December 03, 2008

Pucker

When my husband wants to get everyone’s attention at a large gathering he produces a shrill whistle by positioning his tongue against the back of his teeth and tightening his lips. Hearing that same whistle coming from the garage I charged through the door to discover Bill standing on a half twisted ladder. With one hand he held tight to an overhanging brace and with the other he held a long handled paint roller. And there, teetering precariously on the top of the ladder was a tray full of paint. I have to tell you it was funny. Paul describes the church as being one body, but having many different parts. “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’” (1Cor 12:21 NIV) In Bill’s case, neither can the hand or the foot say to the part that whistles, ‘I don’t need you!’

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Gail;
-----I’ve often wondered whether whoever divided the Bible into chapters and verses was deliberately careful to section Paul’s discussions of spiritual gifts with the Romans and the Corinthians into the twelfth chapter of each letter, or if it just happened that way. But one letter seems to be telling us not to be jealous of the gifts others have, while the other letter seems to tell us not to expect everyone else to have the same gift as we have. We get so focused on the need for unity that we forget God needs our mutual service to come from the interaction of individual servants. Although individuality is a tool useful to discord and disobedience, we must not forget that it was given to us by God as a tool for fellowship and obedience.


Love,
Steve Corey