“11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:11-21 ESV)

Whom we fellowship with, our sacramental home base: Christian rootedness calls upon us to echo across the Aisle in the good name of a Scripture, a delineated Spirit, a Creed. We recognize each other despite all the king’s men, and all the king’s horses; despite all this conspiring to differentiate and set at enmity with each other; we fellowship Now with people radically Different from us, on the basis or on the account of Scripture that likens and aligns. 

Too good, too haunting, too memorable, the Sacrament Felt and Winsome handshake with eyes locked and in sympathy to one another, we are Bold and Enabled around that notion therein communicated, of Gladsome exchange and Willing Encounter. We meet: we See; we Feel; we Lighten Up; Today we are firm and enabled around that gay—in the sense of celebratory—middle ground.

Oh, so you think you Know me? Too, the Christian faces utmost spiritual battle because of a friend, a nominal friend, who, in the ministry of the church, tempts and requests somehow we go flat, somehow we fail, somehow we concede. This is secret stuff! This is spirits dueling! This is occasion to Wonder and hold firm to the end: no, emails unanswered will not procure a concession, if the matter on the table is Gospel Truth. No, a patronizing pat on the back will not procure Submission, if it is to an alien, foreign, self-serving man’s or woman’s hegemony. Their ascendancy. Their proud authority.

Mission central meets an eclectic crew of Operatives and strange to say, that each outfit is self-contained and self-authorized; there not being only one Catholic Church, you might say, but a myriad number of Operations Underway. We meet one another, servants new to the game of Authority and of Managerial insight, wisdom, patient creation and design. Man is designed. He, she is Constructed. The secret aspect of his or her outlay, is not however copyrighted; there are false prophets, false spirits, false Sacraments. What you Felt in that handshake and eyes that met, another is heavily fighting against, because of Right Talk, Right Sacrament, Right Spirit Prevailing, through War, through Contention, through Man’s Pride humbled.