[00:00:00] Welcome to the EquipCast for the Archdiocese of Omaha. Designed to help leaders to transform their cultures, to embody the pastoral vision, to be one church, encountering Jesus, equipping disciples, and living mercy. 

Welcome to the EquipCast Coaches Corner, where we break down important topics to equip you and your team for mission, in your family, in your church, and in your ministry. My name is Jim Jansen, and today I'm going to talk to you about the power of belonging. So, a number of years ago now, I think it's been, gosh, about like eight years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Rome. I've been blessed to go a number of times. One of my favorite stops in Rome is a little church.

I mean, relative, small church called Santa Croce. It's the, the Church of the Holy Cross and it has a lot of the relics of the Passion. There's a [00:01:00] big section of the cross. I believe there's the, uh, big crossbeam from the good thief, some nails from the crucifixion, the nameplate above Jesus’s head, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, and the finger of St.

Thomas the Apostle. St. Thomas is a great figure. I love this guy, right? I mean, I, I found myself really sympathetic to his doubt. And I think if we could have asked him, he'd say, it's like, really just a realist, right? I mean, if we could have asked him before his kind of renewed encounter and kind of reversion to the Lord, you get the sense that Thomas is just trying to live according to reality.

So, I want to give you just a little bit of a background to the famous story where Thomas got the nickname Doubter, and that'll give us just a little bit of a peek into the power of belonging. So, we're gonna pick up the story here in John chapter 20. This is after the resurrection [00:02:00] and this is after Jesus has appeared to a number of the disciples.

You know, he's given them the power to forgive sins and for whatever reason Thomas wasn't there. I mean, I'm just gonna cut him some slack. I'm gonna say he was grieving, right? Like You know, many of us maybe in our worst moments when we grieve, we tend to isolate so maybe post crucifixion Thomas was all alone.

He's grieving. He's not with the group when Jesus appears breathes on them gives them the Holy Spirit and They're determined to bring him back. So, they're telling him they're like we've seen the Lord. That's what they say in verse 25 So the other disciples said to him we've seen the Lord, but he said Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Now, between you and me... I hear just a little bit of a [00:03:00] sassy tone in that. For Thomas, at this point, the nails are just more real. The spear that opened his side is just more real. But there's something very fascinating going on. Despite the fact that he doesn't believe, and I would say stubbornly and obnoxiously does not believe, I mean, there is a little bit of mocking of their faith that's going on here.

I think you could read between the lines, he's still with them. A week later, he's still with them. Even though he doesn't believe, he still belongs to that community, and he can find a place there. See, I think that's important as we begin to talk about the power of belonging, because we're now back in apostolic times.

Some of you are familiar with the book, From Christendom to Apostolic Mission, by Monsignor Shea. Fantastic book. Highly recommend it. He talks about how, for centuries, we have lived in a [00:04:00] time of Christendom. The Church and the vision of reality that our faith gives us was the dominant worldview and cultural force, but that that has disappeared very rapidly in recent times, and we now find ourselves transitioning from an age of Christendom, where the culture and the values supported the way we thought, to A new apostolic era, back to the time of the apostles, where Christians, regardless of our ethnicity, find ourselves to be a cognitive minority.

Meaning, we think differently about the world than everybody else. And more and more, it's clear that we think differently about the world than everybody else. So, as we find ourselves back in apostolic times, we need to figure out again how to reach those who don't already believe. It's no longer enough just to put out a sign and say, hey, those of you who believe this, come here.

We actually need to find a way to help [00:05:00] others learn to believe again. And although there's a thousand different key practices for embracing to do that, I want to highlight One of them that the story of St. Thomas the Apostle shows us, and that is the power of belonging. So, there's really three different dynamics that affect how someone connects with the community.

First, there's belonging. That's where a person can say to themselves, am I accepted as one of them? There's believing. where a person can say to themselves, Do I think like them? And then there's behaving, where a person can say to themselves, Do I act like them? Now, to be clear, we want all three for our parishioners and members of our community of faith.

