““Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)”
Our identity is set! We are children of God, disciples of Christ, and workers for the sake of God’s mission. It is God’s mission that shapes the day to day live of God’s people. This mission begins with a clear understanding that God wants to have a relationship with us by becoming one of us in Jesus Christ. Listen to Jesus, watch him in action, as we have done this Easter season, and there can be no doubt as to God’s intent.
Understanding this intent does not happen by itself. That is why we move from Easter into Pentecost as we shift from the work of Christ to the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the one who through the Word and the sacraments makes the story of Jesus known to us, telling us of Christ and the gifts he brings.
One of those gifts is the holy, catholic church. The church is “holy” because the Spirit is holy and the Spirit makes the church. The church is “catholic” or “universal” because it is made up of all the people the Spirit called and gathered throughout the world to make Christ known and to give Christ’s gifts: Lutherans and Roman Catholics, Presbyterians and Methodists, Christians of every shape and size.
This gathering of Christians of every shape and size is the “communion of saints.” The Spirit loves company and is always gathering us together with other people. This gathering isn’t an accident, it is the work of the Spirit who uses the Word and sacraments to give us the certainty of faith. It is a ministry that we have to each other.
Over the past year, Covid 19 has severely impacted our ability to fulfill this ministry and gather as the church. Now that vaccines are available and in the arms of more and more members we can begin to think of reclaiming this important component of our faith.
As cases and deaths from this dreadful disease decline the “Return to Worship Safely Committee” will make recommendations regarding in-person worship, singing, fellowship, and yes even coffee and potlucks. None of this will be complete without you. As these opportunities return and you feel safe, please gather with us as we celebrate “being the body of Christ and individually members of it.”
In Christ,
Pastor Dan