7/20/15: This is Community
I once delivered a message for the Women’s Christian Fellowship group of the International Council of Community Churches. These women had come together from all over the country for their annual denominational convention. I joked with them, knowing they must be an august, serious group with lots of faith in me to figure I had something worthwhile to say about their complex topic – the role of women in the modern church – at 7:00A.M. for 20 minutes.
Well, the gist of my message was that since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, His intention for a woman’s role, no matter where she is, has not changed since God created woman in the first place. If we look at all of Scripture, at all the many roles women have played in Biblical history, and at how God the Son dealt with women, we can see clearly that God is in the business of including women in His work and using them to bring Him glory.
Of course, I went into more detail – 20 minutes’ worth – in the actual message, and afterward the ladies were generous with their praise and encouraged at being reminded of their usefulness to the Kingdom. But I was struck not so much by the adulation, but by the oneness I felt in the room. Here we were, Christians from many different cities and states, together because of a common cause, mainly our love for our Lord. Even at an early hour, here we were, together to hear one more time from the Scriptures, trusting that we’d hear something that would change us, inspire us, motivate us, or challenge us. I didn’t need to know them and they didn’t need to know me. All we needed to know is that we all knew the Savior. This is a community – the community of the saints – of which I’m ecstatic to be a part.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom 15:5-6 (NIV)
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©2009 Sharon Norris Elliott.
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