Meeting Christ in the Church
This is from Henri Nouwen:
"Loving the Church does not require romantic emotions. It requires the will to see the living Christ among his people and to love them as we want to love Christ himself. This is true not only for the "little" people - the poor, the oppressed, the forgotten - but also for the "big" people who exercise authority in the Church.
To love the Church means to be willing to meet Jesus wherever we go in the Church. This love doesn't mean agreeing with or approving of everyone's ideas or behavior. On the contrary, it can call us to confront those who hide Christ from us. But whether we confront or affirm, criticize or praise, we can only become fruitful when our words and actions come from hearts that love the Church"
Right now, being in 40 Days of Community, the topic of love has been discussed and in many ways being lived. One thing about it though, when we talk about love is with regards to emotions. When we say "I love you", there are emotions involved. But not necessarily the ones associate with romance. So when we say we love the church, it can be an altogether different feeling.
However, when I think about it, there are some things we can immediately say YES to and some we need to pause and think hard about. If I instantly say that I love the church what do I mean by that? How different is it when pop stars come to the Philippines and shout "I LOVE YOU MANILA!".
For Pastors, what does it mean that you love the church. Or that you love the church that you are serving right now. This is not just an intellectual question or practical question, it can also be an emotional question. How much do you love the church that God has entrusted you to shepherd.
"Loving the Church does not require romantic emotions. It requires the will to see the living Christ among his people and to love them as we want to love Christ himself. This is true not only for the "little" people - the poor, the oppressed, the forgotten - but also for the "big" people who exercise authority in the Church.
To love the Church means to be willing to meet Jesus wherever we go in the Church. This love doesn't mean agreeing with or approving of everyone's ideas or behavior. On the contrary, it can call us to confront those who hide Christ from us. But whether we confront or affirm, criticize or praise, we can only become fruitful when our words and actions come from hearts that love the Church"
Right now, being in 40 Days of Community, the topic of love has been discussed and in many ways being lived. One thing about it though, when we talk about love is with regards to emotions. When we say "I love you", there are emotions involved. But not necessarily the ones associate with romance. So when we say we love the church, it can be an altogether different feeling.
However, when I think about it, there are some things we can immediately say YES to and some we need to pause and think hard about. If I instantly say that I love the church what do I mean by that? How different is it when pop stars come to the Philippines and shout "I LOVE YOU MANILA!".
For Pastors, what does it mean that you love the church. Or that you love the church that you are serving right now. This is not just an intellectual question or practical question, it can also be an emotional question. How much do you love the church that God has entrusted you to shepherd.
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