As one who constantly asks the question, "What might I do differently?" I often wonder if this blog needs a different title. The title, "Practically Christian" was not meant to convey almost being Christian but practical, day to day reflections, observations, questions, and, inspiration for our day to day Christian life. The practice of Christianity is an experiential process because we believe in an incarnate God, a God who lived among us and who now lives with us. Theory, scripture, theology, are all important foundations and our beginning point to know about the life of Christ. But to know the life of Christ, we must live in His Way.
That is why I am so intrigued by Mark 10:35-45. It speaks of Christ's sacrifice, our life, remembrance and baptism all in one passage. With these four points of reference, we are in a good place to live the Christian life.
The invitation to James and John through cup and baptism, which I believe is addressed to every disciple of every generation, "simultaneously looks backward and forward." (Feast on the Word, Year B, Vol. 4, P. 193). God has prepared the way that Jesus and the disciples have walked together - symbolized in the cup of sacrifice and the remembrance of Jesus, and God prepared the way they will walk together in the future, symbolized by baptism as the new covenant of forgiveness sealed in Christ's sacrifice.
For the way God prepared, based on this passage, baptism is not possible before the gift of new life through Christ and Christ's teaching to his disciples about the meaning of his gift of life comes from that remembrance meal of bread and cup.
That could lead to the conclusion that sacrifice, remembrance, and cup precede forgiveness so that our practice could proceed from cup to baptism.
Yet the church celebrates these sacraments in the order they happened to Jesus. Jesus began his public ministry in baptism so we begin our ministry, our life in Christ, through baptism. Jesus ended his life with his sacrifice for forgiveness and we conclude, some say culminate, the weekly observance of our Christian life by receiving the bread and wine. We are accustomed to this pattern so it feels right.
Today there is much discussion about "Open Table" or "Open Communion." The canons of the Episcopal Church state that all baptized Christians may receive communion, meaning anyone baptized in the name of the Trinity, can receive. That means from infant baptism onward throughout one's life. Many churches, St. John's included, adopted the practice of inviting everyone to the table as a seeker of Christ, "Open Communion." This meaning that Christ's presence is known to us in the bread and cup in the same way his presence healed the woman who touched the hem of his garment. Seeking is receiving.
From this passage from Mark, we could also say that through the cup we are part of Christ's sacrifice and through baptism be are part of the new covenant created in his death and resurrection. Jesus didn't designate a pattern for us based on the time line of his life but instead offered a way into his life by remembrance and baptism.
For me, I am asking what does the church need to do differently regarding our formation through cup and baptism. I believe we need to teach about the Baptismal Covenant as a foundational guide to being "practically christian." The covenant guides parents when an infant is baptized for being Christian parents and it guides everyone on living in Christ's Way of Life. Baptism is a celebration of continuity of faith, uniting families across the generations in their shared ways of faith, love, and togetherness. But as a church community, when we leave most of the meaning at infant baptism, we are leaving out most of the meaning for the rest of us.
I am reflecting on, "What do I need to do to teach differently?"
Reflecting on the every day, practical dimensions of faith. Practices to shape our lives each day as followers of Christ. Stories to share our practical experiences of wisdom, faith, hope, and love.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Be Yourself! II
As the reflection concluded yesterday, be yourself has both a individual aspect and a community aspect. As a Christian person, be yourself means living in the Way of Christ each and every day. But as Jim Wallis of Sojourners has said, "religion is personal but never private." As a Christian person, be yourself is the connection to your faith community. Picture a circle as our faith lives flow from personal to community from community to personal. Is a both/and process.
This year at St. John's we are being community as Good Stewards of God's creation. Our accountability to one another is to care for what we love. We care for our community not only through the ministries that claim our passions, our hearts, but also through the ministries that others offer. We are accountable to one another for the spaces in which we worship and serve. We are accountable to one another for those who support our ministries, teach the faith, and, feed us through the sacraments. We are accountable to one another for our diversity in worship, growing economic and cultural diversity, and, education for all ages.
