For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.” vss. 4-5
Romans 12:3-8
Life in Christ is communal! That’s one of the basic teachings of Christianity 101 and nothing good happens when we don’t take it seriously. And yet that is exactly what has taken place in our congregations in the last century. The connection with the Body has been lost in favor of a self-centered individualism, and people are drifting away from the Church by the thousands. Young people stop worshiping as they pursue their own interests, move out of the congregations that have nourished them, and never again bother to connect with a spiritual community. It’s not that they begin to lose themselves in hedonistic behaviors – not at all – they simply adopt a secular way of life. They likely don’t miss the Church as much as the Church misses them. Oh how good it is when we recognize the value of being connected to a community of faith. It’s here that we are supported in our suffering and encouraged in our sacrificial service. Together we reach out to the broken and the poor and continue the work of Jesus in our broken world. And through it all we are bound together by unconditional love and endless mercy. And most importantly perhaps, it’s here that we find our purpose, it’s here we find our niche!
Thought for the Day: Where is my niche in my congregation?
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