Just a little lunch time ramble
The Henri Nouwen Bread for the Journey site made these two postings on the church. Good food for thought. I realize how secluded I get in the church life where I live with this language, its stories, and forget that others might not share this insider knowledge. I am thinking of a confirmation student this week who said he wanted to know more about the Bible and said that when he hears the scriptures being read on Sunday morning, he has no idea of what is being said. He probably speaks a lot of truth and I (and the church) need to get out more, or at least see how we are (or are not) coming across.
I don't want to just be "of" the church. I want to see Jesus in the church and beyond the church. I might need to get Biblical and see Jesus in
the hungry, the outcast. the sick, the prisoner...(the Matthew 25 Christ). I might have to get out of the church to see and be that church.

Church, Not of It
Often we hear the remark that we have live in the world without being of the world. But it may be more difficult to be in the Church without being of the Church. Being of the Church means being so preoccupied by and involved in the many ecclesial affairs and clerical "ins and outs" that we are no longer focused on Jesus. The Church then blinds us from what we came to see and deafens us to what we came to hear. Still, it is in the Church that Christ dwells, invites us to his table, and speaks to us words of eternal love.

Being in the Church without being of it is a great spiritual challenge.


The Church, God's People
As Jesus was one human person among many, the Church is one organization among many. And just as there may have been people with more attractive appearances than Jesus, there may be many organizations that are a lot better run than the Church. But Jesus is the Christ appearing among us to reveal God's love, and the Church is his people called together to make his presence visible in today's world.

Would we have recognized Jesus as the Christ if we had met him many years ago? Are we able to recognize him today in his body, the Church? We are asked to make a leap of faith. If we dare to do it our eyes will be opened and we will see the glory of God.


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