Why Bother Physically Gathering With The Church During a Pandemic?

Sunday, March 22, 2020, the entire diocese gathered on line to virtually participate in liturgy and to hear from the Bishop of the diocese. Beginning on that date congregations were no longer permitted to physically gather because of Covid-19 restrictions and a pandemic that brought the entire world to a standstill. Countless people have been adversely affected by the virus itself, the physical distancing restrictions, and the economic fallout. Covid-19 is with us for the foreseeable future. We are all still adjusting, recovering and longing for reconnecting in the community. And although fatigued with physical distancing, and opening up our “bubbles” to more people, we have to be vigilant in maintaining government social distancing directions if we want to keep our families safe in and through our still uncertain future. 

 

That being said, the churches of our diocese have now been given permission to reopen to physical gathering liturgy starting on Sunday, September 13. As of that date, it was six months since the church last physically gathered and shared in the Holy Communion together. Personally, I so miss being with the gathered church, and I so miss sharing in the Holy Eucharist, the Body of Christ. But when the list of church restrictions was sent out, my first thought was “why bother going to church?”

 

No touching. No socializing. No singing. Wearing masks. Sitting six feet apart. Ushered in. Ushered out. No human contact. These restrictions in no way reflect the church that has for so long nurtured my soul in warm and deeply connected community.

 

But as I thought about it more and got past my initial reactions, I realized the absolute value of physically gathering with the church, even with the pandemic restrictions. 

 

There is value in listening to the beauty of the music…with others physically present. 

There is value in hearing the Word of God…with others physically present. 

There is value in sharing the Eucharist…with others physically present.

There is value in being lovingly present to God…with others physically present.

There is value in being lovingly present to others…with others physically present.

 

The energy and love of our physical presence, in the context of liturgy when we are together opening our hearts up to the larger life of Christ, invites and facilitates deep and transformative human contact. 

 

In a pandemic or not, there are not too many places like a gathered and loving church, that can have such a necessary and positive effect on your body and soul from the physical and loving presence of others. 

 

There are those because of age, illness or some other personal reason, that will choose to continue to join the church on line beyond September 13. For others of us, it is time to come back to the gathered church that we have been missing for six long months. And there are others again, who may have come to know the church in a new way on line, and may feel drawn to meet that church in person. Either way, the church has an essential role in the well being of our society, and it is worth the bother of getting Back To Church.

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?

There is not a more important question that we can ask ourselves.

Jesus holds the key to life.

Jesus shows us the Christ which is the most important reality that we need to come to know.

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

- Who does the culture around us think that Jesus of Nazareth is?

- A good man, a healer, a prophet, a historical figure that has no relevance today, etc.

“But who do you say that I am?”

What does Scripture tell us? “In the beginning was the Word…”

What does Tradition tell us? That God is Trinity.

What does Reason tell us? That all of life comes from God and is connected.

What does Experience tell us? That to be in Love is to be in Christ.

Christ is the answer to all humanity’s questions.

Christ is the only response fully capable of satisfying the desire of the human heart.

Christ is our life, our life is Christ’s life!

“I am in the Father and the Father is in me. I am in you, and you are in me.”

To know and experience who Christ is, is the KEY to the Kingdom of God, the fullness of life. 

“I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The Church has the Keys to Life: forgiveness, reconciliation, and Loving Union with God and each other.

The Church’s (you and me) mission is to use the keys that have been entrusted to us.

We need to enter kingdom living ourselves - repentance, forgiveness, Union with God and all of creation.  And then, out of our deepening experience, we are to invite and draw others into that very same Kingdom of Love.

In Jesus of Nazareth, God is made flesh.

IN YOU AND I GOD IS MADE FLESH.

Christ is drawing us into His life of love that knows no end.

Christ has given us the responsibility to draw others into that same life right now.

Let us commit our whole life to the mission and ministry of 

Knowing Christ and to making Christ known.

Who Am I?

“Who am I?”

Jesus asks.

“Who are you?”

is the same question.

I am not

my aging and failing 

body.

I am not

my fearful and judging

ego.

I am not

my fragmented and dualistic

mind.

I am

who you are.

You are

who I am.

Can you imagine that?

We share

the same

Deep Mind

of Christ,

our deepest

and truest Self,

Love made flesh

in me, in you.

Spiritual Hunger and Thirst

Proper 18, Year A, 2 August 2020

Matt 14:13-21; Is 55:1-3; Rom 8:35, 37-39

The Gospel story of the feeding of the 5000 is about many things.

• it is about the large crowd recognizing their need for Jesus, his healing presence and words of wisdom.
• It is about the miracle of so many people being fed with what seemed to be so little. 
• It is a foreshadowing of the Holy Eucharist, where Jesus breaks bread and feeds our souls. 
• It is a story about our need for God.

Having said that, bodily hunger and thirst are primal and necessary needs.

We notice our bodies when it needs food, and we eat to satisfy that need.

We notice when our bodies are thirsty, and we drink to satisfy that need. 

Yet, when you have eaten all you can eat, and drunk all that you can drink, if you listen closely, you will notice a deeper hunger and thirst that food and water cannot satisfy. 

The prophet Isaiah says “Thus says the Lord: All who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk!…Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.” 

Isaiah is saying that, more than physical food, water and material needs, we have spiritual hunger and thirst. 

We are spiritual beings, and we are created to need God. 

Until you begin to recognize this spiritual or inner need, and to respond to it, there will always be something missing in your life. 

You cannot be complete or made whole without responding to your need for God, your need for Christ. 

St.Paul says in our reading today [read the passage] that nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This “love of God” is our deepest need.

This “love of God” is our deepest hunger.

This “love of God” is our deepest thirst. 

It is how you are made.

It is how you are created. 

It is not negotiable. 

You can deny or repress this deep need. But that only makes you a fool, and it short changes you and those around you of the more of life, the more of love. 

So, for those of you who are spiritually hungry, come.

For those of you who are spiritually thirsty, come. 

Like the 5000 in our Gospel story, let us come to Jesus, who will open to us the Christ life, which alone will satisfy our deepest need       to        be       in         love.