Thursday: Do You Not Believe That I Am in the Father and the Father Is In Me?

Philip said to [Jesus], "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied."  Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me?  whoever has seen me has seen the Father.  How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?"  John 14:8-10a

The author asks us to ponder this question, "Does it bother you that you can't have God or Jesus your own way?"

At staff this morning we spoke to the incredible gift of multiple churches that gather the many faithful followers.  While we may not be able to 'have Jesus our way' we are certainly given a number of options by which to gather and worship our risen Lord.  Some are concerned over church hierarchy.  Others have difficulty hearing a message that "tells" them what to believe rather than helping them to understand it.  Some like tradition.  Others prefer newer and fresher approaches to faith.  Some are simply content to sit in the pew no matter the faith expression.

In reality, the fullness of God will only be experienced the our resurrection.  I like a quote from St. Augustine that was shared on pg. 43.  "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."  Faith has us trusting that, in Jesus, we experience the fullness of God as we can best understand in this time and will more fully understand when we get to our heavenly home.  Our present day journeys will have us encountering the risen Christ in a number of ways and that is the work of God in our midst.