1 post tagged “body of christ”
Last night the Mission in Avandaro had a surprise going away party for me. Actually, I had thought it was going to be a small party for just the women of the Friday night group that recently started and some others who Rebekah does Bible study with. I figured it would be a nice reason to get the two groups together in the name of Navidad, sing, eat, maybe exchange some gifts. But for reasons I didn't understand until last night, the guest list grew exponentially, and the ladies started cooking at the crack of dawn to feed some expected 60 people (we think more than 70 actually showed). I still believed we were celebrating the formation of this new women's group when out of no where they began the worship service and started saying... it was for me!
It was my going away party. I had suspected they were planning something, from overhearing mentions of a "despedida," but I had no idea it was last night. So originally I had been planning this small time for fellowship, and they were all whispering behind my back that it was Pili Night. People were so sweet and loving with me, I've never felt so appreciated for something I've done before in my life. They prayed for me, laid hands on me. Drucila's father who is an old retired pastor prayed for me and got all choked up. Everyone was there, people came from across town just to say goodbye. We had piñatas and ate one of my favorite Mexican dishes, pozole. Felipe who is our temporary pastor at the mission, which was warm and overflowing on a Friday night, read from Matthew 14, talking about the unnamed person (at least in this gospel, in other gospels he is identified as a young boy sharing his lunch) who gave his five loaves and two fish, with which Jesus was able to feed thousands of hungry followers. He talked about Rebe and I as people who had done that, given what we could however meager the offering and watching it multiply abundantly in the hands of God. Although I am quick to remember that the year long sacrifice I have made is nothing in comparison to a life long mission in another country.
We also read Psalm 1, it talks about those who trust in the Lord and how whatever they put their hands to will prosper. This has been a joy and a gift to witness God's hand here, pushing things around, shaping things, drawing people, and using me as He would. And yes, I have seen much fruit, more than I had even envisioned! Only one little year and the Mission has tripled its size, kids come regularly to all of our events, many of the kids have really become mini-ministers in the church, a great work has started with the teens, the women's group was formed on Friday nights, and more people are being added to the community all the time. I see prayers being answered and people having strong faith, growing all the time. And the cool thing about working with kids, and being around little babies, is watching them physically grow! I look at them and think, now was he that tall when I got here? No way. In just a few years they will be little men and women. What a thought...
So with the kids telling me they don't want me to go and everyone chanting their love for me, I feel pretty loved and obviously sad to say Goodbye. Praises be to God who sent me, sustained me, and will bring me back whenever He wants.
These thoughts occured to me this morning as I was thinking about the crowded Mission and the Spirit's obvious presence there:
It is clear to me that Jesus' pure vision for the Church, and for all mankind, is love. The Great Commandments are Love. 1John says "God is love."
The Church that God had intended is full of Himself. "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there will I be in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). "Abide in me, and I in you" (John 15:4). "I will pour my Spirit on all people, your sons and daughters will prophesy" (Joel 2).
If we are the incarnation of the Living God on Earth, the Body of Christ, then Jesus is the Heart and Mind of all we do, as Paul says, the Head. His Word goes out from us, and everything we do gives testimony either to His love in us, or gives proof that we are not listening to His will. Either way, we are constantly exhibiting the Face of God to humankind. God has shown me there is no in between. "let your Yes be Yes and your No be No" (Matthew 5:37). "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father who is in Heaven" (Matthew 5:16). "He cuts off every branch that does not bear fruit" (John 15:2). "The fruit of the Spirit is love..." (Galatians 5:22). Foremostly, the fruit of God's work and power, and of his Almighty Being in the Church is Love.
When I first came to Avandaro, I attended a church I would not classify as warm. I felt admitted, welcomed, but did not sense Jesus' presence with us. I'm not saying that worship has to be an experience in which we are emotionally high, but I believe worshippers in Spirit and in Truth will know when He is there, will feel the love and truth of His presence if not uniquely and noticeably God Himself, then His Spirit around them in the good hearts and words of other Christians. Jesus said "By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35). How else will they know He is there? The greek koinonia pretty much sums up this love. It is defined as "fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse." It's also been translated as "communication, communion, contribution, distribution, fellowship." * . It says we have fellowship with the Spirit, and also with one another. And the perfect end of all of this? Love.
