Embracing Christ in Community

This is the 2nd in a three part Series highlighting year 2 of the Mennonite Church Alberta E3 initiative: To Encounter, Embrace, and Embody Christ in Community.  The previous post explored some of what it means to see/hear/ experience Christ within a church community. It is good to see Christ around us in the work and the people that make up our community, but we need to go beyond just acknowledging Christ's presence. We need to embrace all that Christ stood for, all that he taught, all that he was and is, and we need to do this as a community. How is Christ's presence changing us? Does it affect how we make decisions? Does it affect how we speak to each other? Does it affect how we listen to each other? Does it affect how we value ourselves and each other person within our community?

One of the central Scripture passages for this morning is 1 Corinthians 12:12-31.  It reminds us that, together, we are the body of Christ and, just as a body has many parts with different functions, so we, too, are parts of a whole, each different from the other yet with gifts and a purpose. Each person is important. None of us is justified in judging ourselves more important or less important than any other person. We are called to work together, with the gifts we have, to do the work God calls us to do.

The other passages for this morning bring context to this metaphor.  The beginning of Chapter 12 is more explicit - "There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; There are different ministries and the same Lord..." (12:4,5 CEB) Chapter 13 is the famous love chapter, reminding us of the importance of love: it is the better way than ambition; it is what binds the body together. Love is above even faith and hope in importance. Love is what matters. The Colossians passage contains more specific instructions: "Put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with each other...forgive each other. And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity...." (v12-14 CEB).

So how does this help us understand what it means to embrace Christ in community? Usually when we think of embracing we think of giving another person a hug, bringing them physically into our space and entering theirs. When we take slightly broader view of the concept, we get the idea of accepting something enthusiastically (Cambridge Dictionary), taking or receiving willingly, gladly or eagerly (dictionary.com), or taking up especially readily or gladly (Merriam-Webster).  Each of these definitions speaks of bringing something close, into your space, which can mean giving up a little of that space, and adapting to make room.

When we embrace Christ in community we accept that Christ is the focus, not you or me. This can affect how we make decisions. This may mean changing our minds on some issues, or giving up some comfort or convenience for the greater good. We trust God (and therefore Christ) is at work even when we aren't sure the correct decision was made.

When we embrace Christ in community we gladly and eagerly accept the love and guidance of God, offered through others with whom we are in community. We listen when others speak, whether it is from the pulpit, in a meeting, or one on one. We recognize that both they and we have a perspective worth considering, even if they are not the same. Just as the eyes and ears both help us comprehend what another person is saying by combining words, tone, body language and facial expression, maybe we need more than one way of perceiving any issue to make an informed decision.

When we embrace Christ in community we willingly forgive each other. We recognize that each of us is integral to the whole, so we must work together, even though we are all imperfect and say and do hurtful things. As God has forgiven us, we work to forgive each other.

When we, as a community, embrace our identity as part of the body of Christ, we recognize that each one of us is important. We may not know how another person is contributing, but that doesn't mean they aren't. Do you know what a spleen does? or an appendix? or adenoids? You may not see yourself as being significant, but, you, too, are an integral part of the fabric of who we are. You may think you are "just" a little toe, but we knew someone who suffered for many months recovering from accidentally cutting off his little toe. We function better as a body, and as a church, when all the parts, even the often overlooked ones, work together and are appreciated.

Early Anabaptists believed it was in community with other believers that God could most clearly speak through Scriptures. As they put their lives on the line to trust each other and worship together, they discovered and embraced Christ in community.

So to embrace Christ in community is to open one's self to change, to forgiveness, to new learning, to a different way of looking at issues, at our own value and at that of others around us. To embrace Christ in community is to live into the commitment to "give and receive counsel" that we make at baptism and church membership. To embrace Christ in community means to love.

I pray we find ways to follow in the path of our faith ancestors and learn to trust and to open ourselves to change, to love, to being in community in the name of Christ.

May you feel the love of God surrounding you and embracing you and may you find strength and solace in being a part of a Church community.