The Church
I believe in the holy, catholic church.
Reading (1 Peter 2: 4-10)
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God's sight; and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people.
Song (Psalm 84)
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs for the courts of the Lord;
My heart cries out for the living God.
Blessed are they who dwell in your house;
Happy are they whose strength is in you.For a day in your courts
Is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper
In the house of my God
Than live among the wicked.
For the Lord God is a shield,
He bestows favor and honor.
Reflection
The church is made up of those who are called out of the world to belong to the Lord. It is the community of believers.To belong to the Lord is not the same as being a member of an organized congregation. The church is a spiritual edifice, made up of the living stones of the faithful. Often they are not known to one another, for what makes them living stones is hidden in their hearts. It is the Holy Spirit dwelling in them and enlivening them, who at unexpected times breaks forth in acts of worship of God and love of others. This edifice of the faithful is holy, because it is sanctified by the Spirit, and universal, because it is open to all. It is the church in the truest sense, the community of those who belong to the Lord Jesus.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, you sent your Holy Spirit into the world to draw together those who believe in you into a community of faith. May we be counted among your faithful. May we worship you in the company of fellow believers. And may we give witness in our lives to the faith we share with the community of your church.