I loved our Parish Forum on Sunday. Patricia and I had some bittersweet news about our departure, but in spite of that (and perhaps because of it) I felt great energy in the room. The presence of God was in our church on Sunday.
In particular, I loved something James Pettigrew said right
at the end. (I love it when someone gets the floor and ends a meeting better
than I could! Makes my job easy. Funny how that works- the Lord gives a word to
just the right person at just right time sometimes, huh?) He said, “You get in where you fit in…”
A few people voiced some legitimate concerns. Barbara talked about how we need to do
better with the grounds. We also heard several people talk about how we needed
folks to step up and commit to getting things done around here. But James’s
pithy statement really summed up how I feel about work at the Church. I think
some passion was displayed about some issues- in particular apathy, a few
people doing most of the work and the building and grounds. However, in the
end, Sunday’s forum was a healthy church on display. Words and ideas were
shared with love and with a common vision towards God’s kingdom. We gathered and were the Church.
The Church is different from other groups. God’s Church is
not a civic organization or a social club- she is not a fraternal order or a
sorority- she is not even an outreach organization. The Church is the Body of
Christ- God’s body! Gathered together- we make up the very substance of who God
is on this earth. (Think about that
for a second. Whoa….)
I love what the Apostle Paul says about the Church being
God’s body. He says, in 1 Cor 12: 12, “Christ
is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts;and all the
parts of the body are one body, even though there are many.” (CEB)
Some of us are hands that operate weed whackers or
lawnmowers, fingers that knead dough, chop vegetables or braise legs of lamb. Quite
a few of us are heads: people who think, have great ideas and share practical skills that are put to
great use. Just about everyone here is the heart- we never fail to see great
passion for not only the survival of Incarnation but the desire for her to
flourish. We are God’s body!
So, when you contribute time and talent to Incarnation, you
are doing so for the betterment not of a building or a liturgy or a social
event or even a group of really nice people who gather, sing and pray each
week- you are doing your part to bring and keep God’s body in good health.
Every second you spend here working, thinking, teaching, singing, pulling
weeds, pressure-washing, studying scripture (and whatever else you can think
of) is a blessed miracle!
I don’t know about you, but I find it thrilling to be able
to take part in being God’s visible presence in this world. All of the tiny
things you do here are building God’s Kingdom, one tiny act at a time. Every
weed you pull, every bean you cook, every blade of grass you cut and every
bulletin you fold, you are moving as a part of God’s body.