Reflections on Service Part 1

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. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
(1 Corinthians 12:12-20, ESV)

Happy Thursday Good Shepherd! I pray that your day is filled with blessing as a member of Christ’s body: the Church. As you go throughout your day, I ask that you reflect on the tremendous honor we have been shown in these scriptures. Christ did not come to save you in isolation. He did not take away your sins in order to leave you stranded by the wayside. Christ came to offer you something greater. He offers you His covenant. When God does this, the covenant offer is attached to a covenant community. That’s what we are at Good Shepherd. Living like a covenant community gives us a bond and a relationship that goes far beyond what we normally think. This is especially a blessing when we consider how different we can all be!

It doesn’t matter what our individual talents, interests, or backgrounds are, we are part of His body. In a world that is full of fighting, turmoil, and loneliness, it is a great blessing from God to have the opportunity to gather as a covenant people and bear each other’s burdens. Each of us has a story, and God not only gave us those stories, but also brought them together for a reason. Bodies are made of many parts and pieces, and good books have different chapters and storylines that weave together into a whole. No matter what analogy we want to use, we need each other at Good Shepherd Church. As we journey through our Easter season, and God continues to work new blessings and opportunities into our church life, I ask you to pray for God to reveal how He wants to use you to further build His kingdom. Next Thursday, I’ll be bringing you another short reflection to offer some specific ideas for the types of service we need most in the church. Until then, I pray God’s blessing and favor be upon you. 
 
Your Brother in Christ, 
Ashton Hutchinson