Soul Nourished  

People don't think about their souls much these days. In fact, the term itself has lost almost all the traction it once had in normal discourse. There was a time when people understood what Horatio Spafford meant in his famous hymn, "It is well with my soul." He wrote that hymn, by the way, during a time of profound grief at the loss of his family in a tragic accident at sea. Many people today wouldn't even know how to perceive whether their soul was well or not. The language of the soul has been lost to us through the reductionism of our modern materialistic philosophies. Today if you talk about a person's soul they look at you like you're just using religious jargon. How would you respond if a friend asked casually how your soul feels? Is it deeper than your current "feelings" like anger, grief, fear, or lust? Can you tell the difference?

The Bible uses the word soul a lot. It means the inner self, the heart, the spirit. The whole person, body and soul, is sometimes included in the concept. But there is a clear sense of the soul as distinct from the body as well. David speaks to his own soul in Psalm 43:5, "Why are you cast down oh my soul? And why are you in turmoil within me?" In the Bible there is a tangible awareness of a dimension in us, an aspect of who we are that is not visible to others, that is the essence of our thoughts, character, desires, intuitions, personality, heart-the real us, our true selves. This is what consciously survives the disintegration of our current bodies. This is what will receive a new physical extension, a resurrected human body. And this is what is saved and nourished by the grace and the Spirit of Jesus Christ the Son of God. God himself joins our souls, regenerating us by Christ's sacrifice and the Spirit's indwelling and anointing. We have reborn souls and will receive resurrected bodies after this dark age has itself been judged and resurrected.

If our soul can be regenerated, born from above, may it also be nourished from above? Yes. Through prayer (the covenant conversation we have with God our Father all the time), the Word (the gospel taught through the Scriptures), fellowship (gathering with other Christians for worship), and-communion (sharing in the bread and the cup, the dynamic symbols of Christ's love and sacrifice for us). Paul says in 1 Cor.10:16-17 that when we take the Eucharist we are participating, sharing in the blood and body of Christ. This is soul nourishment of the deepest kind, actually chewing and swallowing the life and grace of God in Christ. Don't quibble about the metaphysics behind the Communion, just put your faith in Christ and come to the table. He told us to be immersed in the grace and reality of who he is through Baptism. Then he told us to regularly and often come to his table to be reminded and refreshed in his grace. We are to "feast" on him at his table.

It may sound odd to modernist ears, but we Christians aren't shackled by the restrictions of materialism, scientism, naturalism. We enter into personal and corporate worship and receive the soul-nourishment that comes from walking in the Spirit, feeding our souls on the tangible grace of Christ. When your soul is cast down within you, may I suggest that you take Communion?

Just a Thought,

Pastor Rick

Our next Baptism will be held Sunday, August 30. If you'd like to be Baptized, pick up a Baptism loaner CD at the Willingheart Window or listen at trail.org (click HERE) before speaking with a Pastor. The evening will begin with a potluck dinner at 6:00 p.m. in the Pavilion. At 7:00 p.m. we'll have the Baptism at the Baptismal (behind the Church Offices) followed by Communion. Bring a dish to serve 8-10 people.Questions? Contact Jacki in the Church Office: 541.878.3501.