Unity in Diversity

Monday, January 19, 2009  -- Week of 2 Epiphany, Year One

Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, 1095

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 944)

Psalms 25 (morning)       9, 15 (evening)

Isaiah 44:6-8, 21-23

Ephesians 4:1-16

Mark 3:7-19a

The passage from Ephesians pictures our unity in diversity.  

The writer starts with a calling to the virtues that create mature disciples and healthy community:  "humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."  Love, patience, gentleness and humility are the building blocks that can create a strong community.

Then he asserts our relationship in unity.  "There is one body and one Spirit, ...one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all."  When we recognize that God is present in every person -- "through all and in all" -- we realize that we are all in this together.  Everyone bears the image and likeness of God.  And because God is also "above all," we are invited into the humility that allows us to admit that none of us has the measure of God.  None of us can claim a monopoly on God.  God is more than what we can know; God is more than the sum of the parts.  God is all and in all; God is more than the all.  Therefore, we can humbly be interconnected with all, including those who seem so very different from us.

From within the celebration of our unity, the writer then rejoices over our diversity.  He lists various ministries in the church -- apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers -- and tells us that we all have gifts for service.  Leadership is always expressed in service, "to equip the saints for the work of ministry."  Our goal is to grow up.  We are to become mature, "to the measure of the full stature of Christ."  In Christ, we can experience that sense of unity that God has given us.  In Christ we can know God.

The pilgrimage can be tricky because people are tricky.  But the focus is to be on Christ.  For us, Christ is the human face of God.  We are to grow into him.  Unity in diversity.  Just like the parts of the body.  All different; all cooperating through the cooperative unity of the nervous system, commanded from Christ the head.

We try to organize our church in a similar way.  We say that everyone has a ministry.  We encourage every person to embrace his or her ministry.  Our unifying principle is our mission and our values.  The Prayer Book catechism says that the Church's mission is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.  Our parish says that our mission is to explore and celebrate God's infinite grace, acceptance and love.  Within those boundaries, we encourage every person to express your gifts through ministry.  When someone wants to offer some ministry, our default answer is "yes."  As long as what you want to do is not inconsistent with the Spirit of Christ and is not inconsistent with our mission and values, the church's job is to empower you to ministry.  We invite you to bring your particular gifts and contribute your part to the building up of the body into our calling to become fully mature in Christ.

Lowell

_____________________________________________

Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts

About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas