Participation Gifts in the Church

Faith in Action

The Early Church Proclaims Faith in Christ

Faith to Unite

1 Corinthians 12:27-31 The Message

27-31 You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. You’re familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his “body”:
apostles
prophets
teachers
miracle workers
healers
helpers
organizers
those who pray in tongues.
But it’s obvious by now, isn’t it, that Christ’s church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It’s not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues. And yet some of you keep competing for so-called “important” parts.
But now I want to lay out a far better way for you.

For Reflection

Sometimes, I think a passage can be too familiar.  We all know what is meant by the body of Christ and the unity that it symbolizes.

But, at times, I think that we miss the implication that unity does not mean uniformity.  Perhaps, it is diversity that is the main driver of our maturing faith. Each of us who believe in God acts out our faith in diverse and sometimes contradictory ways. It is the process of resolving differences that encourages maturation. We have grown in Grace with the resolution of each troublesome internal conflict. We should welcome conflict. With the resolution of each difficulty, God manages to advance God's kingdom.

Pray

Pray for the advancement of faith in our age.  Pray for the peaceful resolution of differences in the style and substance of how we understand and practice our faith. Pray for the courage to confront faith challenges and to resolve them in ways that honor God and advance God's kingdom.

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