Klampert

Definition of the Church

My dad (fr. dave) wrote a definition of the church for this past sundays sermon and I thought it was awesome. This really explains who the church is better than anything I have ever read. Enjoy.

The Church is the community of people who were purchased for God by the payment of Jesus’ blood.
It is where Jesus lives by His Spirit;
It is where the spiritual gifts, given to the people of God by the Spirit of God, are seen and active;
It is where the Word of God (the Bible) is faithfully and accurately taught and applied;
And it is where the Sacraments (the grace giving rites of the Church) are given, shared and enjoyed.

It is through the Church that the ministry of Jesus continues on the earth;
That the Good News about who Jesus is, and what he did for us, is brought to others;
That the restoring of our broken relationship with God is offered and given,
And that God’s Kingdom is declared to the whole world.

fr. david klampert

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Joel Klampert

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Comments

One response to “Definition of the Church”

  1. Joshua Avatar
    Joshua

    Very nice…

    Here’s my $0.02

    The church us the pillar of truth-
    1st Timothy 3:15

    Just as Fr. David said the Church is a Living Continuing Society- it is an organization that has life and an institution that is passed thru the ages, established by Jesus.(Yashua) Ordained by God(YHVH)not made up on a whim, or popular belief structures. Follows the model laid out in the scriptures. Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons.

    How do I make contact to the Living Society of Christ? Thru the Apostolic Succession passed down to us by our church fathers.

    Apostolic Succession is:
    Historic Continuity with the apostles, thru the laying on of hands, as a result we receive the apostles sacramental authority. Simultaneously receiving the anointing of the Holy Spirit to embody apostolic character and teach apostolic doctrine. Apostolic succession is dependant on the quality of the sacrament not the quality of the person.

    We say “What have our Church Fathers Agreed upon?” this is our Cloud of witnesses thru which we view the church, doctrine, and our faith.

    Apostolic Succession is also a picture of the Holy Trinity. The Trinity governs the ancient church the way He governs himself, in the same way that God functions.

    1)Hierarcical- Equal in creation yet subordinate in role.
    2)Patriacrical- Father and Son.
    3)Monarichal- Speaks with one voice.
    The Church should be governed with one voice, but by consensus. Not as a CEO or committee.

    Paul wrote the letter of Colossians to a church he had never seen- he was working as a bishop. Do you think any church today would listen to some dude from Jerusalem giving them instructions? This was because of the Church in Colossae recognised Pauls Apostolic Succession as a leader in the Church.

    So what does this have to do with the definition of church? It is just one aspect of Church, it is where we get our authority, power, and connection to the church of Christ

    And finnaly a word of encouragement from our father St. Ignatius of Antioch-
    The Second Epistle to the Ephesians

    “And ye are prepared for the building of God the Father, and ye are raised up on high by the instrument of Jesus Christ, which is the cross; and ye are drawn by the rope, which is the Holy Spirit; and your pulley is your faith, and your love is the way which leadeth up on high to God.”

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