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Tuesday Bible Study

(introduction)

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Chapter 16 in

Matthew,

Verses 13 through 19

The passage that’s about

A person

As a rock,

The church that doesn’t

Get a metaphor

But against which

The gates of hell

Cannot prevail

And I sigh, because

The church matters in

All this

And I don’t want it to

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I want the church to have

No purpose

And to go away

Because it’s been

A source of abuse

And is a place

Where egos go to

Have their forces reinforced

While the better

Part of spirit

Goes unfed and hid

Inside a corner covered by

The Sunday best

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But there it is

The church

Uttered as a claim

By Christ

Maybe it started

In that moment

With Peter set as

The foundation

(maybe not a pope

but the beginning

and a papa in that way)

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And the church

(nonetheless)

So strong

That hell, the keeper

And the hider of

All evil

Has not chance to last,

Even though hell might

Seem to be doing pretty well

Just now

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So what is

The church?

It is a place we go to

To worship

That is first, I think

Some say

That worship has two parts,

Word and sacrament

We learn something close

About our

Scripture,

And then there is a

Sacred act for us

To take part in

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Both parts inspiring

Everything we do

Once outside, again

To encounter in and as

The new week

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I guess that’s useful

And it’s spiritual

And if the

Spirit of God is there,

There is a source

As well an imprimatur

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But for the cynical,

I understand and am

With you

I’d like to think a church-less

Faith is possible,

Though I must wrestle

(maybe

in a bout

not un-Jacob-like)

With authenticity

With

(and this is griping)

All the excuses

The church gives itself

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There, I’m out

Of energy

Maybe I try too hard

To find my own resources

Maybe I’m missing

Something

That would

Feed me well

Maybe all this should be

For next Tuesday

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C L Couch

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[from Matthew 16]

[13] When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” [14] They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” [15] “But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” [16] Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” [17] Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. [18] And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. [19] I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Berean Study Bible (cited at biblehub.com)

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Photo by Sonaal Bangera on Unsplash

St. Mary’s Islands, India

This is an island about 30 minutes from the coastal area of Udupi in Karnataka, India. Beautiful place, clean waters, more shells, less sand. 🙂

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