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There is a great old hymn, once popular across many Christian denominations, which opens with a foundational fact. It came to mind as I was pondering today’s gospel – the builder who built on shaky ground.
In a time when many Christians might focus on the rites and rituals, rules and regulations, practices and preferences of religion, this great hymn takes us to a deeper place in its opening line: “The Churches One Foundation, is Jesus Christ the Lord”.
The popular lyric with its robust and congregation-friendly melody in no way denies the importance of anything that is Catholic or Christian, but instead follows the sign (the Church is the sign) to the destination, not a place but the person of Jesus Christ who is God-with-us.
Jesus is the relationship for which the sign (organised religion) exists.
A few weeks ago a popular young Franciscan podcaster got me thinking with a reflection which suggested (actually his words were much stronger than suggestion), that the church really began to lose touch with its single and central foundation when Christianity became legal (a few years later becoming the official religion of the Empire) in the early fourth century. Until this point (for more than 300 years) Christians were a relatively small fringe group without too many of the structures which too easily become the central focus of Christianity in 2024.
It’s helpful to go back to the Acts of the Apostles to get a bit of a sense of the Christ-centred dramatic adventure that was the faith of the disciples of Jesus for the first three Christian centuries.
At this point it might be easy to point the finger at current church direction and focus. But as I ponder what I have just written I can’t get over how much time and energy I spend maintaining my own personal shaky foundations when I know from my own experience (in my wiser moments) that I find the abundance I seek in life only when I live with Jesus as my one foundation.
The great hymn finishes:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with thee.
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Take an initiative and send me a date time and place for a FFF cafe-catchups. john@fff.org.nz. I’ll advertise these on each morning’s post throughout Advent.
Wednesday 11 December 10.30am with Christina
Zenders Cafe and Venue
44 Hopkins Rd Newstead, Hamilton
Thursday 12 December 10.00am with Joan
Stumble Inn, 200 Mangorei Road
Merrilands, New Plymouth
Tuesday 17 December 10.30 with Catherine
Colombus at Mitre 10 MEGA
25 Bouverie St, Petone, Lower Hutt.
Thursday 19 December 10.00am with Joan
Stumble Inn, 200 Mangorei Road
Merrilands, New Plymouth
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