I was pondering the theme for
this month’s Remarkable and thought it rather a difficult one to write about.
However, listening to the services (sometimes twice on a Sunday), I heard these
oft-repeated verses at the end of every service:
Minister: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Minister: Let us depart in peace.
People: In the name of Christ.
Amen.
I thought I would delve deeper
into this greeting that we so easily say.
The origin is Latin, and the
exact words are ‘Dominus vobiscum’, which means “The Lord be with you.” The
response in Latin is ‘Et cum spiritu tuo’, which means “And with thy spirit.”
Later, in our contemporary translation, it was changed to “And also with you”
so that the Lord is with our full being.
This greeting of the minister and
the congregation is what unites each of us as the Church of Christ. So, as we
leave the sanctuary, we are leaving with the assurance to each other that our
Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are with us.
We also affirm to depart in peace
in the name of Christ. These are only 20 words; however, they give us
assurance, affirmation, and a call to action.
Assurance: The Lord was with
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego at their moment of trial by fire. The Lord was
present with Moses at the burning bush, and with His disciples during the
storm, as well as with the two on the walk to Emmaus. We are affirming to each
other that the Lord will be with us in the coming week, day, or perhaps even
the next hour.
If this is so, what is the call
to action? Having the Lord and the Holy Spirit with us would mean that our
behaviour shows the fruit of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
A couple of months ago, after
driving out of church, I was upset with someone in a public place, and
Nazarene, my wife, asked me a provocative question: “Can’t we be peaceful after
attending the church service? What witness are you leaving behind?” When we
tell each other to depart in peace, in Christ’s name, we have a responsibility,
and we hold each other accountable.
Hebrews 3:12-13 says, “See to it,
brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that
turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it
is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
May our Lord be with each one of
you.
