My reflection today centers on how we do the privileged work of preaching Christ. The first matter at hand is what should be the focus. Paul writes to the Corinthians that we must stay focused on the risen Christ in our testament of faith. The risen Christ is the glory of the Lord that the Psalmist David was seeking and awaited in his prayers. The risen Christ brings us into an intimacy with God, and we should share that good news as an invitation to others with joy.
The next matter is how do we organize ourselves to share this good news. Everywhere in all mainstream Christian denominations, we are losing in numbers of clergy prepared to lead this work. I live in Northeast Iowa now and as a Lutheran, we share the same problems as the Catholics in covering all our parishes with clergy. It is a national trend. Four times as many clergy are retiring than are getting ordained. In the Gospel lesson for today, we read how Jesus organized the work of proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God by moving around with his Twelve disciples. After his death and resurrection, all but Judas continued the work as they enlisted additional men and women to help proclaim the risen Christ. Their numbers grew. And over the centuries, Christians established a professional hierarchy of preachers and teachers to share the good news of the risen Christ that covered the entire world.
Where are we today? The numbers of preachers and teachers are dwindling. Is everything falling apart? My faith does not allow me to think that. But we must ask anew, how will Christians continue preaching the risen Christ and invite others into an intimacy with God with joy? We pray the Holy Spirit is at work among us to show us how. I pray today that each of us will pray that everyone, including lay believers, will individually be about this work in our own way in everything we do. I pray that we all hear a new invitation to see the wondrous mercies of the glory of the Lord in the risen Christ.
Barbara Dilly
I came to Creighton in 2000 and retired in 2020. My twenty years of teaching, research and service in the Jesuit tradition enhanced my own life. It was an exciting time of celebration. I loved teaching and interacting with Creighton students because they responded so eagerly to the Ignatian pedagogical emphasis on the development of the whole person. It is this spirit of whole person development and celebration of life that I hope to infuse in my reflection writings.
My academic background is eclectic, preparing me well for the Liberal Arts academic environment at Creighton. I earned my BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA in 1988 and my Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures from the University of California, Irvine in 1994. My research focused on rural communities in the American Midwest, Latin America, and Australia. I taught Environmental Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods, Social and Cultural Theory, and Food Studies courses.
I retired to Shell Rock, a small rural community in Northeast Iowa where I enjoy gardening, cooking, quilting, driving my 65 Impala convertible an my 49 Willys Jeepster. I have lots of fun playing my guitars with friends from the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. But most importantly, I am still working to make my community and rural America a better place. I host a community quilt studio and serve on the Mission Board of my church. I also serve as the Climate Committee Chair and on the Executive Board of the Center for Rural Affairs.