"Where your heart is there will your treasure be also." Reflect today on the question, what is one ministry at St. John's, our your own parish, that you treasure. Then, think of five other people you know in the congregation who would choose a different ministry as their treasure.
This year at St. John's we are being community as Good Stewards of God's creation. Our accountability to one another is to care for what we love. We care for our community not only through the ministries that claim our passions, our hearts, but also through the ministries that others offer. We are accountable to one another for the spaces in which we worship and serve. We are accountable to one another for those who support our ministries, teach the faith, and, feed us through the sacraments. We are accountable to one another for our diversity in worship, growing economic and cultural diversity, and, education for all ages.
"Where your heart is there will your treasure be also." Reflect today on the question, what is one ministry at St. John's, our your own parish, that you treasure. Then, think of five other people you know in the congregation who would choose a different ministry as their treasure.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Be Yourself!
Be Yourself reflections will continue to look as different aspects of Mark 10:35-45.
The writer and flamboyant personality, Oscar Wilde is quoted as saying, "Be yourself, even one else is taken!"
Be yourself, well who else would you be? Who else are you trying to be? We can diminish the God called self we were created to be and try to be someone else.
James and John in the Gospel passage from Mark 10-35-45 are trying to be something that they are not. Their misunderstanding seems almost tragically comical that Jesus' life is about power and recognition. They ask that one of them may sit at Jesus' right hand and the other on his left when he comes into his glory. Their request follows Jesus' third teaching that his servant life will end by death on a cross. And, as any reader/listener of Mark would know, the ones on Jesus' left and right at the crucifixion were criminals.
Jesus gives them another way into his teaching. Clearly they are not fully understanding the life that will come through Jesus death or that they as disciples will share that life with others. So, he asks them, can you drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism with which is I baptized? The cup is the covenant of forgiveness created Jesus's death and resurrection. The baptism is the covenant sealed when a disciple promises to follow Jesus in The Way of life he taught.
Jesus challenges them to be themselves in both the God called life that they experience in Jesus and in the community they will help teach and nurture. For in the Christian life, Be yourself has both dimensions: individual and community. The Cup, the covenant of forgiveness is for all; The Baptism, shaping ones life in the covenant of Jesus' new life is for all. Neither can be fully lived alone nor without a community.
Reflect day on the two covenants you live within: forgiveness and new life. What dimensions are individual and what dimensions are found in your life with your faith community.
The writer and flamboyant personality, Oscar Wilde is quoted as saying, "Be yourself, even one else is taken!"
Be yourself, well who else would you be? Who else are you trying to be? We can diminish the God called self we were created to be and try to be someone else.
James and John in the Gospel passage from Mark 10-35-45 are trying to be something that they are not. Their misunderstanding seems almost tragically comical that Jesus' life is about power and recognition. They ask that one of them may sit at Jesus' right hand and the other on his left when he comes into his glory. Their request follows Jesus' third teaching that his servant life will end by death on a cross. And, as any reader/listener of Mark would know, the ones on Jesus' left and right at the crucifixion were criminals.
Jesus gives them another way into his teaching. Clearly they are not fully understanding the life that will come through Jesus death or that they as disciples will share that life with others. So, he asks them, can you drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism with which is I baptized? The cup is the covenant of forgiveness created Jesus's death and resurrection. The baptism is the covenant sealed when a disciple promises to follow Jesus in The Way of life he taught.
Jesus challenges them to be themselves in both the God called life that they experience in Jesus and in the community they will help teach and nurture. For in the Christian life, Be yourself has both dimensions: individual and community. The Cup, the covenant of forgiveness is for all; The Baptism, shaping ones life in the covenant of Jesus' new life is for all. Neither can be fully lived alone nor without a community.
Reflect day on the two covenants you live within: forgiveness and new life. What dimensions are individual and what dimensions are found in your life with your faith community.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)