God Gives the Church

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Why does the Church exist? What is the driving force behind this institution? Every institution exists for some purpose, some underlying cause – whether it be social interaction, support of a common cause, shared belief, or whatever – and if it does not, or ceases to, then the institution crumbles.

In the 19th Century, the German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher asserted that the Church is “a fellowship created by the voluntary actions of men.” That is, men and women come together and form this sociological body that we call the Church for purposes of mutual assurance and affinity. And of course, if the mutual assurance and/or affinity changes or ceases, then the assembly is free to mutate in order to restore it, or else simply to disband – whatever is most expedient for the group.

But is that really what the Church is all about?

Because the Lord Loves You

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

To adopt a child is an act of kindness nearly without parallel. The love that motivates a would-be mother and father to accept a child not their own into their home and call him their own can only come from our loving heavenly Father. A special, unreproducable bond exists between flesh-and-blood family, but there is something wonderful that binds together parents who choose to receive and a child who is given to them by means of adoption. The adoption of children gives us a beautiful picture of what the unconditional love of God is like.

Unconditional love is a wonderful thing. We hear it mentioned often in religious circles. Unconditional love, in Hebrew hesed and in Greek agape, is the love with which only God can love. It is the type of love with which St. Paul exhorts us to love one another in the Holy Spirit. It is the love of Christ for His people. And yet, it is beyond our grasp.