Thursday, July 29, 2021

deck Church

 It's a postcard perfect night on the Church deck.

The boys of my home are all asleep for various reasons, so I rest in the quiet whir of the Heights.  String lights begin to glow as the sunlight reaches in its farthest wavelengths of reds and purples. Soft waves crest with the faintest hint of breeze. Birds and bats transition between their homes and the sky.

My Love built this deck in his grief. Tear stains, and dog pee stains, blend in with the actual wood stain. This deck has hosted celebrations and rituals, reunions and goodbyes. The deck became my favorite part of our home because our deck became the Church. 

It's just wood. Well, it's a lot of wood. But, that's as ordinary and holy as a Church needs to be. The Church exists among God's people, and that's how the deck became Church. Throughout every changing rule of COVID, the deck is a space for relationship. Even for my own family, the deck is sacred space.

Yesterday I built a pillow fort on the deck with my Little Love. We made a house with many rooms and my heart dreamed of Heaven. Snuggling my son in a little room, I see the reality of Heaven on Earth. The world is broken. You can see it from the deck. Yet, the Church is hopeful! There's an air of hope on the deck that you have to experience to understand. That's the purpose of Church: experiences to understand Jesus.

We share Communion with our friends every Sunday on this second-hand table I'm typing from tonight. The sunset turns to twilight. The string lights glow brighter in comparison. You can see the lights from the freeway, or even across the Inlet, if you know where to look. It's an image of the community made possible in Church.

"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." -Romans 6:5-11 NRSV

Death isn't a stranger on the deck, but LIFE in Christ is a resident!

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Ephesians 5

Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:

“Awake, O sleeper!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you!”

Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

hey guys