The Church: Our Holy Mother

We live in a time when many people see the church as an "optional" aspect of being Christian. Because of that I think it's helpful to look at the way the church is described as fundamental to our faith in Scripture and tradition.

We are probably most familiar with the Apostle Paul's description of the church as the body of Christ, of which all baptized Christians are members (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). But the body of Christ is only one of many important images for the church in Scripture.

An image that does not get emphasized nearly enough is that of the church as our mother. I explore the motherhood of the church in my current column in the United Methodist Reporter. Not only does Scripture refer to the church as our mother (Isaiah 66:7-11; Galatians 4:26; Revelation 12:13-17), but that same affirmation is made repeatedly in the early church fathers. In dealing with a schism that threatened to tear the church apart, St. Cyprian of Carthage (d.258 A.D.) made the statement, "You cannot have God for your father unless you have the Church for your mother" (The Unity of the Catholic Church).

We receive birth from the church through our baptism, and she feeds us throughout our lives through the feast of the Lord's Supper. That means that the church gives us both life and the sustenance needed to sustain life. And it also means that the church is no option - She is the bride of Christ, and the mother of all of us.

Thanks be to God.