The Church Evolves...

My friend Rosalie Richards came to see me last weekend. You may remember, she preached at my celebration of ministry. We had a couple of nice days together, both late nights of chatting as well as a shared day of meditation and reading (kind of like parallel play!)


Rose shared with me that the eighth ecumenical council of 869 held in Constantinople was concerned with whether we are body, soul, and spirit - or simply body and soul.


The Ecumenical Councils, held in what is now Turkey, included Christian Bishops of varying faiths that came together to agree on universal Church doctrine, to create peace, and were attended by anywhere from 150 - 500 leaders depending on the year. Different faiths today  recognize different meetings as legitimate. There have been 21 gatherings over nearly 1900 years…


But getting back to 869: apparently the decision was made that we are body and soul. (Removing Spirit)


And perhaps this theological decision has influenced us much more than we know. Making us Two-fold rather than three-fold (paraphrasing Rosalie Richards).


We say that “praying shapes believing”… and while it may sound backwards… I’m sure many of us feel that how we were taught to pray as children had a big effect on what we came to believe about God - or even pushed us to stop believing for awhile…


We talk about God as being a Trinity - but we think of ourselves as body and soul…



But we actually struggle so much with this duality. We often expect our body to just do its thing and play along. If we yearn for a healthier body we delve into discipline: mind over matter.


We live in a world of duality: things are easier when they are black and white, partisan, this or that… God is in Heaven…while we are on Earth…


The particularity of Spirit as part of our humanity may challenge us. Spirit belongs to the realm of the Kingdom. It is mystical. And that makes us uncomfortable (R.R.) because after all we are grounded here on Earth…


right?


It is why the transfiguration can feel challenging.


The Transfiguration of Jesus is a mystical experience. We aren’t that comfortable with it - even though we say we believe in the Holy Spirit.


The Transfiguration is about a cosmic frame of reference, a reference to the Kingdom that does exist. Something that fills us with Awe… and like the disciples, may also terrify us.


I was taken by this moment of terror. It is the first time that I focused on Jesus’ response.
I do not recall ever noticing that Jesus doesn’t know what to say!


(Jesus always seems to have something to say.)


“He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’” 


Jesus doesn’t know what to say. But he models listening.


Then what Jesus does say to Peter, James, and John is: Don’t tell anybody! Not until after the Son of Man has risen from the dead. He wants the people to listen to him as a man; as one of them, as the Son of Man.


The disciples’ mystical experience might terrify others too - or worse confuse Jesus’ message: interpret Jesus' healing message with a message of power.


Jesus was avoiding human power; the temptation. Don't tell them yet - not before the deeper understanding of his identity - and the identity of his followers as the Body of Christ.


—-


Yesterday, I was at the installation of our new Bishop, Matthew Heyd, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. It was a packed house, which means a couple thousand (at least) were in attendance.


The body of Christ. We are the church.


The guest preacher, Winnie Varghese’s sermon had one theme. The Question:


“Does the Church have anything to say to the world at this time?”


We cannot presume to know what God is saying, but we as the Body of Christ, the Church do have something to say.


The Body of Christ has existed for two thousand years - and it evolves and grows and shifts and changes, as it must. God is not static and our lives in God are not static.
Thank God!


God the Trinity is moving, always filling up, and self emptying in a dynamic flow of giving and receiving:  God to Human Son, to Spirit.  What does this dynamism look like today in our lives - in the church, and in the world?


I would disagree with the decision of 869. If we are made in the image of God - then we are also three-fold. We also belong to the Kingdom in this mystical relationship that recognizes spirit as energy… the spirit in and of our lives.


What are we being called to?


Are we listening?


What does the church have to say at this time?


It’s not about telling the world who God is - What God says…it’s about listening for the Spirit of God in our hearts - and in this generation -


What do we have to bring to this generation?


——-


In our diocese there is a five year mission review that the diocese is undergoing, now that we have a new Bishop - and they put out two questions for us to consider at our annual meetings.


They want us to answer these questions as a group ( if possible) so while you’re sitting at your tables, maybe eating, and you have a few minutes you could look at these -
Just two questions. I’ve put them on the flip side of the agenda.

1. “If we are going to experience renewal in our community, we need to…

1. The second one, very similar: “If we are going to experience renewal in our community, we need to stop…”

We’re gonna collect them - I’ll compile them. They want me to send them to the diocese. They really just want a one sentence answers…


…based on your listening, your witnessing to the needs of this generation… If you all have the energy to do that, please do.
and consider …what the spirit of our church has to offer in service to the dynamism of God, working in our lives.


So if we can let go of the fear - perhaps the terror -


What would you have the church say to the World today?