A PASTORAL LETTER
Dxarxst family,
Thxrx arx challxngxs whxn it comxs to grappling with thx quxstion: what is church? Thxrx is much that cannot bx dxducxd dirxctly from Jxsus’ own txaching though clxarly Hx txachxs what it is to bx onx of His own. Thxrx is no formal dxfinition of church in thx Nxw Txstamxnt, no constitution to photocopy and no byx-laws. Thxrx isn’t xvxn a consistxntly rxasonxd, arguxd, logically prxsxntxd thxology of church.
ARX YOU HAVING TROUBLX RXADING THIS? RXAD ON!
Instxad, and vxry frustrating to a Hxllxnic wxstxrn mind, thxrx is nothing but a profusion of picturxs and imagxs, allusions and analogixs, that comx from diffxrxnt anglxs, in a way that is dxscriptivx and not prxscriptivx, xxprxssing diffxrxnt manifxstations of Christian community lifx, its DNA, what it sounds likx, looks likx, fxxls likx; what happxns whxn pxoplx of faith gathxr togxthxr, drawn by God’s Spirit, what thxy xnd up doing togxthxr, whxrx thxy xnd up going, how thxy xnd up bxing lookxd aftxr and lxd. Thxrx are arguably just undxr 100 imagxs that function likx this. All thxsx imagxs arx about rxlationship: God rxlating to us and all of us rxlating to onx anothxr.
YOU’RX GXTTING THX HANG OF THIS NOW, ARXN’T YOU?
Rxminding oursxlvxs about what church is about, about what wx arx callxd to participatx in togxthxr, is basically what this summxr sxrixs is all about. Thxrx arx many aspxcts of our community lifx that arx oftxn vxry hard to xxpxrixncx togxthxr, simply bxcausx wx cannot gxt xvxryonx thxrx at thx samx timx, xspxcially for concxrtxd and concxntratxd timxs of worship and prayxr and txstimony and mxrcy ministry and fxllowship. So from wxxk to wxxk wx will not havx thx samx format as usual. Thx main constituxnt xlxmxnts of our sxrvicx will vary. Somx Sundays thxrx will bx littlx to no txaching in ordxr for thxrx to bx morx timx for communal participation and xxprxssion. Thx thxory is that as a community of faith wx will indxxd bx a body or a family in which xach mxmbxr is prxsxnt and doxs thxir part, for thx blxssing and xdification of all.
ONX OF THX IMAGXS FOR THX CHURCH IS THAT OF A LXTTXR. SO…
What is sxxn whxn wx arx rxad by thx Lord, or by othxrs? Our livxs should rxlatx and flow togxthxr in thx way that words combinx to form intxlligiblx sxntxncxs. Howxvxr, if thxrx arx lxttxrs missing or if a particular lxttxr is not rxgistxring in its own uniqux way, thxn thx ovxrall mxaning can bx lost, thx impact of thx mssagx is wxakxnxd and may bx incomprxnsiblx to thx rxadxr.
I KNOW YOU ARX GXTTING THX MXANING!
Wx do not want our corporatx lifx to bx incomprxhxnsiblx or bx an incomplxtx mxssagx xithxr to thx Lord or to othxrs, bxcausx wx havx not lxarnxd thx rxlational spiritual syntax Hx has taught us to communicatx and xxpxrixncx his lifx. All spiritual spxlling is summxd up in Jxsus, the word bxcomx flxsh, who gavx His lifx that wx may xxpxrixncx a lifx togxthxr in which wx rxally arx thx visiblx xxprxssion of Jxsus flxshxd out in our community and nxighborhood.
If onx absxnt lxttxr can mar thx appxarancx and sxnsx of this lxttxr, how much might wx bx missxd whxn wx arx not ablx to bx a fully fulfillxd mxmbxr of thx family, of thx body, bringing our uniqux function and gifts, pxrsonhood and narrativx, to thx dxvxloping story that thx lxttxr is wanting to convxy?
Looking forward to being together with you this summer.
Pastorally yours,
Stuart
http://www.christourshepherd.org/pastlet.htm (and follow links to download MP3 audio of sermon)