Dear Friends in Christ—
Knowing how much change we are all undergoing, I have been reluctant to introduce any change that is not absolutely necessary. But I am making one small change to our liturgy.
Beginning this week, we will be adding a sentence just before the eucharist is offered. I will break the bread and hold it up, saying to you all: “Behold what you are.” And your response? “May we become what we receive.”
I chose to include these words because I believe we deeply need to hear them right now. They were written by Augustine centuries ago, but they speak to our current situation.
I think we know all about being broken these days. We know about being exhausted, about not getting to do the things we want to do, about not getting to be the people we want to be. We are the broken body of Christ.
It is harder to remember that we are the body of Christ in other ways, too. We are holy. We can offer sustenance and healing to the people around us. Even though we are broken—sometimes precisely because we are broken—we can feed others in this world.
Behold what you are. Become what you receive. It is my hope for us in this season ahead.
Yours in Christ,
Anne+