Yesterday in church, we reflected on “church.”  The prayer of the day asked our merciful God to allow his church, gathered together and enlivened by his Holy Spirit, to be an effective witness to his power throughout the world (Collect from Proper 16, in the BCP).

gratuitous St. Paul’s, London shot; via me.

Our Epistle reading, from Romans 12, highlighted how each member of God’s church has a specific job–not anyone doing everything.  In the Gospel, Peter proclaimed Jesus the Messiah, Son of the living God, and Jesus, in turn, declared the foundation of the church.  Our hymns and psalm addressed the same theme. 

One hymn especially took me, “The Church’s One Foundation,” it’s been a favorite of mine for awhile, but this verse made me cry in both services, because of its immediacy to our current situation, and also the realization that this sad state has been the “current situation” for 2000 years or so:

“Though with a scornful wonder

Men see her sore oppressed,

By schisms rent asunder,

By heresies distressed:

Yet saints their watch are keeping,

Their cry goes up, “How long?”

And soon the night of weeping

Shall be the morn of song!”

Maranatha–Come, Lord Jesus; save your church.