We continue with pieces from “Holy People” by Gordon Lathrop.
The practice of Christian holiness, then, has a two-fold character. It involves the continuous reconstitution of an assembly in communion with all the other assemblies of Christians, a continual rediscovery of the force of the biblical name – “the holy assembly of God” – as applied to this gathering, and a constant extension into daily life of practices learned in the focal practice of the gathering. It involves seriousness about the meeting and what flows from the meeting.
We meet and we engage. In the time when we worship, all time is touched and all time is renewed. Therefore, when we leave our place of assembly the character of the Word and the Sacraments shapes our character within the daily dynamics of our day. I appreciated that we are reminded that our worship is not merely our worship as in one place or building. Rather, the whole Church in every place gathers and nurtures the gracious presence of God’s beloved. We are a body that is not meant to over run or rule the world, we go out to make peace, to give up our lives for others, to welcome those who have no place or no people to support them and thus we add a character of grace to the world that is always trying to find a source of power to rule rather than to serve. In the warring madness of our world it would be good to look at how the Church takes the Good News of the community in worship out into the anxiety that tries to find security through the logic of the powers of our world. We meet and engage…in the grace and peace of Christ, Jesus.
Connection: Where fear and anxiety is met this day, take a moment to return to the Word of God shared within the community at worship, then step back into the context of fear and anxiety with another voice…the voice of peace.
When you send us our into the world, O God of New Life, you send us out carrying the banner of the resurrection so that we will be reminded that no power within this world can over power you word of loving kindness, mercy and compassion for all. When we are overwhelmed, continue to whisper your love to us so that in that still, small voice, we will be encouraged. Amen.
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