Being in the Church, Not of It - from Henri Nouwen's
Bread for the Journey
Often we hear the remark that we have to live
in the world without being
of the world. But it may be more difficult to be
in the Church without being
of the Church. Being
of the Church means being so preoccupied by and involved in the many ecclesial affairs and clerical "ins and outs" that we are no longer focused on Jesus. The Church then blinds us from what we came to see and deafens us to what we came to hear. Still, it is
in the Church that Christ dwells, invites us to his table, and speaks to us words of eternal love.
Being
in the Church without being
of it is a great spiritual challenge.
For further reflection...
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." - Hebrews 10: 35,36 (NIV)
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