Friday, April 29, 2011

Practice makes...Real

What is the devotional life? What does it mean to be "saved?" What's the resurrection got to do with: Work, bills, the environment, sex, beer, coffee, career, hate, or any of the other aspects of "life?" Sadly, we've become professionals at seeing certain things as spiritual & other things as, well, just normal life. This isn't how it's supposed to be & as a community in Santa Cruz we want to live out our faith now.

Here's a great quote:
"Why is it that we look upon our salvation as a moment that began our religious life instead of the daily life we receive from God?" Dallas Willard

When we think about what it means to be a church we should be certain about these things: We're alive in Christ NOW. We're a part of the resurrection NOW. The church & our church in Santa Cruz is the body of Christ NOW. We are a part of the New Creation NOW. Work is worship TODAY. 

All of this become even clearer when we take Communion as a church. Communion isn't a reassurance that one day we'll enjoy God without any issues; Communion is God's evident reassurance that we are to enjoy Him NOW. The Bread & the Wine aren't mystical things taken from the world transformed into something other-worldly; the Bread & the Wine are normal things of the world taken into ourselves that we might realize life is spiritual. His whole self was crucified & risen to redeem my whole self all the time...all of me...all the time. 
What's it mean to live the resurrected life in Santa Cruz (or anywhere else) NOW?

1 comment:

Jenn said...

Before I got to the last paragraph I thought, sounds like it's time for communion. I remember hearing this thought about communion in small group at Redding Vineyard.