Scripture:
1 Cor. 12 – 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[a] 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. 14 Even so, the body is not made up of one part but of many. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Heb. 10 – 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
During the pandemic, it was a difficult time for all of us. We didn’t know a lot about this virus called COVID-19. Lots of people died from it. But what made it even more difficult for us was the social isolation that we had to conform to. We had to keep our distance from one another and refrain from common tangible ways of feeling connected to one another, such as hugging, handshaking, spending time in fellowship, and eating together. As much as we saw physical harm done by the virus, we also saw mental and emotional harm caused by this isolation. Having experienced the pandemic, God reminded me of the importance of our human connection and fostered a new sense of appreciation for that human connection.
Within the last year, we have also experienced the consequences of churches or members disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church. As the AADS for two districts and being the wife of a Pastor who had a church that disaffiliated, I was able to hear about and even experience all the emotions that this process of disaffiliation provoked. It was painful and heartbreaking, to say the least. During this time of disruption caused by disaffiliation, God reminded me even more of the importance of our church connection. It has been a difficult time for all of us, especially for those of us who had to see all the ugliness in fellow Christians and had to go through the traumatizing experience of losing people who were a precious part of us. As with the pandemic, going through this time of disruption, God brought me a new sense of appreciation for our church connection. I believe that, through all these challenging moments, most of us (if not all) have learned to appreciate the presence of one another more deeply than before. I want to take this opportunity to say “Thank you” to all of you. Thank you for staying faithful to the Lord and to one another. Many people gave up on us and walked away from our shared table, but all of us here remained as the church committed to the love of Christ who never gives up on us. By us voting not to disaffiliate, that represented a vote to LOVE. To love unconditionally, as God commands us to do.
Although it may be true that at times we may wish that someone or some people were not in our community, We must understand that we do not become holy by removing people from our lives that we don’t like or are different. We walk in holiness by embracing the love of Christ, who never gives up on anyone. We are not told to love the people who think like we do, who act like we do, who look like we do, or who speak like we do. We are commanded to LOVE like He does. When we are committed to this love, we never walk away from anyone. Instead, we embrace one another. In this love that never gives up on one another, we are united.
We are united, not because we are uniform in our thoughts, opinions, behaviors, or characteristics. We are united because the God who unites us is greater than anything that may or can divide us. We are united because we have our shared identity in Christ. Again, in Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles, male or female, black or white, Hispanic or Asian, a scholar or illiterate, we are one in Christ. We are united in serving and loving the Lord and our neighbors as the Church, as Christ’s body.
Just as the Apostle Paul states in the scripture that was read earlier, we cannot say to one another, “I don’t need you.” God has put us together, not without reason. But to serve and love in the same manner that He has loved us. Not caring that we are all sinners, or perfectly imperfect, or that we may have limitations. God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called, and He uses ordinary people like you and me to do extraordinary things. We are all part of His body, and each one of us matters and has an important role in this church and in this community. Our human body is a perfect model of how God wants us to work together… Think about it. Our body has some parts that are strong, others that are weak, and there are parts or organs that must rely on other parts or organs to work together to do their function, like the heart and the lungs, for instance. It is in working together that all these parts have a purpose to give us life and allow us to function, move, and do great things.
Jesus is another perfect example. He was omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent and could do anything with a simple thought or by lifting his arm. He had his disciples beside him, and He constantly chose different people, with strengths, weaknesses, and limitations, to work with him or together with others to do extraordinary things. In the same manner, God gives one another as a precious gift from Him to work together to be able to do great things for His honor and glory. Let us not take this precious gift for granted but be grateful and take advantage of this gift. Just as Hebrews 10:24 encourages, let us be diligent in meeting together and encouraging one another. If one of us suffers, let us weep together. If one of us is honored, let us rejoice together.
As we all know, Gibson Memorial is now identified as a lighthouse church to offer a beacon of light to those wandering in darkness. Now is the time to come together as one in the body of Christ. It is true that God chooses and uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. He doesn’t need our ability but rather our availability. He uses ordinary people who have nothing of their own to offer but their faithfulness and willingness to say “Yes” to God.
Allow me to remind you of a few because there are many in the Bible of the unqualified and ordinary men and women God chose to work through to do the most unexpected things.
- Noah – He was an alcoholic, but God used him to build the ark to save the world. (Genesis 6-9)
- Abraham and Sarah – They were an old, washed-up couple who God used to build a nation. (Genesis 11-25)
- Joseph – He was an entitled teen who went through God’s classroom, training him to save both Egypt and Israel. (Genesis 37-50)
- Moses – He was a murderer, and he stuttered, and he became God’s spokesman and leader. (Exodus 3-4)
- Rahab – She was a prostitute who God used to help his spies and overtake Jericho. (Joshua 2)
- Jonah – He was the escapist who God brought back to save Nineveh. (Jonah 1-3)
- Esther – She was the adopted orphan who became Queen to save Israel. (Esther 1-8)
- Peter – He was the quitter who God brought back to start the Kingdom. (Matthew 26, John 21, Acts 1-2)
- Paul – He was a murderer and the enemy who became the most prolific Christian in the New Testament. (Acts 7-9)
- And Lazarus was dead, and he helped the disciples know that Jesus was the Lord and Savior!
As you can see, we need to stop making excuses, there is literally nothing we can do to disqualify ourselves from being a candidate who God chooses to work through. No matter how unequipped we may feel, when God calls us, He WILL equip us. But this will not happen until we are bonded in a close relationship with God and with each other. Our daily interactions with God will invigorate and renew our vision so that we can awaken and live with a deep sense of purpose. My prayer and calling today is that may we all restore our fellowship on every level with God and with one another and be that beacon of light as God’s beloved community for all. Amen.
Mrs. Nancy Martinez