Pastor Harris, November 2011

Dear Friends of Christ,

When Jesus was approaching his death/resurrection/ascension, he spoke of not leaving his disciples alone. We humans do not like being abandoned. Jesus promises not to leave us orphaned.  “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Jesus promises to be with us in bread and wine. In the waters of baptism, we are not only forgiven for the stuff that separates from God, each other, and ourselves (sin); we are also adopted. Jesus becomes our brother. “I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”

At the same time, Jesus also told his disciples he was sending another Advocate. The Holy Spirit would be active in the lives of his followers. The Holy Spirit will give words to say at trials and persecutions. The Holy Spirit will teach everything, and remind us of the words of Jesus.

We are also not alone because of the community that Jesus has given us. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” It is not that Jesus is not with us when we are alone, but when gathered with other Christ-ones, the promises somehow hit us all the more. This gathering is the Church. We encounter the water, word, wine, and bread as a gathered community. No one has communion alone. Luther speaks of the mutual conversation and consolation of the community of believers. We receive the words of comfort, of forgiveness, of hope, of life, from outside ourselves. We receive them from other humans.

Of course, we sometimes struggle with other members of our Christian community. The letters of the New Testament bear witness to that. But we are in it together. We still need to hear Jesus’ words of forgiveness from other people. We need to receive forgiveness from others. Living in community is hard. We all have people who at the very least annoy us. Other Christians, even. But we are all gathered around the same Table of Grace, receiving life and forgiveness from the Crucified, Risen, and Ascended One.

Blessings,

Pastor Harris