Tuesday, 27 April, 2004

We continue with pieces from “Holy People” by Gordon Lathrop.



One encounters the presence of Jesus Christ in the word and sacrament at the heart of the meeting and this presence transforms the meeting, pulling its participants to be where Jesus Christ is, with the world in its need.



If you don’t want to be pulled into the blessed Reign of God – stay away from worship. I know that many want to march right into the Reign of God because we have a sense of how it is to be set up and what it is to look like. But, on the contrary, we would tend to run from its open doors because those doors are as open as the one who was slaughtered so that they would indeed be open – for all. The pulling is done by the Holy Spirit…even as we try to run away. Within that room…that space…that sanctuary we are present in the midst of Jesus’ real presence and that position knows no bounds for it is wrapped within an embrace of love that is visible in the bread & wine, the font, and the cross as it leads us into and through the Lamb’s High Feast.



Connection: It is good to be pulled into the domain of God’s grace in Christ, Jesus. It will bring us into the world of this day in a way that we may not have traveled if it was simply up to us.



Blessed Lord of the Banquet, it is by your grace that we stumble and then stand in the presence of all your saints. You support us and move us and call us by name so that your name might be announced through our lives this day. Be for us that encouragement to live within the needs of this world as you yourself have been known. Amen.