30 October 2006

Today we will begin a series focusing on "The Body of Christ" in "Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The first disciples lived in the bodily presence of and in communion with Jesus. What is the significance of this fact, and in what way does this community still exist for us? Paul states that through baptism we have become members of the body of Christ....
It tells us that those who are baptized are still meant to live, even after the Lord's death and resurrection, in the bodily presence of and community with Jesus. For those who belong to him, Jesus' departure does not mean a loss but rather a new gift.

I have been very attracted to the description of the community as one meant to live "in the bodily presence of and community with Jesus." This is no shelter or withdrawal from the middle of the everyday life of the world. Rather, if we are the bodily "presence of...Jesus" our life together is the life of the one we call Jesus for we are, after the resurrection, his body. Now that would be a radical notion for a mission statement of a congregation. And yet, I don't think we consider ourselves as living in the presence of Jesus. Too often, Jesus' presence and being in community with Jesus comes to mean that we are forgiven of sins and now can go about our business as usual. And yes, we are a forgiven people. That is because we are baptized in Christ, Jesus. We have moved into and through his death and now we live on the other side - within the resurrection presence of our Lord. The church therefore - the local community of Jesus - the congregation, is called to be alive in the way Jesus was among us - and still is...in, with, and under the life of the body of Christ. Too often people will say that we cannot be like Jesus. That usually means I, personally, cannot be like Jesus. Well, we are quite blessed because it is the whole community that is that body. It is the whole gathering of the followers of Jesus that present us with such an amazing potential and grace.

Connection: Life within the local congregation is a life shaped through the action of the whole body that follows Jesus. Such a image calls forth a bit of risk - like a lead of faith - as we do not shy away from the way Jesus would have us be present to others.

We gather under the name of the Lord, Jesus, and are called to walk within the pathway of the cross. Lord of all hopefulness, encourage us and remind us to look beyond ourselves to see how your loving presence is made known through the whole body. Amen.