Grafted into the Kingdom

As I glance at the readings today; after a day of doing readings for my summer subject on the Diaconate I look at the powerful messages and just want to be in my place in the service for what is a very strong and powerful set. It however reminds me of how we are grafted into the Kingdom.

Last semester I studied Ecclesiology, the study of the church or even being the church. The subject must wrestle with what was once a theocracy of ancient Israel, what was the theocracy of the medieval European times where if you weren't baptised you weren't a citizen and how we acknowledge all of this weight and baggage today.

We don't carry new testaments with us, rather a Bible which contains religious writings of receiving a law, messages of the prophets, religious writings, eye witnesses to Jesus in the Gospels, historic reviewing of the early acts of the church and many more. We carry that history with us; the history of a country where people battled, sinned, ignored God, believed they followed God when they didn't. We jump to Medieval times and we have to hold the "Holy" wars, crusades and the persecutions we did as Christians. There is no veil to hide behind saying, "Oh, that was the Catholic church, I'm a Pentecostal" because their actions traced to the Apostles build your church too. I have heard it said the reformation was a tragic necessity (Traceable to Jaroslav Pelikan) and it is part of all of our history.

Our difference is that we are grafted into Israel through the righteous branch of Jesus. That the remnant of Ancient Israel was once gathered and started to share the news to the world beyond. Christ the head of the church, the Son, the true ruler of the realm with the Father and the Spirit. Our place is not found in this time or space but in new creation to come where his rule will have no end.