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Archive for the ‘Church’ Category

One “Not Good” In All Creation

Posted in Adam, Church, Community, In Christ, tagged , , on March 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. – Genesis 2:18

God gave the “Good” pronouncement on everything he created except one – Adam’s aloneness.

Adam was good but his being alone wasn’t, so God made man into a community1 – first with a partner, then through that partner a family.

Some like being alone – no one to be hassled or disappointed with, no one to get in the way or make you wait, no one to limit your freedom or to say, “No!”; but that’s not God’s way.

God has always been a community (in his case – Father, Son, Spirit) and community is his intent for us.  He makes a place, in the Community of faith, for everyone who will accept Christ, if we will but coöperate and choose his way over our own.

God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. – Psalm 68:6

– fritz

1 – Genesis 1:27

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"Practice Makes Perfect"

Posted in Church, Experience on January 4, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; .. the word of knowledge … faith … gifts of healing … the working of miracles … prophecy … discerning of spirits … divers kinds of tongues … the interpretation of tongues.

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. – 1st Corinthians 12:8-12

The Apostle Paul draws the analogy of the differing gifts of the Holy Spirit as being like different body parts and, indeed, we are different parts of Christ’s body, the way he functions in the earth today.

Just as we could hardly expect a person to be a good ball player without practice, we can’t honestly expect the body parts of Christ to function together without “practice”, either.

This is where churches find their fulfillment. The local church must be willing to provide a safe place to “practice” without fear of rejection, otherwise it is just taking up space. As we practice we get it wrong sometimes, this is to be expected and should be allowed; a good pastor will help by coaching and encouraging. The more we practice the better we get.

Churches are not the body of Christ, believers are. Churches are to be the safe place believers practice and exercise so they become really good at it on the field.

– fritz

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The True Host (Body of Christ)

Posted in Christ, Church, Communion, Eucharist, tagged on January 3, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. – 1st Corinthians 12:27

God works through symbols – a piece of bread, a drop of oil, some sprinkled water, but it is the reality which is holy, the symbol is only a poor representation.

We who have placed our faith in Christ are, individually, a part his body and have a part in touching one another with and for Christ. The gifts of the Holy Spirit work in that endeavor, helping us do our part.

– fritz

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