One Body

In my first visit to a local Mennonite congregation some of the ladies welcomed me; however, none of the men spoke to me, nor did they make eye contact. For my second visit to the same church two young fathers introduced themselves and shook my hand. During the service the speaker welcomed guests and I laughed to myself because out of 125 people, it was obvious I was the only visitor. The women of this denomination wear mid-calf dresses, long hair concealed by black head scarves and no jewelry or make-up. Needless to say I stood out like a sore thumb. This congregation separates themselves by gender during worship with the men sitting on the right side of the church and woman on the left. Following the service, I complimented the speaker on his message and told him I appreciated the welcome from the two young men. He said, “Maybe none of the men spoke to you the first time because of your perfume.” The man’s calculated attempt at superiority was both wasted and transparent...I happen to be allergic to perfume. Paul said, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:3-5 NIV).