One Bread, One Body

This post will be quick. There was no chance to get on a keyboard yesterday and we are heading out to church in just a few minutes at the church that the Lutheran Bishop of El Salvador leads. Later today we leave for Sonsonate and Puente Azul. Everyone is ready and anxious to get there.

On Friday, one of the staff from the Lutheran Synod spoke with us about the ministry of the church here and specifically we had questions about the organizations of groups and the response of the government to the ministry that the church is doing. It led to questions about unity and how groups are bound together, about what happens when groups organize in El Salvador, and what happens when groups organize as a part of the church. This conversation obviously led to reflection about our own unity and organization and our ministry as a congregation in Lebanon, Indiana.

My question, not asked aloud until this moment, is, ¨So what does that mean if we are the ONE body of Christ? Are we really willing to go that far and truly be the ONE body?

In the afternoon on Friday, I sat and watched as our group of teenagers and a group of younger kids who live here at the Synod all played Hide-n-Go Seek and soccer with one another. Watching them, all of the barriers were overcome. Smile broke out all over the place along with healthy doses of laughter. They played as ONE, they laughed as ONE, they were becoming the ONE body of Christ. At dinner, Vannessa asked why those who cooked for us didn´t eat with us. It is a question about being ONE, I believe. At worship on Friday night, 6 of those same kids who live here at the synod joined us for worship and communion. We all partook together. It was a powerful image and moment for me.

I suspect I wasn´t the only one for whom that is the case.

There are more stories that I want to share but time on the computer is limited and I´ve already had the experience of a couple of power failures. So, I´m posting and will add more as soon as I am able.