Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Koodosh Eetho: Sanctification of the Church

St. john 2:13-22 

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it up.” (v. 19)

Kitsugi is the Japanese craftsmanship method for repairing broken pottery using gold fillings to bind the broken fragments. The result is pottery both beautiful due to the gold but it also highlights the brokenness. The brokenness is brought out as a new form of beauty.  In the same way, we see the Church as the broken body of Christ binding a broken people together. That broken body of Christ is a body of glory and power. That broken people are not forever broken either. Instead, the victory of Christ imparts a divine power to mend the brokenhearted and the broken in spirit.

What is the Church? It arose out of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His Body broken for us. By his resurrection, He brought about the community of those with a new life in Christ. The Church is the community of broken people. We come to realize our brokenness. But through Christ, we can be made whole. He is the Divine Healer. Just as the philosophy of kitsugi makes beauty out of the unattractive broken pottery, Christ redeems the imperfect and broken people. He clothes them with the beautiful garments of His holiness. We as Christians wait for the true perfection of our life that comes through Jesus Christ. On the day of His Second Coming, Jesus Christ will make all things new. That is our faith and our hope as followers of Christ. We may be broken yet we are being made whole; imperfect yet being perfected. We may feel we are broken. However, Christ sees us as his divine craftsmanship, worthy to be made into beautiful objects of God’s glory.

Prayer
O Lord our Creator, we thank and praise you that you redeemed us by the blood of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. We seek the presence of your Perfecting Holy Spirit in our lives that we may be brought to the wholeness that you desire from us. Make us and mold us, we pray. In the precious Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Rev. Jeswin John
Vicar, St. John's Mar Thoma Church, Michigan

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