The LINK: 7/24
Happy Summer!
As we head into July, let me reference a little science-fiction novel Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers. It’s a thoughtful meditation on humanity’s connection to the land, and it’s about this monk named Dix (it’s a made-up world, so it’s more like Buddhist monk than a monk in the Christian tradition), and this monk meets a robot, and they wander around having discussions about life and humanity. And throughout the story, this one line shows up:
“Without constructs, you will unravel few mysteries. Without knowledge of the mysteries, your constructs will fail.”
I find this thought (from an author who I don’t think has any faith commitments) to be completely delightful. Because as a pastor and as a Christian, that’s where I work, and that’s where we all live. We have constructs—worship, scripture, traditions, ways of prayer, rhythms of gathering—and we have mysteries—God becoming human, the Holy Spirit’s movement in our lives, what happens in prayer.
And I’m thinking about that line this month because in the month of July, we’re going to celebrate communion every Sunday. And Communion has a construct—by “construct” I just mean how exactly Congo-Pres celebrates it—and it’s also amazing because it’s where we encounter a mystery. The elder for worship will put out bread, I will once again say “this is my body, this is my blood”, you will come up and receive some bread and some juice, and return to your seat.
And yet, the sacrament is a mystery. Some bread and juice communicate God’s grace. Jesus says “this is my body and blood”. Communion isn’t just reenactment. It does something mysterious. We encounter death and resurrection, we experience God, we take part in something that unites followers of Jesus around the world (and throughout time, depending on who you ask!) John Calvin put it that the Spirit feeds our souls as the food feeds our bodies.
Again, mysteries abound. And mysteries are not that we can’t figure something out, but that we’re endlessly figuring it out, every time we partake, and maybe what we thought we knew becomes clouded, or maybe God becomes brighter.
We have this format, this construct, and we have these mysteries that we’re still unraveling, and how great it is that God invites us all to the table to receive Christ.
See you at the table,