Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Where are the members of the Church of Christ in this time?

As we celebrate 140 years of the Old Catholic Church in Austria we ask, "Where is Christ's church heading at this time?" This question is a theme of our anniversary, it is a question to which - first of all - there is no clear answer, but it is a question to be asked, especially in this day and age. Yes, of course the direction of the church has many divergent forces. It often seems as if the breath of the Holy Spirit leads the ship of the church with no clear direction. There are numerous conferences and discussions in the ecumenical field, but especially in the Utrecht Union of Old Catholic Churches. This theme also affects the members of the church and especially the church leaders, bishops and synods.


Our question actually provokes another question: Where are the members of the Church of Christ in this time, What direction do the individual church members see in the church? As in all areas, we humans have very different opinions, and especially when it comes to the church and faith. Perhaps it is clear, when the person to the right and left of us in the pews pray the Creed. Some of them are willing profess it, because it is among the venerable treasures of our Church. Some people say it because it is long life habit, because - without thinking about why - we feel it just belongs to a complete service. Others are divided. Some people may struggle with the first sentence,  Creator of heaven and earth, and others may question the virgin birth, so what do we do? Still others find their anger that they should be constantly tied to something that is foreign to them, while others may hold the Creed as an internal discipline. And still others say even in the silence as they stand well outside the boundaries of the Church, when the creed is the connection among the Christians.


Answers to the question "Where is the Church of Christ in this time?" Could therefore postulate depend on the different opinions of church members and the claim: "It is the responsibility of the Church to conform to the present time, the modern people and their way of life and clean up old records and phrases - in short: The Church of our needs has to satisfy today'. When the Pope visited Germany last month was indeed exactly such a claim of the church members which had been formulated against the Pope: the Church has the needs of people today to satisfy! Satisfy the needs, sounds quite cheap and one-sided. The church leaders must look at each case to maintain dialogue with the church and members. But the church is not man-made institution, not a club. The church is not meant to satisfy needs, but to celebrate, especially mysteries. Here, dear sisters and brothers, we are at the heart of the matter. And it's useful to be aware, particularly in connection with our celebration of it. If we humans ask "Where is the Church,"  we express the need for a guide. We are looking for guidance during the confusion of our time and our world.


We are now call to mind that we are celebrating in Austria the 140 years the Old Catholic Church, and bring to attention just one of the most important landmarks of the church, the church service. In the celebration of God's Word and the Eucharist, prayer and singing of songs we actually live spirituality. The spirituality meets a need of many people of our time. This is evidenced by the bookstore shelves today, there are a lot of books on spiritual topics. What is important now, however, is that we not only to read such books, but to live the spirituality with other people in the community of worship and the whole church and celebrate this faith.


There are people who criticize and complain, that the service is always the same. This is true, so we can train our ability to focus and spirituality, much like we do for the mental and physical fitness. But the proclamation of the Gospel message each time draws attention to another aspect. The readings also show for today's feast:


There is this famous and popular Psalm 23 in which the Lord is represented as a shepherd who cares for us, protects us in our lives, comforts us in dark and difficult times, and strengthens, refreshes and nourishes our souls, so that we lack nothing and we are safe in it. In this psalm also appears the signs by which we have earlier expressed our need. It is the shepherd himself in verse 3 it says: "He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name" The Good Shepherd shows us the way and lead us so that our lives can succeed. But we must keep asking ourselves whether we really move forward on this right path, if we let ourselves be guided by the shepherd, if we have learned to listen to his voice.


Even the teachers of the law, we meet in Luke's Gospel for today's feast is, the question of whether he is on the right path. With his question, what he must do to gain eternal life, but he puts Jesus to the test. This question, however, is asked in return: "What does the Law say? What do you read there? Immediately comes the detailed response of the teacher of the Law: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all your heart and soul, with all your strength and all thy mind, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The teachers of the law therefore knows perfectly well where the meaning of life can be found: in the love of God, to themselves and to others. All people know that a meaningful life has something to do with love. If we were to ask random people how to imagine a meaningful and happy life, then hardly anybody's money, external beauty and the power would be at the center. We all know that true happiness is only in the gift-giving and love and can be found in healthy, redemptive relationships. The commandment of love is all that is written into the human heart.


So what is direction of Church of Christ? Or: Where is the leadership of the Church of Christ at this time? When it comes to the church it is not merely a secular society, a club, but about the church, which is the Body of Christ, then the answer is clear. The Church as a whole, its members, part of the Body of Christ must be guided in all their actions, thoughts and feelings to the Lord the Church of Jesus Christ. He is the guide for us. It indicates the direction. We must follow him. He told us: "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh to the Father except through me" (Jn 14, 6).



+ Fritz-René Müller
Bishop Emeritus of the Old Catholic Church of Switzerland


[Translated poorly by Fr. Jakob Lazarus. It is not a good translation but it was too good of a homily not to attempt a translation] 

1 comment:

  1. I find it interesting that this 140 year old church is asking the same question our 2 year old church is asking. I am thankful to be part of a movement with constant reform.

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