Because our culture emphasizes the spectacular, we often neglect to appreciate the value of the ordinary in sustaining us in life. There is a saving reality to the Body of Christ which is offered to us on a continuing basis. While different traditions within the Christian community may debate the number of sacraments, all point to actions by the church using elements and actions in the physical world that point to the presence of the divine. The specific sacraments suggest a sacramental view of life in which God can be recognized as present in our world. Let me offer nine theses of that saving reality which are continually fleshed out in the Body of Christ.
First, in a culture that is blind to hope that it cannot see or measure, the church reminds us each Sunday that we are not God and therefore everything does not depend upon us. The result is, in a world prone to despair because its gods are too small, the church offers us salvation from despair. And in a world that is prone to destructive arrogance, the church offers us a sobering experience of humility.
Second, in a culture that is growing Biblically illiterate, the church saves us from losing access to the source of God’s revelation to us. Where else are we presented the Scriptures on a continuing basis? While one can recognize that God is capable of revealing the divine self in may aspects of living, the Christian faith recognizes Scripture as God’s special gift through which God addresses us. In a variety of ways the church continues to present this gift to its participants as a window through which God can address us as individuals and as a community.
Third, in a culture that is in danger of compassion fatigue, the church shows us that our acts of compassion can be a form of praise to God. When our compassion is received as praise to God, we are saved from always depending on the success of our efforts to sustain us. Sometimes it is enough just to have done the right thing and offered our efforts to God as praise.
