Summer is here once again. The temperatures will soar in July--that extra sunshine means that pools will be teeming with families and children, mother nature will be in full bloom and vacations will place family automobiles on all the major thoroughfares. It's a wonderful time as families enjoy cookouts and reunions and neighbors mow and edge their yards to keep it looking pristine during the balmy season of summer. And our country's national pastime, baseball, will dominate the sports news for the next four months, too. Indeed--summer's arrived.
But while all of these wonderful and anticipated activities will take place, what implications does summer have for the church? Now, let me explain what I mean by this. First, I'm not directing our thoughts toward summer ministry events, worship services, Bible studies, special music blessings, or missions groups endeavors (although they are all a significant and meaningful part of our particular church's summer schedule). What I'm saying is that you and I are the church--not the building--and we are called to serve one another as each part of the body takes care of the other. In fact, summer is the perfect time of the year for the Church to double down on serving the church through our spiritual gifts, encouraging every member to fulfill his/her God-given ability in creative, unique and compassionate ways. Listen to Paul's words from 1 Cor. 12:12:25 (NRSV) about the function of the Church (the body of Christ):
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect, whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
Have you noticed that over the last several months that the Holy Spirit is empowering our fellowship to care for community and church with an added and exciting fervor and energy? God is doing this--it's on purpose FOR God's purpose! In other words, don't forget how valuable your particular spiritual gifts and talents are in building up the Kingdom of God both within UBC and in the community we are called to serve. If we liken this spiritual reality to the game of baseball, consider yourself both a player AND a fan. Here's what I mean.
When you became a Christian, you became a player for God's team, useful and necessary for utilizing your specific gifts to make the team the best it can be. Both weak and strong gifts balance one another out; all gifts are needed and appreciated. You are valued at UBC because God made you and your worth is found in the work of the Holy Spirit in and through you! Some of you might be pitchers, or shortstops, or catchers, or outfielders. Some of you might be pitching or hitting coaches and others of you might be lead coaches, too. But every position affects the work and output of the other. Every teammate needs the other and every player benefits from the encouragement, love and support the other gives. Let's face it, you and I are God's players on Team UBC. But think about this, too--each church is a team, and those churches mean we are on a humongous Team in Christ, in our towns, cities, states, nations and world. How amazing is that?!? I want you to celebrate church members' gifts and to know your own gifts so that you can offer your best to the love-infused ministries of United Baptist, not only during the summer months but during every season of the year. When it comes to being a player on God's team, there is no offseason--you're needed and used by the Spirit to bring Jesus' healing power to those who are lost, lonely and left out. You are my teammate--God is our Head Coach. So get out there and play at UBC!
Secondly, you are called not just to be a player but also a fan! Think about how wonderful it's been that God has seen it fit to send us EIGHT new families to join our church since December 2022. Praise God! I loved watching how you reacted to each family's decision to join UBC during the invitation portion of our worship service. Your smiles, your raised arms, your loud "amens," and your hugs showed how fired up you were to celebrate new members to our church. Your role is to be their biggest fans, and they will also grow to be your biggest fans, too. Root for them, cheer for them, and no matter what life brings, promise to never be a "fair-weather fan" but a true fan, serving them in both the good and the difficult times.
In God's church, you're both a player AND a fan.
Don't ever forget that Jesus Christ calls you to be both (Matt. 28:19-20).
Recently, I drove to David F. Couch ballpark to cheer for the Wake Forest Baseball Team as they boarded buses to the Smith/Reynolds airport en route to Omaha, Nebraska to play in the College World Series (GO DEACS!). Guess who I saw at the send-off? Judy, Haley, Steelman, Woody and Evans were there! I was so happy to see them and we were thrilled to support our Deacs as they prepared to make history in Omaha. Steelman held up a sign of encouragement for the players and we all clapped and cheered for them as they walked past us in parade-like fashion onto the WFU buses. Afterwards, I paused to tell my church family gathered there: "Wouldn't this be something if we treated every person who walked through our church doors this way? Wouldn't it be great to cheer for them, too?" And the truth is, our church members DO this--it's like it's part of our church DNA. We never wanna lose the call to be both a player AND a fan in God's church. Each and every member of the church must be celebrated and used for the glory of God in Christ. And at UBC, you are a critical piece of God's puzzle that the Lord's fitting together on the corner of Bethania-Rural Hall and Murray roads!
Do you know your spiritual gifts? If not, seek me out, I'd love to help you ask God how to discover them. I know the Nominating Team will be referencing church members' spiritual gifts as they meet this month to prepare for our new church year in September. You're a player, friend! You're a fan, dear one! Get out on the field and play to the best of your God-given ability, and when you're not at bat, or in the field, cheer from the dugout, too--you're needed in every facet of God's game of ministry!
And I'm proud to be your player-coach, friends--I love you so very much and God loves what's happening at Team UBC! LET'S GO!!!!!!!!!!
And we do it all for Christ's glory, the One who's already won the Victory,
Pastor Will
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