"This is my body," and then Jesus says, "This is my blood." With these words, Jesus offers the completeness of himself so that we can be one with God and one in community. The whole body of Christ shares this singular space that we call communion.

What Jesus offers is an intimate mystical community. Consider an earlier promise he made about his body and blood. "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them." (John 6:56 TNIV) By eating the bread, we embrace oneness with him and unity with all who believe him. By drinking the wine, we embrace divine healing that integrates in us what remains fractured in the world.

This is not magic; it is the Logos of God. The bread and the wine are graces that restore and sustain community in Christ. The table is ready. All are welcome, including the outcasts. Love both forgives and repents so that we become one.

TAGS: Christian Community, Christian Relationships, Spiritual Life

The church is the body of Christ gathered in worship and sent out in service. If that sounds too simple, then let it be so.

Christ is the head of his body. All authority is given to Jesus alone. His followers, women and men alike, answer only to him.

We worship the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with prayers, psalms and spiritual songs. We serve as the incarnation of God in the world, doing whatever we see Jesus do. Oh, and there's a new commandment; love one another.

Jesus never said, go build a church. He said, "Go make disciples and teach them to do the things you have seen me do." In other words, show these disciples how to be like Jesus. That's true discipleship and that's the real church. Your job is to either make disciples or be a disciple. But above all, be Christ on the earth for the Father's glory.

TAGS: Christian Discipleship, Reflecting Christ, Christian Living

Prayer is a whisper into the attentive ear of Jesus. Quietly, I say his name and he meets me in full embrace. I feel his tender warmth envelope me. "His arms are rods of gold set with chrysolite. His body is like polished ivory decorated with sapphires. (Song of Solomon 5:14 NIV)" I surrender to the overwhelming love of God.

Prayer is a deep longing for my beloved Jesus. My soul aches when I cannot sense his presence. He is the lover of my soul and my greatest desire.

Jesus is the Bridegroom delighting over his bride. The Church is the Bride of Christ. We are one body with him as a husband and wife are one flesh. I yield my life and my very flesh to the Bridegroom. I tell him of my love in whispering prayer. I know that I am beloved in the heart of God. Such are my divine encounters with the beloved Christ. Amen.

TAGS: Christian Prayer, Contemplative Prayer, Spiritual Life

Spiritual Life~

TAGS: Spiritual Life, Christian Spirituality, Silence and Solitude

Equality is a core Christian value. Whether you think community is your small group, your local church or our entire nation, just remember that Jesus says your neighbor is anyone who is in need. He on calls us to share the wealth.

Paul, the great apostle writes, "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality..." (2 Corinthians 8:13-14 NIV) God's plan for all people clearly includes equality.

In Christ there is neither rich nor poor, white nor color, male nor female, because all are equal. Women have the same standing as men. Love is colorblind. The rich have a responsibility to share their wealth with the poor. This is the way any kingdom founded by God should act.

TAGS: Christian Living, Christian Relationships, Kingdom of God

When you feel like your spiritual life is empty or your Christian activities have lost their meaning, it may be time for a journey inward. In my experience, I have found that these are times when Jesus in inviting me onto a deeper path. He says, "Come away with me to a quiet place." There he makes a space for me to look inside where he dwells with the Father.

These are awkward seasons. It's hard to slow your activities so that you have time to meet with God in silence and solitude. We feel guilty about not being productive. But Jesus considers these seasons to be the best times for spiritual growth. That's because we're ready to travel in a different way.

If this sounds like you, then stop and make intentional plans for silence and solitude. All you need is a room with a door that closes, maybe a candle and a regular appointment with God. What is your experience?

TAGS: Spiritual Growth, Silence and Solitude, Christian Spirituality

Scientists and theologians alike spend their lives trying to make sense of creation. In the end, I wonder, is it more than the human mind can comprehend? Or, I wonder, if we're just looking in the wrong place.

We may research Hubble images or we may research ancient Greek manuscripts, but all of our insight leaves us searching for more. Will I ever be satisfied with what I have learned? It seems I always want to know more.

God said to Abraham, "Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can." Can we count all of them? So I wonder, is the heart more able to ponder what the mind cannot perceive?

A journey into the heart may be a better place to search than all the reasoning of the mind. There, we are able to contemplate creation. The heart is able to experience what reason cannot reveal. Are you ready to embark on a journey to inner space?

TAGS: Spiritual Journey, Contemplative Prayer, Spiritual Path

When you grow up into Christ, then you are incarnational. You become the reality of Christ with us in the world. You see, I'm pondering the thought that incarnational rhymes with missional. What can the two learn from each other?

If we simply extended the mantra, "Be the Church," into, "Be Christ," who is the church, then I wonder what we'd get? Would we lose the political thinking and cultural habits that keep us within the church walls? Would we go out into the neighborhood in love to do the things that Jesus did for poor and outcast people? That would be incarnational.

An incarnational strategy is clearly the spiritual formational way. We know that formation and transformation take more time than doing a program. But then, we usually end up with the real deal. By pursuing the ways of spiritual formation, "we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. (Ephesians 4:15)" Therefore, why not be incarnational?

TAGS: Christian Community, Christian Discipleship, Reflecting Christ

I receive a weekly email from Abbot Philip of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in New Mexico. Lisa and I have enjoyed a special relationship with these brothers for several years. Whenever we retreat there, we are challenged by the seven times of prayer starting at 4:00 in the morning.

In today's update, Abbot Philip mentioned the bell that rings signaling the times of prayer. It's a sign of permanence and a call to prayer. "The bell becomes the voice of God, inviting us to pray, to do

Tags: Christian Prayer, Daily Prayer, Spiritual Living 

"God, come to my rescue. Lord, come quickly to help me." This is my contemporary paraphrase of Psalm 70:1. It's also the opening words for any number of ancient prayer liturgies of the early Christian church.

John Cassian, a Christian theologian writing around the year 425 A.D., tells us that he received instruction on the use of this prayer from the oldest of desert fathers. They used it as a short prayer during spiritual contemplation and as a formula for unceasing prayer. These devoted Christians also used this prayer to stop distracting thoughts that interfered with thoughts that came from God.

We would do well to remember this prayer and say it every day. It seems to fit any situation where we need God's help. Personally, I need God's help in every situation. Cassian even speculates that this prayer can "lead you to that invisible and celestial contemplation." It might be worth trying. What do you think?

TAGS: Christian Prayer, Contemplative Prayer, Daily Prayer