Romans 12:5
Stop.
On your phone or computer, open up Easter’s webpage. Look at the pictures of our church and read through the many events coming up. Take a deep breath. Pray for God’s action in our congregation. Take time with God to rejoice in our faith community.
Listen.
…we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. – Romans 12:5
Reflect.
Tomorrow, we will hear from the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. We’ve been reading from Sunday’s passage all week in these devotions. Today, we hear the last verse of the passage, reminding us that there is unity in our diversity because we all belong to each other in Jesus Christ.
Sometimes this reminder gets misused. It leans too heavily on the idea of unity and makes people think they must all look, act, or believe exactly the same. Sometimes it leans too heavily on the idea of diversity and forgets that our identity is rooted in our shared love for God. The truth is that it’s somewhere in between: our authentic, unique selves are created and beloved by God, and at the same time, we’re called to a radical level of relationship and compassion even – and especially – when we feel like we have nothing in common.
Sometimes, when we give our money, we think that we’re buying influence or position. The more we give, the more say we get in the work of the church. But that gets it all backwards. We don’t give to get our way. We give to be part of God’s way. When we follow our Creator faithfully, we tune our lives into God’s mission. That means that our money might benefit a program we don’t use, serve a person we consider unworthy, or support work we don’t like best. But “we, who are many, are one body in Christ”. Our giving, our prayer, our service, our worship, and our love all go to the fullness of God’s work among us. It will benefit not just you, but all of God’s beloved.
When you turn in your Statement of Intent tomorrow, you commit to sharing in the work of the church because “individually we are members of one another”, mutually sharing in the work of the church to the glory of God. For the gifts you will share, thank you.
Pray.
God, send me to the side of any in need. Show me that I have everything I need to serve them. Help me to see how we belong to each other through our shared identity in you. It is an honor to be your beloved child. Amen.
Carry On.
Have you filled out your Statement Of Intent yet? You received one in your generosity mailing, or you can fill it out at easter.org/annualappeal. Ask yourself: how will my giving this year reflect my trust in God’s action in my life and my love for all God’s people?