“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”
(1 Corinthians 12:12-14)
This week, we’re focusing especially on being thankful for community, for the people in our lives. Today I am giving thanks to God for the church and for our congregation in particular.
What a blessing it is to be part of our congregation. As the verse above indicates, God’s vision for the church is not just a provider of religious services to individuals, a place for spiritual shopping. No, the church is a community, an organism, with each member having unique gifts and a unique role to play.
The gospel can be proclaimed by an individual, but it cannot be demonstrated and acted out unless you have a community. In a community we practice grace and mercy and forgiveness. We forgive each other’s faults. We show mercy to each other when we’re hurting. We help each other grow in following Christ. Christianity is not a lone ranger religion, but rather a communal was of life, grounded in the gospel of Christ.
So I’m thankful to be part of a congregation in general, but also very thankful for the congregation that I’m a part of in particular. I cannot begin to enumerate all the ways that I have been blessed through the people of the St. John’s community over the years, as well as all the ways I’ve been privileged to bless others. But it’s not just about me. I’ve seen so many examples of the love of Christ lived out that it would be impossible to list them all. What a blessing!
Thanks be to God for our congregation!
What are you thankful for today?
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TAS
Yes! The people and community of SJL in Napa. What a blessing!