Grace and Peace Episode 28
Presbyterian Church of Easton
March 28, 2021
55Q. What do you understand by“the communion of saints”?
A. First, that believers one and all, as members of this community, share in Christ and in all his treasures and gifts. Second, that each member should consider it a duty to use these gifts readily and joyfully for the service and enrichment of the other members.
Romans 12:5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
According to the Apostle’s Creed, the church is the “communion of saints”. In the original Greek and Latin of the Apostles' Creed the word we translate as “holy” and the word we translate as “saints” is the same word. So these phrases in the creed could be translated as either “communion of the holy ones” or the “communion of holy things”. We are the holy ones. But what about the holy things?
When the Holy Spirit is present whatever it touches becomes holy. For example, the bread and juice on the communion table are very ordinary things, but if the Holy Spirit is present they become holy. Our building would be a very nice assembly hall and community center, but if the Holy Spirit is present it becomes a sacred place. The sermons I preach are just words, but if the Holy Spirit is present they become the Word of God. Congregational singing is just noise, but if the Holy Spirit is present it becomes a joyful noise to the Lord.
The Holy Spirit also provides the church with holy people. We know this because people in the church are gifted by the Holy Spirit. We have been blessed by gifts to the Apostles' who have passed their gifts to us in scripture. We have been blessed by gifts to the prophets who can see the world from God's perspective. We have been blessed by gifts to the teachers who can explain God's word to us in ways we can understand. We have been blessed by the gifts of miracle workers and healers that have sustained the church for 2000 years. We have been blessed by church administrators who keep all of this running. We have been blessed by people who help others. This is what it means to be a church of holy people. Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for assembling so many holy people into your holy church. Bless us with your Spirit so that everything we do and everything we say and everything we think is holy. And we acknowledge that your name is the holiest of all. Amen.
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