Ecclesia

There are a few times when I am convinced that the English language would be greatly improved if we had a plural “you.” And I mean something better accepted than the southern “y’all.”

This was one of the thoughts I had at Urbana this past week… and because I get on a plane to head back to Lithuania tomorrow morning, I want to do my best to give at least a few of my impressions and thoughts from the conference before I lose thoughts in the rush of a new semester. Probably the most accurate thing to say was said by one of the seminar speakers – “the Urbana experience is like trying to get a drink of water from a firehose.” It’s an onslaught of information that might easily drown you, but it’s also the stuff of life!

So, I had my thoughts about the need for an English plural “you” as we went through the daily expositions of the book of Ephesians. So much of that book talks about “living worthy of the calling you have received.” (The Urbana theme this year) However, it was clear from our discussions and from the context of the passages, that the calling YOU have received is a calling to a group, to a plural unity, in short, to the church.

If I had to give you my summary of Urbana, it is that it became abundantly clear to me that it is the church - and my individual life within, not distinct from it – that is meant to give glory to God by participating in the redemption of the world. At the end of Ephesians, Paul uses the phrase, “now to Him be glory in the church, and in Christ Jesus.” God’s glory is seen in the church.

Maybe this is obvious to you, but it was refreshing to me to hear so much teaching about the beautiful, diverse, GLOBAL body of Christ. And moreover, to experience it with 22,000 others of all imaginable races, ethnicities and nationalities. It was refreshing to me to see and hear the gospel presented as something more than an individual set of beliefs that can be carried out alone, but rather as an all-encompassing lifestyle that requires connection to a larger body.

This isn’t to say I didn’t have some resistant moments throughout the week, and things that struck me as problematic within the Christian subculture at the conference, some of which I’ll try to share here (don’t even GET me started on Rick Warren!), but overall, I enjoyed the week of simply sinking down into the life of the larger body of Christ, and knowing I am connected to others who are also passionately seeking His ways.