What is the Church?

This May marks the fourth anniversary of my ordination.  The Gospel text used in my ordination service was Romans 10, the central part of Paul’s letter.  In the middle of this chapter, Paul delivers the great promise: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  But then Paul asks, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”  Here we get to the heart of the matter: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are historical facts, but they do no good to anyone, anywhere, unless they are preached.  Faith comes from hearing.

The preaching of the Gospel is not merely a retelling of what Christ has done; it is that He has done it specifically for you, for the forgiveness of your sin.  It is the delivery of this faith, right now, in the present.

Martin Luther wrote, “God permits us to live here on earth in order that we may bring others to faith, just as He has brought us.” Preaching Christ’s forgiveness of sin is not only the task of those called to public ministry; it belongs to His Church.  As God’s baptized, you are made a royal priest and sent into your daily callings with the Word of Christ in your heart and on your lips.  Jesus promises, “Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven” (John 20:23).

The Church is Christ’s Church because it preaches Christ. We confess that the Church exists whenever and wherever Jesus’ forgiveness of sin is actually being preached and heard in the Word and Sacraments.  When this Gospel is being preached, it is Jesus’ words being spoken through the one preaching. And when God speaks, it happens.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Raleigh