Meditation
Written by Hans Kung, a contemporary Swiss priest, theologian, and author. This is an excerpt from his book “The Church.”
The essential part of the Christian message is the idea of salvation for the whole community of people, of which the individual is a member. Closely linked to the idea of the Christian’s message is the outward sign which is at once a sign of grace and vocation for the individual and of his reception into the community of the people of God: baptism. Since God’s call precedes any action and any faith on the part of the individual, and since this call is addressed to the whole people of God, the individual never stands alone, but within the community, just as the individual communities are part of the one community, the Church. The Church begins, not with a pious individual, but with God.
Prayer
Written by Meg Bucher, a contemporary Christian author.
Father, praise You for guiding us faithfully through this life. Fish live under the water, and though the wind chases the surface into a fury, schools of them swim peacefully under the surface. As the fish peacefully wait out the waves swimming under the water, we seek shelter under Your arms of pure love. Praise Jesus, who came to earth as a living reflection of Your love, to take us in His arms and show us how to weather the stormy seas of life.
Our great God, You are our rock. When our ship is tossed, we can throw anchor to the bottom and know that You will steady us. You will keep us from running aground as the storm passes through our lives without regard for the destruction left in the wake.
Christ came to earth and followed Your will wholeheartedly, never doubting and never straying. He knew what His purpose was in life. It’s not as obvious for us, Father, and we struggle to find our trajectory on the surface of this globe. The earth shifts rapidly and we race to keep up. Forgive us, Father, for chasing after our own ambitions, goals, and fortunes. We confess the motives of our heart that steer us off of the path You have planned for us… the purpose You have placed in us. Each of us has been blessed with a gift that lights us up. Whether it’s being kind, good at math, stringing words together, running fast, starting businesses, or building airplanes, the number of talents that You have knit into the body of Your church is as endless as the personality traits that harbor them.
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