This was a post I put up in my beginning blogging days (5/21/07). I still see the world through this lens. I just tonight went back and re read it and thought I would repost it.
I like to think of this as a beautiful kaleidoscope portraying the Body of Christ. When it's just my wife and I interacting together, the Body of Christ represented by that interaction is two colors, so to speak, constantly interacting with each other as our life intersects with circumstances. As I observe my wife, I am constantly challenged in the area of Worship, and she also in the area of Truth. The result of our oneness summed up as a total becomes Truthful Worship. Add to the kaleidoscope another person along with their unique color and giftings and everything changes. As more and more are added, the result is the beautiful and fully functioning Body of Christ.
In the same way that in marriage humility is required to meld two different people into one, so it is within the local church as the Body assembles itself into one. The absence of humility could cause me to become upset with my wife about what I perceive to be her focusing too much on worship as opposed to truth. The same could happen with other individuals within the local church as they interact. In a worse case scenario, one could become discontent, surround himself with similarly gifted people, move to Tulsa and start a whole ministry built on that one theme. As for me, it has been my experience that truth by itself doesn't function very well. It needs to be seasoned with mercy and grace. And in the same way, mercy and grace don't function very well without truth.
As we walk humbly before our God, these varying gifts become the Body of Christ. We are all interdependent on each other, and ultimately it is God who gets the glory as we not only participate, but also experience the beauty of the Body as it functions in a way that is wholly beyond man's ability to orchestrate.
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13 comments:
What a wonderful analogy of the Body of Christ. Defining yones walk in one word is an interesting concept. Mine would have to be the WORD. I so believe in the BODY of Christ. (By the way....I am from Tulsa!)
Susan
Out of all the cities I had to pick that one. Sorry.
I really enjoyed this post! It made me of how the body is made up of seperate parts but in order to be whole it needs to function together. I think the one word that most defines me in the Body Of Christ is "Service". Another great essay...waiting for the book to come out!!
We Worship in Truth, as we Serve according to His Word. Yep it works!
thanks for stopping by my blog and throwing in a comment. By your post today would you be saying the Body Of Christ is defined by individuals themselves or a better way of saying it who they are? good post and please check in with mine today i would like to hear your perspective on what i have posted today.
I would prefer to approach it from a different perspective; I'll do this by looking at art and the artist. Rather than art defining the artist, I think that its more correct to say that art reveals something about the artist. Also consider the snowflake, defined by a crystallized 6 sided flake of frozen water. Yet they are much much more, each being a unique piece of beautiful art work revealing something about the artist. As members of the Body connect and function, they also become a unique and different piece of the Body thus revealing something about the Body of Christ as a whole. There's more I could say but I'll leave it at that.
Excellent, thought-provoking post. It’s hard for me to pick just one word as my function in the Body, as I have interest and involvement in several areas (which can leave me feeling scattered and frustrated). The primary one for me is probably Mercy, with Missions next, and Truth in there as well. As I think about it, I can see how volunteering at John C. Lincoln hospital relates to all of these – mercy in caring for the patients, missions because there are a lot of ethnic patients and staff, and truth because of the discussions I sometimes have with the patients. That helps to explain why my volunteer service has been so fulfilling – thanks! - and encourages me that my chosen path of becoming a nurse is a good fit.
Danny - This lovely point you made about the multi-faceted beauty has stuck so in my mind. I have been thinking a lot about it the past 4 days. Could I have your permission to use it on my blog, with linking back to your site to give you credit? I would have e-mailed you, instead of putting this in the comment section, but don't see where you have an e-mail listed. You may contact me by my e-mail if you prefer.
No offence taken about Tulsa!!! :o)
"If you can be offended----you will be!"
Thanks,
Susan
I would be honored Susan, use it anyway you wish.
Danny:
One of my favorite (and very discerning, of course) students calls me "Dr. Truth." Being true to the truth you know and care about is not so easy. I often fail in that.
Commitment to truth in a world lies, hype, and spin will bring its sorrows. I know that right well.
Best,
DG
I think FRUIT defines me (no laughs, here...you know what I mean :-)
Our God-given fruits (talents, abilities, personality characteristics, kindnesses) are all used to create THE BODY.
I think my gifts are music and teaching. Friends at my church have gifts of service and gifts of prayer and gifts of encouragement and gifts of organization, .... they all make THE BODY OF CHRIST, the CHURCH.
Pat Jenkins, is that YOU? :-) HI!
indeed - my CHRISTian friend- and putting the gifts that the Creator gave us to to use as God intended-
to "Occupy til I come" (hold the ground won) Lk 19 -is something we cannot forget-
We must be willing to fight the good fight-via our talents-film making- art music- et al - w/ no mediocrity ---
Great post-
Carol-CS
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