Christ is everywhere, Do you see Christ?

I once told someone that I see Christ in all things, and so they asked why then do we need to come to church and why is the church here? There's no need then and I wasn't very articulate in my response,but I have since thought about my response and how I would rephrase some things.

I continue to find Christ in all people and in all things even the ones that drive me crazy - try it - find something positive to say - it doesn't mean that you have to go around someone who continually verbally abuses you or who is eternally negative but find the positive and start verbalizing it not only to yourself but to others and see what happens to you. Transformation happens, we start to see things differently and our eyes are opened in new and exciting ways.

Now, we do need the church, because the church is here to help us to understand how to find Christ in all things and to be Christ to others and to walk and follow Christ in our daily lives. We need the church because without it some of us walk away without every truly understanding the meaning behind walking with Christ and in another words, walking the walking. I saw this yesterday on a blog spot that I viewed about faith in action. There was a preacher, Brennan Manning with a You tube video that said "I am convinced that when I die there is only one thing that Jesus will ask me, Did you know that I loved you?" Sometimes we can't possibly understand the love that God and Christ have for us. This to me says I love you, so now go and love others, but how can people do that when they don't love themselves. In comes the church - we are to love and to show love, that doesn't mean judge, I don't have a handle on that one yet - I'm in process on the journey just like everyone else and I need help right along with everyone else and am trying to live that out but I need help so the church helps me.

I'm not saying I have anything perfected and I am not saying that I have all the answers, but somehow the church gives us a sacred place for coming to the center of God and becoming refreshed by being fed by the nurturing spirit of our community of fellow believers and God, so that we can help one another be Christ, see Christ, and love Christ in the world around us in which we live. It is about faith in action, not only at church and on Sunday morning but everyday of the week. The church is here to help us be better people in our vocations, our homes, our world, our community, our play times, and our lives.

I don't know if this makes sense, but it is also about making priorities in our lives. What is truly important? I think that the church is important because it is about relationship - relationship with one another, with God, our world, our community, our family and friends and our every day lives. The only problem is I need help to do this - I can't do it alone. That's where the church comes in - I am fed so that I may go out and be food to others. I feel like I will dry up and wither away without the assistance of others - relationship - vertical and horizontal - just like the cross. I must look up to God and maintain that relationship but I must also reach out with my arms in love to the world in which I live in to be in relationship with God.

I hope this makes sense to you, and I hope that you agree that we need the church - but we also need to remember that we can't expect the people to come to the church - so we must take the church to them - RELATIONSHIP.

I am enjoying being on the journey with you! We are truly blessed children of God.


Worship, love, serve, Dawn