We Are The Gospel

Martin Wroe, in "The Gospel According To Everyone", comments on how, on Iona a few years ago, someone suggested that the Church is the fifth Gospel.  There have, of course, been other contenders for that accolade.  Some suggest it should be given to Thomas, perhaps the best-known of the gospels that didn't make it into the New Testament.  Others suggest it belongs to the people of Palestine, the community in which Jesus lived and taught.  There have been other suggestions, such as Isaiah, suggested by Karl Barth, but, like Wroe, I like the thought of it being the Church in every age.  So, today, we are the Gospel.  The Gospel is lived out through what we do.  Wroe goes on to write about the people of his church, with all their gifts and failings, all their different backgrounds and identities.  It's a fascinating account and a useful reminder that God uses us as we are.  In his church they started, every couple of months or so, including in the Sunday service, telling the story of a member of the congregation, viewed as an extra Gospel reading.   As you look at your congregation, what are the Gospel stories you could tell because you see them being lived out?