Interesting isn't it? That God could bring together such a pool of people to him. It has been evident since the beginning of time that God enjoys a diverse church. And this diverse church makes up the Body of Christ. Now, if you were to sit in my seat and look around you would see a group of folks from all types of backgrounds. Some grew up in church, some not. Some good, strong families, some not. Some come from other denominations and brotherhoods, some grew up in C.o.C. We haven't even touched on monetary backgrounds, or ethnic, or race. One thing is for sure, not many of them look like me and that makes them different and that makes us diverse (good thing too, although it would be one of the better looking churches!).
Most of us have to realize at this point that loving a diverse church is not the easiest thing to do. I'm thinking of Paul's words in Ephesian 4:2-6
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
So Paul says, "Make every effort." Sometimes that's what it takes, a lot of effort to be loving, encouraging, humble, and peaceful. It takes a lot of effort to build relationships and keep the unity. It's a lot easier to go your separate ways, and not invest too much of your time or energy. That is the road usually traveled.
Travis Hughes stated in his Sunday morning class that there comes a time when we have to grow up, we have to start investing into relationships. After all, the Body of Christ is all about relationships; to Him, to each other, to ourselves. So my encouragement is to put forth the effort. There is a member of the "Body" that could use me right now, somewhere I can help. I think I'll go find that person, are you coming with me?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Excellent topic to begin discussion Wade. I like to think of the church in terms of "family" or "household." Except for "choosing" a child through adoption, we don't get to chose our family members.
ReplyDeleteSociologists talk about "the homogeneous unit principle." That's their way to describe how people tend to associate with others who are like them but tend to avoid and even despise those who are different.
Jesus however does not base his church on the homogeneous unit principle. Instead he brings into his church people who are otherwise very different. Jesus calls Jews and Gentiles; he calls people from every ethnic background; he calls women and men, boys and girls; he calls rich and poor; he calls people who have very different political convictions, (Matthew was a collaborator with the Romans, while Simon the Zealot was an anti-Roman extremist). Jesus shatters every social barrier that divides us.
One of the supreme benefits of salvation is a sense of belonging: you belong to God, and you belong to his church. If you are from a background that is different from most people in your congregation, you still belong to the fellowship of believers every bit as much as they do. If you are a brand new Christian, you are just as much a part of the church as long time members.
If you have a living faith, you belong. The church is not an elite social club but a spiritual fellowship. Our unity is not based on social similarity. We are united by Jesus Christ. We belong. We are fellow citizens and members of God's household.
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household." - Ephesians 2:19.