Flash Forward
The sermon text for this Sunday is Ephesians 1:20-23 and the title of my sermon is "Imagining the Church." I want to wrap up the series on the church that I began in October. I must say that I have learned a good deal through preparing for this series and, frankly, have discovered that my theology of the church--my ecclesiology--has been seriously deficient. I have been reading several Greek Orthodox theologians over the past year or two, and have found their ecclesiology enormously helpful.
In Orthodox theologian's, John Zizioulas' book, Being and Communion, I have found a very helpful discussion on the church. He emphasizes the importance not only of Jesus, but of the Holy Spirit in the origin and constitution of the church. He writes, "The Spirit is not something that 'animates' a Church which already somehow exists. The Spirit makes the Church be. [The work of the Holy Spirit] does not refer to the well-being but to the very being of the church. It is not about a dynamism which is added to the essence of the Church. It is the very essence of the Church" (p. 132).
I think we tend to think of the church as we do of other organizations, a collection, and aggregation of people. The church is the body of Christ and is so not on the basis of people deciding to worship together, but on the basis of Jesus Christ through whom the church is "in-stitued" and on the basis of the Holy Spirit through whom the church is "con-stituted" (p. 140). Since we tend to have an anemic or impoverished view of the church, we don't imagine much, and as a result of that we don't accomplish much.
In Orthodox theologian's, John Zizioulas' book, Being and Communion, I have found a very helpful discussion on the church. He emphasizes the importance not only of Jesus, but of the Holy Spirit in the origin and constitution of the church. He writes, "The Spirit is not something that 'animates' a Church which already somehow exists. The Spirit makes the Church be. [The work of the Holy Spirit] does not refer to the well-being but to the very being of the church. It is not about a dynamism which is added to the essence of the Church. It is the very essence of the Church" (p. 132).
I think we tend to think of the church as we do of other organizations, a collection, and aggregation of people. The church is the body of Christ and is so not on the basis of people deciding to worship together, but on the basis of Jesus Christ through whom the church is "in-stitued" and on the basis of the Holy Spirit through whom the church is "con-stituted" (p. 140). Since we tend to have an anemic or impoverished view of the church, we don't imagine much, and as a result of that we don't accomplish much.
posted by UCC Medfield at 6:14 AM
1 Comments:
There is a scripture in Isaiah that talks about the how the "word that comes from Gods mouth will acheive the purpose for which it is sent". I can't remember the exact wording but I think its in chapter 40. I love that scripture because it reminds me that the spirit is alive and active and ther is such great power and hope in that.
The idea that God will achieve his goals and in a way that the Bible is the nourishment and the Spirit is the translator of that power in our lives.
Right now I get great encouragement from that thought because the world is so crazy. It also helps me when I try to help a friend and they dont want to hear what God wants for them or how he can help. I think I will pray and God will use his spirit to move.
Within the church I think there is less inertia when we are letting the spirit move allowing ourselves to challenged to go beyond ourselves and really build the church.
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