Experience My Experience
First Section
In The Church in the Power of the Spirit Moltmann discusses the implications of the church’s relationship with the Spirit and how the Spirit informs the way the church understands itself and its place in the world. We barely scratched the surface of this reading in our time together as a group, but what I particularly loved about it was the way Moltmann seemed to be stretching and expanding every definition of who God is, exposing my own limitations both in my understanding and in my willingness to hold the mysterious.
For me one of the most meaningful aspects of our discussion was brought by Ruth, expressed in her gentle and profound way. She spoke of Moltmann’s point that the being of Jesus is different than the message of Jesus, that the gospel itself is such a small part of what the good news truly is. Ruth compared this to the feeling of wanting to express the depth of her affection for someone close to her, and how she at times wishes those she loves could step inside her heart to more fully experience the fullness of her love.
The mystery and the depth of the person of Jesus is forever unfathomable, and limiting the fullness of the good news to the narrative of the gospel is like the story of the blind men describing their experience of an elephant, each arriving at their own conclusions based on the part of the elephant they touched. I believe it was Sally McFague who said “Only in genuine community with one another can the fullness of the creator be revealed.” The beauty in our limitation is that while we may have our own experiences of the good news of Jesus, in community we bring and share those experiences, leaning into an ever-expanding understanding of the goodness of the love of Christ.
Written by Tiffany Howard
Second Section
Jürgen Moltmann turns to examine the Eucharist and Worship in the second large section of this text. He is frustrated by the tendency to focus on confession solely and make communion an exclusionary practice. In fact, this is counter to the Gospel. Jürgen believes that the meal that Christ shared with his disciples in the upper room was modeled after the other meals recorded in the Gospels. Communion is a unique practice that offers story and emotional ties for people connected to Christ. Moltmann would not restrict this table to those who profess certain doctrines.
In our Jürgie group we wondered what contours and shapes communal meals can take and how each meal can contain elements of the Eucharist. Jesus’ pattern of relating and chosen cultural subset show themes that run in the current of the Eucharist, if we are paying close attention. These meals are both commonplace and essential to the Gospel. Here Moltmann draws a distinction between the meal in the upper room and the other meals. The meal in the upper room was not an exclusive meal, but its intent was to gather Jesus’ friends to seek those who are lost. So the warning to examine your heart before communion should fall to the wayside that the original intent of gathering to discuss mission and fellowship may occur.
The Eucharist offers us communion not only with those present in the room, but it also binds us to those who suffer. Ruth explained her desire to open her heart so that her deep love might be experienced by those she loves. Later Angie and Andi came back to this topic and noted that the Holy Spirit is the only one who can fully enter our “hearts” and experience our beings. This adds depth to the common meal shared by the friends of Jesus. We can experience the suffering of others through the physical action of taking communion and the invitation of the Spirit into our fellowship. As Ruth said, walk inside my heart- experience my experience.
Written by Elyse Snelson
