CHURCH: ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT, ONE HOPE

”There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”  Ephesians 4:4-6

 

The word “church” means different things to different people.  Sunday morning TV offers up a variety of worship styles and church audiences.  Some are more energetic than others and a few are downright bizarre.  The news media can’t say enough about church when something evil happens behind its doors, and movies – if they allude to church at all – usually portray it as impotent and antiquated.  Across our nation and around the globe people are willing to die rather than compromise their church family, while others consider church a total waste of time.

 

I hope you don’t believe as some folks do that church is only open to the good, the clean and the well-dressed.  Or that church folks never have fun, or that God delights in zapping people who mess up.  That’s not right and that’s not church.

• Church is a community of believers who love and help each other toward a common goal.  Let me use Tradition Eight in Al-Anon literature as an example of church:  a group of diverse people who “place principles above personalities.” Personalities may clash, but the shared goal is to glorify God as one body.
• Church is a group of imperfect, sinful human beings loved and redeemed by God.
• Church is people worshipping God and serving others.  They are “light” in the darkness, “strength” for the helpless, “direction” for the lost, and “family” for the lonely and disenfranchised.
• Church comes together under one roof to celebrate and worship God.

So what is church?  You are church.  A unique part of the body of Christ, guided by the Spirit of God, and sharing in the same hope (promise) of joy in this life and an eternal future with God.

 

Thank you, God, for the community of faith called church.  Amen.               

 

 

Sandra Milholland

Abilene, Texas