The Church: Christ’s Body Offered to the Father

By Evan Koons

Remember this: the church is the body of Christ, given as a gift, for the life of the world. Your church is the body of Christ, given as a gift, for the life of the world!

And what do we know about Christ’s body?

It was beaten and bruised and offered as a gift for the life of the world. And this is where another mystery is revealed: In living this way, not only are we the body of Christ, not only are we preparing the way of the Lord into the world of exile–we are preparing ourselves for him, the way virgins prepared the way for the bridegroom. Because at the end of all things, where does this all lead? What does this all look like when God pours himself out for us and we offer ourselves back to him?

It looks like a marriage feast. It looks like a party.

This is the mission of the Church and the people of God. This is our Song of Zion: remembering, living, and rejoicing in the hope that is to come. This is our song, and this is our prayer:

Our Father…

As the Church, we are a family…

Who art in Heaven…

…one that speaks to God and our destiny from a point of exile.

Hallowed be thy name.

And we speak from a posture of awe and praise…

Thy Kingdom Come.

…not only for that time to come, but this very moment.

Thy will be done…

We are called to abide in God and say “let it be” to his plan, and our part in his divine and wondrous mystery.

On earth as it is in Heaven.

We can be assured that God’s desire for our work here is intimately related to his plan for all things.

Give us this day our daily bread…

And God will sustain us; for our work is a mighty collaboration not only with our Creator, but the entire world.

And forgive our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

In this broken world we have a responsibility to bring healing and harmony to our most immediate surroundings and work outward–by these actions we, too, are healed.

Lead us not into temptation…

As our calling is great, may we not be enamored by our abilities…

But deliver us from evil…

…or fall in love with the fruit of our labor. We must seek God’s grace and seek to orient our work toward him.

For thine is kingdom, the power, and glory forever and ever…

And as the Church, as Christ’s body offered to the Father, we return it to him. It is his! Everything we have–and everything we are–forever and ever.

Amen.

This letter is reprinted from Episode 7 in For the Life of the World: Letters to the Exiles.

Originally published at the FLOW blog