Sacramental Living

“Because we have food,” said Eliot, my three-year old.

Just prior he had said, “We are the church.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because we have food.”

My wife and I just stared at each other and smiled.  After a moment pregnant with meaning, awe, wonder, I said to Heather, “Something profound was just going on there.”

She nodded in agreement.

Somehow, Eliot is getting it … even at 3 years old.

We are always stressing to him the difference between the church building and the church.  He knows when we gather for worship it is at the church building.  And he is recognizing that the church is people.  More than that, the church is people with relationships who gather around a meal to talk and listen, share stories, and share nourishing resources.

I know he’s not talking about a “potluck” because he just hasn’t experienced many of those.  And when he does, it’s usually outside the church building, in a picnic pavilion.

Wisdom from a child … it’s pretty cool.  Of course, Jesus did say that we must become like them … like Eliot … to experience the kingdom of God.

Today around our family lunch table, we experienced the reality of God’s kingdom, presence, and reality breaking into the ordinary.  The pedestrian meal became a sublime feast.  We experienced communion.  We are the church.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
How are children around you showing you Jesus?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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God has been working in me.  My relationship with Jesus has been reaching new levels of trust and discernment.  I’m still trying to process and live it out.  I’ll share with you some of what I’ve been discovering …

Through the transitions in life as of late, God has provided for us by Heather working a couple more days a week while I play Mr. Mom.  It means I get work done at odd hours.  But the chance to experience life with my kids has been incredible.

Yesterday, our 3-year old, Eliot, ate like a human garbage disposal.  His hunger was bottomless.  He had two bowls of cereal and applesauce for breakfast.  Crackers, yogurt, and grapes for “second breakfast.”  More grapes and cheese crackers for a snack.  A turkey sandwich, pretzels, and yogurt for lunch.  Even more grapes, cornbread, sesame sticks, and apricots for afternoon snack.  Chicken nuggets (his and some of mine), mixed fruit, fries for dinner.  Then more cereal and grapes at separate times before bed!

I was amazed how much he could put away!  I was even more amazed that he was eating just about every hour or so.  He’s growing, changing.  And he needs to be nourished constantly.

Then, while struggling to sleep in the middle of the night, these words came to my mind: “Humans don’t live by bread alone, but by every word that issues from God’s mouth.”

Jesus was so close in relationship with his Father, that he carried on conversation with him throughout the day.  He wanted the nourishment from God to be just as regular, satisfying, and growth-inducing as regular food for his body … if not more so.

I’ve been learning to trust Jesus more.  To lean into God’s unfailing love and acceptance of me.  To be in conversation with the Father at all times.

Just like Eliot eating constantly for his body to develop in a healthy way, we need to be in constant, aware, open, trusting relationship with God so that we may grow more into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

It’s not just a Sunday morning thing (or whatever time and day we may gather for community worship).  It’s not just a private prayer time once or a few times a week.  It’s not just in fellowship with other believers every so often.  It’s not just in relationship with not-yet believers.  It’s not just in our family time with children and parents.  It’s not just in the compassionate lifestyle actions that we may engage in.

Life and relationship with God is all of this, and more, at all times, with all that we are, trusting all that our God is!

The ways and times to “do church” are becoming completely insignificant to me.  The life enjoyed by “being church” is the path I’m on.  It’s not popular.  It’s confusing on all sides.  It means I can’t plan my future so much as trust God’s working in my present until he accomplishes his purpose in me.

What is God’s purpose?  The same for all of us really:  to be drawn into relationship with God, to be caught up in the community of our holy Parent, and the befriending Son, and the loving Spirit; to be shaped into the likeness of our oldest brother — Jesus Christ.

God, work out your purpose in me and my family however you choose.  AMEN.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
How is God nourishing you these days?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Warning: Birth Announcement straight ahead …