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In case the above link to Henri Nouwen’s Daily Meditation doesn’t work:
Monday October 21, 2013
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.
My Commentary:
I think the last two sentences of today meditation are truly worth ruminating upon: “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.” If is that conditional which just like the law, challenges us into discernment and motivation. If we dared to preach the Good News faithfully to our flock leaving in the full power of GRACE—obedience, response, intentionality and transformation… How would today’s surround culture respond? There’s a lot of cheap grace, health-wealth gospel around diluting the efficacy of the Word which is something we need to collectively fight! Witness, prophecy, evangelism are those scary words that dare us to live GRACE with our eyes opened to reveal the Glory of God to the world!
We must remember that Jesus taught us to be lights on a hill. He asked us to leave father and mother, family… He asked us to pick up our crosses and follow him. He asked us to fish for people! Discipleship as the Body isn’t something just the pastor or the church does… Discipleship is something we do together through servant leadership as the priesthood of all believers! IF your DARE to boldly witness in a world with an attitude of “if you can’t beat ‘um, join ‘um;” you will be taking up the cost of discipleship needed! Urgency and agency are the motivation and activity we are all called to be doing for the sake of the Gospel. Living in the light of GRACE requires taking on the If’s with “an I can” attitude. The church as a fellowship is to restore itself as a culture dedicated to Christ as its center. It is to be a training ground to go into the world with a transformed heart to spiritual transform the world for the Glory and Will of God!
God Bless Your Mondays!
Nicole Collins
The image below is a design I helped to create for the discipleship project at my former parish a couple of years ago.
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