Sacramentality
Last week I wrote about all the special events that are on our horizon and while those are all very exciting, my heart was truly gladdened this past Sunday as we shared so many of the “normal” parts of church life. We had lots of kiddos in Sunday school. The choir was wonderful. There was a great group for adult Sunday school and we had a wonderful conversation about the Gospel of John. And Coffee Hour on the lawn was the perfect end to the morning.
As I have been studying John in preparation for our discussions, one of the common themes throughout is how God works within the framework of creation to show love for us and be in relationship with us. Jesus so often uses tactile things to enact the kingdom of God in the midst of those who followed him. It is no coincidence that the two most sacred things we do together, Baptism and Communion, involve simple outward and visible signs (water, bread, and wine) to point to the gift of spiritual grace.
When we gather, though, the grace of God is not confined to those specific communal acts of worship. God’s love and presence spill over into all the other things we do together to make us whole as the body of the faithful. This is what I have been thinking about since Sunday. It was wonderful to talk about the Gospel of John with others who wanted to mine therein the profound revelation of who Jesus is. It was heartwarming to see a full nursery and kiddos running around at coffee hour. It was just wonderful to share in the week in and week out movements of how we gather. To God be the glory and may we always remember that it is God’s grace and love that bind us together.
We love you and God loves you,
Josh Condon+