Members One Of Another

Alejandro has been preaching in our latino church about what it means to be in a church, and it's something far different than what we experience in churces today. Paul says that we are "members one of another," not members of a church. What he's saying is that we are actually a part of each other.

I don't believe we have seen this worked out - at least not in any church I've been in. We put a premium on joining the organization, transferring our "letter of membership" when we go to another church, etc., but little emphasis is placed on relationships.

In our disconnected society, our lives rarely intersect; we live in different areas, work in different enterprises, and only come together briefly a couple of times a week, and even then we're like a family watching television - we're "alone together" as we listen to the one-man-show and only see the back of each other's head. I haven't touched you and you haven't touched me.

I've been sitting next to people in church for years and I know next to nothing about them. Even in my neighborhood we hardly interact - we all sit inside our own houses watching the same television shows. It takes something like a giant snowstorm to get us outside and working together, and when we do it's a wonderful thing as we help each other clear our walks and shovel out our cars. The last time it snowed, it felt so good helping each other that we tromped off down the street with our shovels to clear other driveways.

My friend Sean is pursuing this kind of relationship with other believers - actually working at it. I've found that it takes time and commitment, but it's infinitely valuable. Our fellowship is in Christ, not in our jobs or in talking about the weather or in working in the same industry - all that stuff is just small talk; Christ is the glue that binds us together.

The world isn't saying "see how they love one another" because we're not loving one another. But there is a way made clear for us, a highway of holiness where we can become what is in God's heart - a new society, wholly transformed and renewed in their minds, that can turn the world upside down. It happened once - it can happen again.