Musings Along Lifes Way
Over the last weeks we have been exploring the disciplines that make us the church. So far, we have explored the themes of diversity, healing and hospitality. This coming Sunday our emphasis will be the discipline of worship, our gathering as the community of Christ each week to worship God.
Worship is our weekly gathering as the Church. In worship, our hearts rise from closed to open and we become a people whose concerns rise from me (concern for and identity with oneself) to we (concern for and identity with others). Within the crucible of worship, through our encounter with God and one another, we the Body of Christ is gathered, God's love is embodied within the Christian Community.
Heart: from closed to open. (2 Cor.6:13, open wide your hearts)
In worship, we move from having a closed to having an open heart. This means that in the encounter with God and one another our suspicions are laid aside, and we know that the rest we find in life is found in gentle assurance of God's presence encountered through music, prayer, word and sacrament. As hearts open the love of God rushes in and fills us with a joy that comes from God alone. With open hearts we find our true home in God.
The foundations of community: from me to we.
Finding our true home in God we discover that we are present to one another in a deep and intimate way. In God our community is one of other concern rather than self concern. God's love, present in our togetherness moves within our hearts as our struggles, sufferings and pains become something that we can carry together, in community. In this way we move from me and mine to we and ours. We carry one another in God's love.
Our worship gathering is a crucible, a place where we are made into who we are. As such, worship is foundational to our lives and to our community. That's why we gather each week -- to become again who we are: the Body of Christ.
I look forward to seeing you all in worship this Sunday. The Samoan congregation will be with us and we will celebrate communion.
Blessings,
David
Worship is our weekly gathering as the Church. In worship, our hearts rise from closed to open and we become a people whose concerns rise from me (concern for and identity with oneself) to we (concern for and identity with others). Within the crucible of worship, through our encounter with God and one another, we the Body of Christ is gathered, God's love is embodied within the Christian Community.
Heart: from closed to open. (2 Cor.6:13, open wide your hearts)
In worship, we move from having a closed to having an open heart. This means that in the encounter with God and one another our suspicions are laid aside, and we know that the rest we find in life is found in gentle assurance of God's presence encountered through music, prayer, word and sacrament. As hearts open the love of God rushes in and fills us with a joy that comes from God alone. With open hearts we find our true home in God.
The foundations of community: from me to we.
Finding our true home in God we discover that we are present to one another in a deep and intimate way. In God our community is one of other concern rather than self concern. God's love, present in our togetherness moves within our hearts as our struggles, sufferings and pains become something that we can carry together, in community. In this way we move from me and mine to we and ours. We carry one another in God's love.
Our worship gathering is a crucible, a place where we are made into who we are. As such, worship is foundational to our lives and to our community. That's why we gather each week -- to become again who we are: the Body of Christ.
I look forward to seeing you all in worship this Sunday. The Samoan congregation will be with us and we will celebrate communion.
Blessings,
David
posted by Online Coordinator at Tuesday, May 01, 2007
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