A more merciful Church - greater involvement in alleviating human suffering and bringing the love of Christ to bear in tangible ways in our local communities and throughout the world.
A more evangelical Church - no, not in THAT sense; in the true sense. A Church where the Gospel rings out with its unquenchable joy and shapes all we say and do, and where the Gospel (not the Law!) moves our mission work.
A more liturgical Church - learning to live responsibly within our liturgical heritage in the way Krauth: "possessing liturgical life without liturgical bondage." A Church where the full and rich heritage of Lutheran hymnody rings out full-throated from our congregations.
A more prayerful Church - where the Daily Office, the Litany and such come into their own and shape our parishes as places of prayer. If "my Father's house shall be called a house of prayer for all people" let us return our parishes from being fund-raising organizations to being prayer-raising communities.
A more giving Church - where we recover a lively sense of sacrifice, of sharing earthly goods from the charity that the Gospel has planted in our hearts.
A more gentle Church - where the 8th commandment is truly honored in our practice, above all in learning to explain our neighbor's actions in the kindest way and where we remember the wise words of the Apology that harmony in the Church cannot last unless pastors and churches mutually overlook many things.A more peaceful Church - where the hope of the future that will surely be ours at our Lord's Appearing removes all hastiness and fear and gives us a calm and measured ability to evaluate the challenges before us.
A more educated Church - where a deep and abiding love for the Word of God leads to full Bible classes and devout reading of the Word in our homes.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment