Summer Notes: The Reverend Michael Ruk
What is the mission of the Church? The mission of the Church is to restore all people to the unity with God and each other in Christ.
How does the Church pursue its mission? The Church pursues its mission as it prayers and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.
The Catechism of The Episcopal Church (BCP 855)
The Church in 2024, is much different than the Church of 1950 or even 2019. We are less in numbers, influence, and resources. The Church, once the center of social life in town and cities, now has become an afterthought of American life. The many guilds, groups, and activities which once occurred have dwindled down to a few. Many look upon the Church as a place of hypocrisy, hate, or exclusion.
So where does it leave us who know the value of our Faith and Church? Who understand the message of Jesus to be of one love, reconciliation, and peace? It requires us to become laser-focused on what is essential and leave behind what has distracted us from the real focus of Church. Unfortunately, over recent decades, the Church has spent much of its time and energy keeping up appearances so we could look like the past. Very few imagine what the Church could be now or in the future. Church’s mission is to restore all people to unity with God and each other. We are called to be places of prayer which live the Gospel through acts of justice, peace, and love. It sounds simple enough and it is the real calling of the Church. We need to go back to the basics and let go of the past, so we can allow the Spirit to create the future. Letting go is not easy. A well loved article of clothing is hard to let go, but when it no longer fits what purpose does it serve other than clutter your closet?
I would ask you to think what is the calling of Christ Church at the moment in time. What do we hold onto and what needs to be let go. What new opportunities are being made available? The Church is an organism always growing, not an organization which grows stagnant.