7 ft lobby Jesus at the hospital where I did my CPE |
The reflexive Lutheran answer that I have to the question of
“what is Gospel?” is to immediately say, “a promise, given FOR YOU.” This probably has something to do with the
fact that I am currently in Lutheran confessions class, but the idea of what
the Gospel is can be summed up using the idea of “because…therefore…” as
opposed to “if…then…” The Gospel is a
promise received not because of anything that we do, but because of who we are.
It is the promise of God fully entering into this broken world and redeeming us
all through the death of Jesus Christ.
So what does this mean for communities of faith? I have always considered ministry to be
highly contextual, and that my preaching and pastoral care is for a specific
person (or people) at a specific time for a specific reason. Context matters. You have to know your people in order to
preach to them, and they have to know you in order to hear the Gospel from
you. This is the “FOR YOU” essence of
the Gospel.
Social media provides an opportunity for us to know one another. I have said before that the Facebook wall
posting or quick response to a tweet is essentially the post-modern version of
running into someone in a grocery store aisle or in line at the post
office. They are quick ways to connect
in a community of faith outside the church walls. I think social media is the party telephone
line, or small-town café, or general store conversation of the post-modern
era.
For me, pastoral authority is derived from relationships
with others, it is not something that is bestowed along with a seminary degree
or as a result of wearing a clerical collar.
In order to preach, provide pastoral care, forgive sins, and preside over
the sacraments, one must be in a community and in relationship with other
people. This is why Lutheran pastors are
only ordained while they are in a specific call, not ordained in perpetuity
like some other denominations.
Interpersonal connections are absolutely essential to the
body of Christ. The very root of what
the Gospel is, Jesus Christ, exists in relationships. The promise of the Gospel is that God became
incarnate to dwell among us, to be in relationship with us, that we might be
saved from sin, death, suffering, and all misfortune and continues to do so. This is not to say that we will never
experience these things, because we absolutely will, but to say that these
things will not have the final word in defining us and that we have a God who
will bear through them with us, and commands us to bear with one another as
well.
This is what we affirm each time that we celebrate the
Eucharist. That God is fully present
in and among us. This is why the
sacraments are communal for Lutherans, that we baptize and provide communion in
the presence of one another. Gospel
needs community and the community needs the Gospel.
2 comments:
I wish I had some wise response to this -- but I mainly want to say "amen!" -- particularly to the notion of how our relationality is a key piece to this.
Amy, great post. I love your last line about how community and the gospel are inextricably bound.
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