Many Parts, Many Gifts, One Whole

In a theme that comes up often in the New Testament, last Sunday, as we welcomed so many to be officially recognized members of this congregation, I was struck looking about the sanctuary, thinking about all the different gifts, talents, abilities and interests we have represented in our church family. Nurses, engineers and teachers, people who sew and do yarn-crafts, handy-men-and-women, gardeners and more, to name a small sample. We have people whose heart for world mission is so huge you will seek out opportunities to help people in nations around the world, some whose focus is close to home, caring for the poor and homeless in our county, and others who find fulfillment caring members of this congregation who are not particularly mobile. 

In a meeting with the deacons this week, we briefly spoke about the advantage of a congregation of our size: enough people who want to participate in the life and mission of the congregation. We spoke about how in the large MEGA-CONGREGATIONS, it is always just a few people, maybe 5-8%, doing the work, and in micro-congregations Everyone has to do All The Work, but here, we can have a range as time, talent, ability, interest and motivation and need intersect in each member. There will always be times when your need will be to attend no more than a few Sundays a month, and other times when you will want to be involved as much as possible. There will be times when you need to rely on the strength and bonds of your church family, and times when you will be that net for another. 

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." 

~Rev. Andrea Joy Holroyd