“Ecclesia.” What is the church? Who makes its rules?

Last Sunday, confused, anxious and troubled by the news of Jesus’ departure, the disciples asked what that meant. What will we do without Him?

In the Gospel today, Jesus answers, saying that “The Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything.” In other words, they need not worry, but trust that Jesus’ physical absence gives place to the Real Presence of the Holy Spirit.

The understanding of the physical absence of Jesus as the Real Presence of the Holy Spirit has been both a gift and a challenge to the early Christian community. It is a gift because Jesus’ presence continues through that of the Holy Spirit. It is a challenge because the disciples did not fully understand this kind of language that defined their Lord’s physical absence by the Real Presence of the one He sends, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

This means that God, not the apostles or their successors, is the head of the church. Church authorities are simply deputies or representatives of Jesus Christ. It took time and prayers for the disciples to understand this theology and ecclesiology. Two thousand twenty-four (2024) years after, we, continue to experience the same difficulties in understanding the true nature and meaning of the “ecclesia” (church). What is the church? Who makes its rules?

Saint James responds directly by saying that the Church is not a human- made organization, even though it is visibly run by humans. “Ecclesia” means called together from somewhere, put “aside.” But called by whom? Put aside by whom? By the great I AM Who called Abraham our Father to leave his nation and to go form a new nation of believers…put aside by the same God who for centuries pulled prophets out of their surroundings and ordained them to shepherd His flocks. Ecclesia’s members are called by the same Almighty who sent Moses to Pharaoh with a command to free his people.

As you see, we are all called by the same vineyard owner, Christ, the chief Cornerstone. The Archbishop/Metropolitan is called, the College of Bishops is called, the Bishop Ordinary is called, the Rector is called, the Vestry is called, each member of the congregation is individually called. As the Church Fathers said, “In the house of the Lord, the Church, there is only one Boss; His physical absence is a true testimony of His Real Presence.”