Church of Many Colors

Friday 3-27-15 (Martinez, Argentina)

Scripture reading:    Judges 1-3      1 Cor 12

S.   1 Cor 12:12-13  Our bodies have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the "body" of Christ.  Each of us is a part of the one body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But the Holy Spirit has fitted us all together into one body. We have been baptized into Christ's body by the one Spirit, and have all been given that same Holy Spirit. TLB

O.  God is a Creator of variety.  Every member of the body forms a necessary part for the proper function of the whole.  So the Church of Christ is a body.  The parts come in a wide variety of colors and sizes, but each part has an important function.  We admire some parts that are visible.  I looked at a baby’s beautiful wide open eyes and admire them.  Yet if one studies the science of the body, we discover that most of the unseen parts of the body such as the pancreas are as necessary to life and health as the eye and ear.

A.  The world-wide Church of Jesus Christ is a body and He is the Head.  We tend to admire the most visible leaders.  They are necessary parts, but no more necessary than an intercessor kneeling behind closed doors holding that leader up in prayer.  Our musicians are often admired and applauded by our youth while the volunteer lady who comes on Mondays to clean the bathrooms is forgotten and never even thanked. 

The most joyful churches I know are filled with a wide variety of ethnic faces.  Black hair, brown hair, blonde hair, red hair, grey hair, white hair and no hair… little children, adolescents, young men and women… all mix joyfully with the elderly to worship the Lord with all their heart.  Their music may reflect their background, their body movements may speak of their culture.  An out-burst of spontaneous praise may surprise someone else from a more reserved culture.  It is all part of a healthy body moving in coordination.  Yet I shall add a word of warning:  When our excellent musicians, coordinated dancing flags, our ballet performers, or even our clever preachers draw our eyes off the object of our worship… it is time to change the pace and refocus on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. 

P.  I love You, Lord Jesus.  You have made us all different… even in the case of identical twins.  Some of us have more jump in us than others.  Some of us have exuberant “amens and hallelujahs” inside that just have to come out.  Others of us can hardly make a sound.  But you don’t judge us on our jump, our “amens and hallelujahs” or our body movement.  You hear the worship that rises from within our heart of hearts and Your angels in heaven rejoice singing along with Your Church of many colors.

Ralph