Later, I moved to a small Mission next door to the Biblioteca where I now work with the kids and the teenagers. This mission, although from the same denominational branch as the other is full of some indescribable fullness, some unseen mist that hangs over us as we sing and pray. Because we are so new, we are yet untouched by so many spirits of judgment, legalism, or false prophets which I've seen have come into churches here in Mexico. We are special in God's eyes. I know He looks at our humble worship, our small space, our love for each other, our prayers rising up for one another, and is pleased.
Here is the difference between the Mission and the first church I went to: authentic love, for God first and then reaching out and crossing personal barriers in order to love others. Where did it come from? His Holy Ghost, His perfect energy flowing in us. I know I am unworthy of this love, because I never did anything good to deserve it. But God delights in giving it! He wants us to have it! Like the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son, He loves from afar until finally we turn around and come back into His arms. His love is no less for us in that moment, either. We who repent are even more celebrated than a hundred people who are "righteous" (Luke 15:7). This is the truth for all of us, because anyone can realize the depravity of their humanity if they are seeking God. His Spirit convicts us of all our wrongs because it is perfect light and floods every shadow and corner. "He who has been forgiven little loves little" (Luke 7:47). There are those of us for whom repentance was obvious and a life change followed, like the woman wetting Jesus' feet with her tears. What happens is forgiveness, and we know it and "sin no more." Maybe some of that in this little Mission has led to its fruitfulness. Humility, perseverance, love. These have brought us closer as a group to Jesus' desire that we be "brought into complete unity" (John 17:23).
The idea of Jesus for His Church is that we love the Lord with all our hearts and mind, being united to Him in faith and through Him by the Spirit who dwells in all of us corporately and indivually. In our love for Him, in our devotion God, in our own relationship with Him being sealed for eternal living, we come into fellowship with others who believe in the same way, who also love and adore God. It is all done in Spirit. Our faith, our worship, our love comes from the Spirit and is done in the Spirit.
Jesus knows our lives and what is in a person's heart. He will use us wherever we are. But the Sermon on the Mount and other teachings prove over and over that He is not interested in many of the things we are. Examples: clothes, food, riches, even our families and our very lives or selves. In Church it is quite necessary that we put aside these things we hold on to outside of it as to allow God to do great things in and through us, as He reaches out to love all those around. We also need to allow ourselves to be loved and blessed, for this too is a blessing to others who are giving love. God's intention is that we love and be loved.
Jesus wants very little of us in our daily lives. The inner life is much more important to God. To be inwardly beautiful, shining like a star for all to behold is God's perfect will for His children. He loves us to be physically well, and He delights in the aspect of our bodies as well because we are His vessels, and through us He does His work and is glorified by our actions. But primarily, God is interested in spiritual excercise, and the kind of inner strength that cannot fade with age but rather grows stronger and more potent (1Timothy 4:8).
Someday we will see how the little things were so meaningful: the hug, the phone call, the reminder we made of God's love for one of his sons or daughters. But now we cannot see yet. We also cannot yet see what certain things we put weight on and consider to be of über importance are actually meaningless in the eternal sense. It is good that we be aware now of moments when we could choose love over spite, forgiveness over resentment, temperance over excess, peace over discord, contentment over striving. His Spirit can give us such awareness because He Himself is always aware. As God, He lives in perfect knowledge of what is good, while we often live sleepily and faultily. Along these lines, I hope to God He will show me and all of you what His will is for our lives. And because His word is provided, we can at least trust that the basis of all of it is Love. And if we are the Body, Christ is our mind and heart, thinking up many good things, reaching out to those in need, praying in us, worshiping in us, always at work in our bodies and souls. May He compel us always, to the end of Love, His song in us, His name on us.
amen.
Phillipians 2:1-4 (The Message)
If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
