The practice of worship is taken up by Bishop Mariann Budde in chapter four of her book, “Receiving Jesus: The Way of Love.” Gathering as God’s people is one of the most important elements of what it means to be disciples of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God. I believe this to be true for many reasons, but perhaps primarily because as Christians, we are followers of the one we call Immanuel, “God with us,” the “Incarnate Word of God.” The foundational understanding of Christians is that God so loved us, he sent his only Son to be with us, to dwell with us in our fragile, troubled, often-broken world. The act of Worship brings us together “in community”…to be present together, for each other, and to be present to the transforming presence and love of God. Budde writes in the opening paragraphs of this chapter, “The Way of Love unapologetically affirms the spiritual importance of gathering weekly with other Christians around Jesus’ table. The spiritual practice of worship is, by definition, communal…the gift of worshiping with others in the flesh and the opportunities for spiritual growth it affords are pearls of great price, well worth the effort and sacrifice required to fully experience them.” Budde explores some of the important aspects of worship that commend the practice to Christians.

Budde sets the foundation of the practice of worship by explaining that this practice has been one of the most important elements of the Christian community since the earliest days of the church. “The mystical power of Eucharist explains why it became the central focus of worship whenever Jesus’ followers gathered. The earliest records of Christian practice include this reenacted meal, because in it our spiritual forebears felt his presence with them. Over two thousand years later, so can we,” writes Budde. The Christian gathering of the Eucharist (the “agape meal” of Christ’s love) is a powerful and transformational gathering because it follows both Christ’s command to “gather and remember his mission of love and mercy” and the ancient religious understanding that to gather as God’s people, in community, is to dwell with God in a very special manner. Budde explains this spiritual transformation in a couple of important ways, detailed below.

The first example Budde provides is the “Road to Emmaus.” The story of the two disciples waking the road the Emmaus is important for us to consider because for many of us, we too walk the road of life wondering about how the presence of Christ is made real in our lives. The two disciples encounter the Risen Christ, but remain unaware of his true presence as they walk and talk with him. It is not until the disciples invite the “stranger” to stay with them and share a meal, and Christ blesses and breaks bread with them, that they understand exactly who it is that is in their midst. Budde writes, “It’s been said that for those who follow Jesus, every road is a road to Emmaus. This is because we’re all on the road to somewhere, and he’s with us, but most of the time we don’t recognize him. He is hidden in the people we meet, in the events of our lives and of the world, and even within ourselves in ways that we don’t always feel.” The gathering of the Christian community, particularly in worship, helps us to unravel a bit of the mystery by focusing our attention on Christ and Christ’s body (the gathered community). It is in the sacrament of the Eucharist that we are made most fully known, in Christ.

The second example Budde provides is the “Gift of Christian Community,” In quoting Marcus Borg, she explains that “Christianity is most fruitfully experienced and understood as a way of life rather than a system of belief. Beliefs are important, but when we assume that Christianity is primarily about accepting as true a belief system, we risk placing too much emphasis on what we think or feel rather than how we live. It is through living the Christian life that we are given insights and experiences that take root within us as a core conviction.” Budde continues that “Borg emphatically states that the single most important spiritual practice is to be part of a congregation that ‘nourishes you even as it stretches you.'” She concludes her chapter with the advice that life is busy (a 24/7 world, often without rest) and it is easy to understand that many things drag us away from gathering with our Christian brothers and sisters. For many, worship is important but rarely urgent, Budde rightfully says, however, there is little else that is so important to the life of a Christian! As Christians, we believe that God is the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer…we believe that God is the loving, relational mystery of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The very essence of God is relation and love, and if God is relation and love, certainly those created by God are most fully and perfectly nourished in body, mind, and spirit by the relation and love of community. We find that community most mysteriously and perfectly in the gathering of the Body of Christ as we worship in the presence of God.