Disciples, Apostles, and Saints!
Our diocese gathers for its annual convention this week; a gathering of clergy and laity, representing ministries from all over central and southern Indiana, reflecting their communities in service and Christian hope.
How we gather as church reflects what we believe, how we see each other, and how we hope to embody the Missio Dei, the Mission of God. So we don’t just go and do some business—we pray and discern and gather in fellowship and formation. And these elements are central to what we do and how we gather.
This, friends, is the most radical part of being church. And its often the hardest part to do. Because we’re used to the logic of problem-solving or the swiftness of corporate meetings or the efficient delegating of tasks and slowing down just long enough for a perfunctory prayer, giving our time a churchy gloss seems like enough. Or if the people gathered are Christian, then the gathering becomes Christian—even if we’re the Pentagon or a high school football team.
It is important for us to take seriously our formation as people of faith who dwell in scripture and the world, who pray together and discern a path forward that reflects, not just our values, but our mission of service and restoration.
One of the ways I’ve often described it is this: when Christians get together, we should look like it—because we embody The Way of Love in our gathering, in our being, in who we are together. And we do that best when we take the time to be this together, because joyful and intentional fellowship is sacramental.
With love,
Drew+