We want them to feel like they belong, we want them to believe, and we want them to behave. The real question is, what order are those things experienced? Consider, if you will, a couple of alternatives. If we start with belief, [00:06:00] that belief is first, that could make us a political party, right? If you think like us, then you're one of us.

And that's not horrible, but that's not Christianity. Or consider leading with behaving. Right? If you behave like us, then you're one of us. Well, that makes us a club or a sorority. Again, apologies to my friends who are in fraternities and sororities. I love you. This is not a knock on you. It's just that, well, a sorority is not Christianity.

But think about leading with belonging. That's what makes us the people of God, where we can recognize all of our fellow men as children of God and Even if they're not yet Christians or believers. Now, to be super clear, I am not saying that non-Christians get the same rights and privileges as members in good standing.

I mean, the Eucharist is still only for the initiated. But, if we ever hope for people to become [00:07:00] believers, we have to start with belonging. And the story of St. Thomas illustrates that. So, let's go back, right? He shows us the way. Again, he's hanging out with the rest of the disciples when he clearly didn't believe, when he stubbornly didn't believe.

And I would say obnoxiously, did not believe. I mean, there's just a slight bit of insult in the way he says, you know, and he says this. And he's, he's, he's being as graphic as possible. Until I put my hands into the nail barks, my whole hand into his side, I will not believe. But you notice, he still belongs anyway.

And the real faith of that community gathered together doesn't exclude him. In fact, it seeks him out. It shares the message. It draws him back in. And in that context, in that community where he belongs, even though he doesn't believe, the Lord comes. In that context, he [00:08:00] has a renewed encounter with Jesus.

And in dramatic fashion, my Lord and my God, he begins to believe again. And then, that third dynamic shows up. Right? He belonged. He has this encounter with Jesus because of that belonging in the community of faith. He has an encounter with Jesus. He believes again. And then, you want to talk about behaving?

He's the apostle to India. Like, literally, he travels the furthest geographically of any of the apostles in the proclamation of the gospel. So, the question is for us, okay, if this dynamic, belong, believe, behave, is a dynamic where we can again welcome non-believers into our community, draw them to faith and to a life of discipleship, how do you appropriately show non-believers that they belong?

Well, a couple of quick ideas. One, notice them. Welcome them. Say things like, hey, I'm glad you're [00:09:00] here. What's your name? You know, just be friendly. Two, be a guide. Explain the language, customs, beliefs. I mean, they're not a secret. And we're not ashamed. We have good reasons for what we believe and how we act.

And when they're ready, we would be more than happy to talk about it. Include them, right, whenever it's appropriate. Just because they can't receive the Eucharist doesn't mean they can't be on your trivia night team. Or enjoy fried fish. Or even help fry the fish. Or sing in the choir for that matter. I have a very good friend, godfather to one of my children, who sang in the choir for years. Great male voice. He sang in the choir for years before he decided to become Catholic. He belonged there and the choir was a place where he found his spot. Notice it again in our story of St. Thomas, Thomas was at a meal, a communal celebration. Let's offer this More than just recognizing or [00:10:00] even inviting people to the party, some of minority friends say that belonging isn't just being invited to the party.

That real belonging is being invited to dance. So whenever possible, don't just invite people to be present, but engage them and involve them in the community. See, engaging people in ways that they're ready to accept is one of the best ways to show them that they belong. Let me pray for us here. Lord, I ask that you would grant us eyes to see those who stand on the periphery of our communities.

Those who do not feel that they belong, I ask that you would warm our hearts, increase our patience for what might seem obnoxious or off putting to us. Grant that we may extend the gift of belonging. So that the priceless gift of faith may be given to more and more who are far from you. St. Thomas the [00:11:00] Apostle, pray for us.

Alright everybody, I would love to hear your thoughts. You can respond back to this Coach's Corner in the chat at equip.archomaha.org Again, that's equip.archomaha.org