“…his Gospel is the one that introduces us to Elizabeth and Zechariah, gives us the Magnificat and the Bethlehem birth narrative, and shares the prophesies of Simeon and Anna.”
Sometimes I worry that in the church, we pay too much attention to statistics and focus groups and expert opinions at the expense of simply looking at the people involved.
The Gospel authors had met Jesus only in verbal accounts, only through others who knew people who had known him. And yet, like a buried priceless treasure, they found him, recognized him as their beloved, acknowledged him as the one for whom their souls had always yearned.
But here’s the problem with walls: as much as we think they keep “undesirable” people out, they also keep the fortunate ones penned in. In the end, both are in a cage. And even a cage of your own making is still a cage.
Find that shepherd place in you, the place open to wonder. Listen, now, listen with the heart of a shepherd.
Each of us is a patient presenting ourselves before the Great Physician–sometimes we need deep healing, sometimes we merely want to vent, and sometimes, we’re simply not sure what’s wrong with us and desire for more to be revealed.
The Episcopal Café seeks to be an independent voice, reporting and reflecting on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican tradition. The Café is not a platform of advocacy, but it does aim to tell the story of the church from the perspective of Progressive Christianity. Our collective sympathy, as the Café, lies with the project of widening the circle of inclusion within the church and empowering all the baptized for the role to which they have been called as followers of Christ.
The opinions expressed at the Café are those of individual contributors, and, unless otherwise noted, should not be interpreted as official statements of a parish, diocese or other organization. The art and articles that appear here remain the property of their creators.
All Content © 2017 Episcopal Café
