THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY (1Cor. 12:12-31)
On November 3rd, my wife, with the help of many co-conspirators, including my Pastor, my children, and many friends, gave me the surprise birthday party of all surprise birthday parties.
As I opened the door to our church’s fellowship hall, my eyes could hardly believe what I was seeing. I have been taken for good. With the shouts of “Surprise,” the sound of Happy Birthday playing, mingled with the laughter of the large crowd joyously filling the well decorated tables, I was totally speechless. It was something akin to the proverbial deer in the headlight, that is until my wife smiling from ear to ear, proud of her accomplishment, came and took my hand to lead me to the head table. As I walked by the guests, I kept pointing to one or another person who joyfully betrayed me to make the moment what it was: my happiest birthday celebration, on my 80th birthday.
In the quietness of my office the following day, as I recalled and meditated on the moment, the word that kept coming to my mind is “Community,” not any community, a true church community. I was reminded about Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian Church in 1Cor. 12:12-31 titled “One Body, Many Parts.” Paul explained to the church, and to us by extension, that though we may be from different corners of the world , speaking different languages, though we may be of different skin colors, cultures, economic or social status or sexual orientation, we are part of the same body: the Church of Jesus Christ. Jews or Gentiles, it does not matter.
Rev. Kay has preached and taught about reconciliation. In her previous series of sermons, she emphasized that “We are Greater than Me.” It is so proven by the display of unity and cooperation it took to realize this spectaculous surprise Birthday Party. There is no way that my wife could pull that off without the help of so many. Community.
At the surprise birthday party, I got the opportunity to see so many people who I have not seen in months and years. But, they all had one thing in common: they were all connected to me through a church I served in one capacity or another. It was such a joy to see all of them, to reconnect, and share a meal together; “Community.”
Pastor Kay’s latest series is “Come to the Table.” Everyone is welcome for we are one family. In the Hymnal “The Faith We Sing,” some of the words of number 2223 “They’ll Know We are Christians by Our Love.” go like this: We are One in the Spirit, We are One in the Lord, …. We will walk with each other, we will walk side by side ……We will walk hand in hand…..We will work with each other, we will work side by side…….We pray that all unity may one day be restored….” And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land. And they’ll know we are Christians by our love …… YES THEY’ LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE.
That is what it is all about: a Church Community, loving, caring for, and about, each other, and faithfully witnessing about the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ in deeds and in word. “Community.”
Let us Pray. Gracious God, we praise you, and we give you thanks for our community of believers. Help us to love one another without any prejudice. Help us to understand the Kingdom you are seeking to build, so that we may build it within us first, in our thoughts and desires, and in the way we live; the way we treat others, specially those who are different from us. Inspire us to invite them to the table, and become part of the community. Amen.
Written by Rev. Franck Aguilh
As I opened the door to our church’s fellowship hall, my eyes could hardly believe what I was seeing. I have been taken for good. With the shouts of “Surprise,” the sound of Happy Birthday playing, mingled with the laughter of the large crowd joyously filling the well decorated tables, I was totally speechless. It was something akin to the proverbial deer in the headlight, that is until my wife smiling from ear to ear, proud of her accomplishment, came and took my hand to lead me to the head table. As I walked by the guests, I kept pointing to one or another person who joyfully betrayed me to make the moment what it was: my happiest birthday celebration, on my 80th birthday.
In the quietness of my office the following day, as I recalled and meditated on the moment, the word that kept coming to my mind is “Community,” not any community, a true church community. I was reminded about Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian Church in 1Cor. 12:12-31 titled “One Body, Many Parts.” Paul explained to the church, and to us by extension, that though we may be from different corners of the world , speaking different languages, though we may be of different skin colors, cultures, economic or social status or sexual orientation, we are part of the same body: the Church of Jesus Christ. Jews or Gentiles, it does not matter.
Rev. Kay has preached and taught about reconciliation. In her previous series of sermons, she emphasized that “We are Greater than Me.” It is so proven by the display of unity and cooperation it took to realize this spectaculous surprise Birthday Party. There is no way that my wife could pull that off without the help of so many. Community.
At the surprise birthday party, I got the opportunity to see so many people who I have not seen in months and years. But, they all had one thing in common: they were all connected to me through a church I served in one capacity or another. It was such a joy to see all of them, to reconnect, and share a meal together; “Community.”
Pastor Kay’s latest series is “Come to the Table.” Everyone is welcome for we are one family. In the Hymnal “The Faith We Sing,” some of the words of number 2223 “They’ll Know We are Christians by Our Love.” go like this: We are One in the Spirit, We are One in the Lord, …. We will walk with each other, we will walk side by side ……We will walk hand in hand…..We will work with each other, we will work side by side…….We pray that all unity may one day be restored….” And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land. And they’ll know we are Christians by our love …… YES THEY’ LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE.
That is what it is all about: a Church Community, loving, caring for, and about, each other, and faithfully witnessing about the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ in deeds and in word. “Community.”
Let us Pray. Gracious God, we praise you, and we give you thanks for our community of believers. Help us to love one another without any prejudice. Help us to understand the Kingdom you are seeking to build, so that we may build it within us first, in our thoughts and desires, and in the way we live; the way we treat others, specially those who are different from us. Inspire us to invite them to the table, and become part of the community. Amen.
Written by Rev. Franck Aguilh
Posted in Mid-Week Devotional
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