“Teaching Little Kyla…”
A series on Travis and Sarah’s journey of parental flubs, flaws, failures and accidental^ fortune.
When Kyla begins to pray she now touches her forehead, then her chest, then crosses her shoulders while saying, “In the name of the Fahver, in the name of the Son, and the Holwy Spiwint.” She proceeds to give thanks for the most simple things in life. Her genuine gratitude really shows and I’ll tell you more about that in my next post.
After seeing and hearing Kyla do the sign of the cross, someone asked her, “Are you catholic?” To which I replied, “Of course she’s catholic.” The word catholic means “one, universal.” The people of God are one church. There may be some organizational nomenclature that distinguishes one gathering of the church from another gathering of the church but ultimately there is only one church, the people of God.
Scott Peterson, University Chaplain at MVNU, asked last night if I have read the book “Who Will be Saved?” by William H. Willimon. I have yet to read it but am putting that as a priority on my reading list. Scott disclosed that the essential theme of the text recognizes the tension between “the narrow way” of Jesus and a universalist perspective that suggests all paths of religion or the unlimited grace of God allow all people access to God (I am not attempting fully or accurately describe universalism; that is a conversation for another day). If I recall the conversation with Scott correctly, he said that Willimon (in the previously mentioned text or another) suggests that those who will be saved must be a part of the church.
What does it mean to be a part of the church?
What does it mean to be identified by the sign of the cross?
Please comment.
^ There is someone(s) greater than me/us (a divine being and a community of people) that intercede with grace and giving.
I guess one of my questions before considering to comment on Willimon would be “What does it mean to be saved?”
As for the posed ending questions:
-I’ve been operating, for a couple years anyway, from a perspective of church as a community actively pursuing God’s reclaiming of all. Because Jesus has already made peace with ALL things (rom 5), we as a community following him seek to bring that peace into reality.
-I have not thought much on finding some sort of IDENTITY from the sign of the cross. However, I do believe that it is a good exercise (discipline?), for me, in bringing my entire being, including the body, into the reality of the presence of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Not that I’m claiming these comments to be fully accurate or to be an elaborate view of both Church and The Sign of the Cross…Rather, just some thoughts.
what do you think about the my first question tho? i’d like to read your thoughts on this