Yesterday I arrived at a Benedictine monastery for a few days during this Holy Week. I am still following my retreat leader and as such I was immediately able to unpack a few wonderful gifts that I'd like to write about. Here's one.
Being here with a couple dozen people I immediately realized the importance of community. While I am here alone with other people on their own retreats, their presence is clearly felt. They are feeding me in a most beneficial spiritual way beside the most excellent food the monks supply us.
I know people that say they don't need to go to church to be holy and in some ways that is true. These people may be disillusioned with organized religion for one reason or another , perhaps understandably so. Depending on what you are choosing to believe and make your faith however, communal worship is essential. Whatever common history we share it is reinforced and kept alive in communal worship. To believe otherwise means the person is deluded and the faith will become horribly diluted.
Would we get the richness and power of Jesus washing his Apostles feet if we did not relive that exquisite moment of love and service? If we simply read the account, would we understand what a powerful image that is? Jesus knelt and washed the dirtiest part of his apostles, the smelly feet covered in grime from days of trudging along dusty roads in open sandals. What an example of service and submission!
Our faith, what Jesus taught and what we believe is all outward centered to others. Loving yourself is of course essential but we need to love others to practice our faith, to love others as we love God. You can't do that at home in your living room alone even if we do acknowledge family as our domestic church. We need worship together, teaching together, loving together and learning together.
If we believe what we read as Christians, in the last supper, that Passover meal, we are commanded to do this in memory of him. If we think simply chowing down at Panera on bread will suffice, I am a very holy man . I love bread! But that is not communal worship and it is not a Sacramental offering ( capital S ). During this week especially we are called to come together, to bring our collective memory alive, to grasp fully what is we believe and what it is Jesus has done for us and continues to do for us.
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