Catholica Commentary by John Chuchman: Let's just Be the Church we want Church to be!

Following John Chuchman's reflection today you may feel "I wish it were as easy as that". It's difficult leaving behind what for many of us has been a lifetime of understandings, belief and good memories. Is it a bit like what a young person feels life leaving home? We have a treasure of very positive memories of home but there's also a sense of relief to be out from under the constant scrutiny of mum and dad. John is essentially arguing that we just leave behind all the oppression of the hierarchs and the games they play of trying to constantly please their temporal bosses and let's just Be the Church we want the Church to be!

Join Me!

Join me!
If we stand in the right place,
against oppression by the hierarchy,
God, through us,
creates
A Community of Resistance
without our even realizing it.

As taught by Jesus,
we need to have downward mobility,
locating ourselves with
those abused, oppressed, demeaned, marginalized, and excluded
by the hierarchy.

No amount of screaming
to change things at
those running the Good Ole Boys Club
will change them.
The oppression will not be halted
by our simply insisting that
the hierarchy stop.

Trickle Down theory does not work here.

We need to help create
a Community/Church
where the outcast/abused/oppressed/marginalized
are valued and appreciated
despite hierarchical pronouncements
and political posturing.
Vatican II destroyed the hierarchical pyramid.

Let's just Be the Church
we want Church to be
leaving the results
to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was too busy being faithful,
standing with the marginalized,
to worry about success.

Love, John Chuchman

This reflection is also published on John Chuchman's blog.

IMAGE CREDIT:
The background used to support John Chuchman's reflection has been sourced from stock.xchng one of the sources for free images on the net provided by people who voluntarily upload their work for others to share. Daniel Cubillas who is located in Spain provided today's image. A gallery of Daniel's freely available images can be found at: www.sxc.hu/gallery/dcubillas.

NEW RELEASE:

John's latest book, I AM because LOVE IS: God as VERB, is now available in paperback from Amazon. Click the image for more information. Kindle edition to come.

John Chuchman

John Chuchman is a bereavement counsellor. He is a graduate of John Carroll University and former Ford Motor Company executive (1959-1992). He has been a Hospice volunteer since 1990. John has received Pastoral Bereavement Counselor certification and a Certificate in Spirituality (Kino Institute of Phoenix, Arizona.) In 2000, he was awarded a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Ministries from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. His website provides information about his regular retreats and information about his books. he also writes a "Poetman" blog which you can find on the website or via this link: [Visit John's blog] | [Visit John's website]

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[Index of Commentaries by John Chuchman]

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