ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 3, 2025
While on Sabbatical, I am hoping to attend as many churches as I can, simply because it’s not something I get to do very often. This past Sunday, I attended a church where I know the pastor, and I was really impressed and blessed by the sermon. In the service, we sang the song: Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart, a song I’ve sung many times. But as I sat there, the words struck me in a way that they had never done before. There are the lines:
And now let the weak say ‘I am strong’,
let the poor say ‘I am rich’,
because of what the Lord has done for us…
On one level, it almost seems arrogant for us to sing those words, especially when there are those sitting in our midst who are weak and those who are poor. When I’m feeling strong and there is a little money in the checking account after all the bills have been paid, it can feel as if I’m a bit oblivious to those who walked into the sanctuary feeling powerless and frail and afraid about their economic circumstances. This is where church must understand the necessity and responsibility of embodying what it declares. How do we provide strength to the one who is feeling weak? How do we help create security for those who are feeling the fear that comes with economic insecurity?
In the Book of James, a question is asked: “If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?” (2:15-16).
It’s a daily challenge that we face. While none of us will ever achieve perfection in embodying the high ideals we proclaim, we must be thoughtful, intentional, and open to the Spirit’s critique when it’s warranted.
O Living Christ, I seek to be your disciple in more than just words. With that hope, I recognize the challenges and demands placed upon my life. I am overwhelmed by your love and goodness, yet it’s never enough to simply be on the receiving end of such gifts. It is the challenge that comes with living in your grace, a challenge of bringing to life that amazing gift for others. May it be so! Amen.
