Dear Faith Family,
Whether offering a structured center as it does in Van Gogh's painting above or a series of activities and ambitions around which to organize our lives as it does in our part of the world, "church'" plays a significant role in our life of faith. There is no arguing it. Yet, perhaps because of its significance, even conscientious attempts to examine the proper place and purpose of "church" feel like an affront to our history or the experiences of our sisters and brothers in the faith, a criticism of something sacred. But isn't that our habit as humans to idolize the means over the end? After all, our scriptures exhort us to grow up into Jesus, not church:
"we are to grow up in every way into Him
who is the head [of the body], into Christ"
(Ephesians 4:15)
While, as we've said the last couple of weeks, the church is neither the goal of our faith nor even the primary "place" where our faith matures, that doesn't mean our being a part of the community of faith, the part we play in the body, isn't a necessary means of maturation. As we said on Sunday, our life together orbiting Jesus is meant to cultivate the root of our faith: awe and response to God with us.
At its fullest, our life together in Jesus, structured or otherwise, draws one another's attention to the marvelous wonder of life in, through, and for Jesus in which we exist at this very moment (Col. 1:15-23). That was Van Gogh's message, and that is the message of church bells too.
For a period in history, in particular parts of the world at least, the church's placement and physical construct within a town or village allowed the church structure to fulfill this function practically. Accompanying every spire was a bell or set of bells that rang out to signal the commencement of various sacred occasions. Whether singing out in celebration of a new beginning in marriage or baptism, tolling in hope of life again and different in a burial, or a beckoning welcome to worship; whenever a church bell rung, the attention of the community was caught, called to awareness of something significant at that moment. Yet the bells didn't just ring at exceptionally sacred moments, but in ordinary sacred moments too.
Sometimes randomly, sometimes regularly, the church bells would ring out even when the building itself was intentionally empty. The purposed sounding was a recollect. The sound calling to mind that wherever you are, in that very moment, God is with you. And that whatever you were doing in that very moment is in response to God with you.
Whether laboring in the field or the home, crafting with metal, wood, or words, conversing with a neighbor, arguing with an employee, or mindlessly about routine tasks; when the bells rang your attention was called to the significance of that very moment. It became custom that at the sounding of the bell, those with ears attuned would pray a brief prayer in awareness of the sacred ordinary. These prayers became known as "recollected prayers." And it is a recollected prayer that I'd encourage you to pray this week.
While we might not have church bells, we do have chimes on our phones! So...
Start by setting two alarms on your phone. For example, Jewish tradition contains a similar habit of prayer at 9 am, Noon, and 3 pm. Pick two times that will sound during "ordinary" activities.
When your alarm goes off, recite the verses below, remembering the story from which it was first prayed (Lk. 23:39-42).
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Recite it once more, briefly acknowledging that wherever you are and whatever you are doing at that moment is in, through, and for Jesus.
May we live by faith today, in awe and response to God with us in even the most unanticipated places.
Love you, faith family!