Easter 5: Second Reading, 1 Peter 2:2-10

We are a people set apart. The foundation of who we are is a Person. A Divine Person. A Rock. With so much type and shadow pointing to this person in the Old Testament, the Apostle Peter connects God’s NT people, the Church with this foundational stone in some of the very same terms used to describe His OT people. Much ink has been spilled, myriads of sermons preached and today blogs, vlogs and podcasts carry on the discussion. Just who or what is the Church?

The writings of Moses and Isaiah are quoted by Peter in his first epistle, chapter two and verse nine. We, the people of the Rock are called, “ a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Verse 10 continues, “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

My part in this meditation is all but finished, so today I leave you with some homework. Who are we, this people called Church? What grounds us? What sustains us? How do we know just who we are and what it is we are called to be and do? That’s your task. Between now and Divine Service on Sunday, do some digging and see in the Bible what you come up with. We all know the church isn’t just a building where we hang our coats on Sunday. What IS the church? Who IS the church? What is our calling?

If you want to do the research just for yourself, that’s great. But I would love for you to share with me what you find. Email your findings to me at:  . I won’t share it with anyone unless you’d like to share it with our readers. I can give you this much of a start. It is an amazing thing to be a part of this thing called “Church.” See what you can find.

God’s Peace.