For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12: 12I used to think that I did not have any gifts that I could share with the church. I am not a very good public speaker, and I am the only person in the history of my high school who was asked to drop out of mixed chorus.
I am sure you have heard of the 80 – 20 Rule. Twenty percent of the congregation does 80 percent of the work. I am trying to be part of the 20 percent group. I used to be the guy that showed up only on Christmas and Easter. And, as a family, we were not even close to tithing back when we were raising our daughters.
God, along with my wife’s help, kept pulling me back to the church. I discovered there are a lot of things I can do, and I have the ability to do them. I can usher and I do. I can be a greeter and sometimes I do. I have been participating in a Bible study, which I find to be fun and interesting. I put the Christmas lights up in front of the church. I realize there are many others at Asbury United Methodist Church that do far more than I do. These are just a few things that I can help with and participate in.
As it turns out, I have discovered that I too am the body of the church. Even though my tasks may be less spectacular, it does not mean that God loves me any less or that I am not important to God. I can personally say that the more I give to the church, whether it is time or money, the more I feel good about myself. This is not to be confused with a feeling of superiority or smugness. It is more like the hug I got from my Mom when I was a kid that made me feel warm, safe and loved.
Prayer: Dear God, I so want to be a member of the body of the church, because I so dearly want to feel warm, safe and loved. Amen.
John Cotter
Walking the Road
John Cotter is the current head of Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) and lives in Lake Quivira with his wife, Julia.
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