Friday Five

From those pals at RevGals, it's the Friday Five. This time, a call to describe the perfect church.

At first I thought this would be difficult. I was getting caught up in describing the building—natural, given the major program of renewal, restoration, and renovation that is happening at my parish. But, the more I thought about it the more simply and clearly the thinkin’ dust settled.

To me, the perfect church is a gathering of human beings who inclusively, lovingly, call one another to the full wonder and use of that gift. They do so in the interest of living authentically and communally the greatest commandment we have—to love God and our neighbor as ourselves. This living is born out by inclusively breaking open the common story, sharing sacramental ritual, and serving those in need. The perfect church does this in a spirit of humility and keen awareness that there is more to live, more to learn, more to be revealed than is ever known at a given moment. The perfect church says in the deeds done and spirit it generates together, “Welcome home, there is room for you here.”