Isn’t She Beautiful-The Eucharist
I am reeling-so much information to process. The morning session entitled “This lovely, frustrating, intoxicating, painful, hard, compelling mystery called church and why she’s worth dying for”, blew my mind.
My notes and interpretation as follows:
Eu-well, good
charizomai-grant, give,
charis-grace, gift
Jesus was our good gift
We can’t have life without death. It is an endless cycle we see repeated over and over again. Death brings life. Perhaps when Jesus commands us in 1 Corinthians 11:23 to celebrate the Eucharist, maybe he was also telling us to BE the Eucharist. Pour out your blood, break your body. Be the Eucharist for the world.
2 Corinthians 4
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.
No life without death. The church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of its non-members. We are the Eucharist for the world. The power of the Eucharist is its weakness. Body broken, blood poured out. Perhaps if we were pouring ourselves out that completely, we would no longer have the energy to pretend.
Rob Bell asked the following challenging question.
If your church disappeared tomorrow-who would protest?
2 Absolutes to being the Eucharist:
1. Be true to your own journey with Jesus.
2. Once the body is broken and blood is poured out, you need to let God put you back together.
rob bell
mars hill
isn’t she beautiful
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” Once the body is broken and blood is poured out, you need to let God put you back together.”- wow Jamie that has got me thinking, wonderful post… thanks!
Sally,
Thanks. It really is important to allow God to put us back together.
Hi Jamie,
Sounds like lots of great stuff! Glad you’re getting a lot out of it.
Interesting view of Communion. Never heard it quite that way. Very interesting. Keep it coming!
i’m not so sure church is the only organisation that exists soley for the benefit of non-members - in fact i’m not even sure that it is right to do so…
but great thoughts on following christ through the cross and embracing the world by pourring ourselves out…
John,
It was great stuff. I’m still writing it all up. Much to process
Shannon–I had never really heard it presented that way either, but it sure grabbed my interest. Really facinating stuff. Even if it’s not necessarily exactly right in that Jesus meant for us to be the Eucharist, it still holds true, philosophically…we are meant to bring Jesus to the world.
Paul–
Tell me more about your thoughts….why is it not right for the Church to exist for it’s non-members? I’d love to dialogue….
Jamie
only 2/3 of the yr late - it’s not the church shouldn’t exist for non-members as well, i just disagree that it is it’s sole reason. We should exist for the other, which includes each other who is in church or out of it. Just my 2 cents