would remind us that we are all children of God regardless of race, creed, or tongue, regardless of political alinement or gender orientation, regardless of lifer or new-comer… we are “ALL” children of god.
There is much ministry to be accomplished within our church. There is much healing that needs to take place, folks that need to forgive each other, past memories that need to be let go, new ideas that need to be embraced, encouraged, and cherished. We all enjoy change when it happens to someone else but not within ourselves. Perhaps we need to focus on changing ourselves so that others will enjoy the change along with us? This new life is possible through baptism and the eucharist, the pillars of the church, where we are made one, commune as one, and become the one body of Christ, his Church!
See you in worship! And remember to invite someone you know to join us in worship as well. Pastor Mark
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