Luther had a wonderful definition of the church. He said the church is like a great big lake which is very shallow and frothy on top, blown by the winds of change. But this lake is fed by a very deep source.
I am sure you know when you are near the source.
For six years, I was honored and privileged to serve on the board of directors of Bread for the World. The membership of Bread is pan Christian but when I was in their presence I knew I was near the deep source that feeds not only the hungry, the poor and oppressed, but also the church.
At a national gathering at American University in Washington DC, I was sitting in a student lounge killing time along with other Bread members. A clown walked into the room and offered me a small cup of lemonade and I thought nothing of it. Then the clown returned and offered me popcorn. I noticed that the room had gone silent and I looked up and saw that all of us realized that we were participating in the Eucharist.
Because Bread is pan Christian, we could not celebrate the Eucharist in our worship, so using the ancient art of clowning we got around the petty differences which separate us and experienced a magical moment. I still get goose bumps thinking about it. Now that is the church.
My home church, Christ the King in Houston. Our daughter Issabella and husband Ted are members of University Lutheran Chapel, Berkeley. Both churches give me that feeling of being near the source. Their members and former members are scattered all over the world. Ask one of them.
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