What  we  believe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Friday the 6th March the Women's World Day of Prayer service took place at

the Salvation Army Citadel in Colchester

The sermon given by Rev. Alison Finch is printed below.

Pictures of the service can be viewed by clicking on the link below.

 

 

 

Woman’s World Day of Prayer 2009

Romans Ch12 Verses 3 to 12

“In Christ there are many members yet one body”

Just before I joined the Church, I worked as a Charity Administrator, and I was given the rather dubious pleasure of interviewing potential volunteers. For this my boss sent me on a training course entitled, ‘Reading Body Language’. On this course I soon learnt that body language describes, what we communicate not by what we say, but what we do through signals we give out without being aware of them.

That course taught me to look out for indications of emotions and feelings that people wouldn’t otherwise tell me during interviews, for instance, when someone came in and sat down, looking relaxed and happy, yet with clenched hands and shuffling feet, their body told me another story. I often wondered what signals I was giving out as I sat there behind my desk, with my dark business suit on, taking control of the situation…what was my body language saying to them?

In the first of our readings this morning, we are reminded, that we the Church, are the body of Christ, each member has different functions, but each one belongs to the other. It made me think about our body language towards others, not outside the Church, but in our own congregations.

Here we are gathered together people from many Churches around Colchester, what are we saying to each other now? Does our body language communicate our values, our commitment to each other? It’s often not the things we consciously decide to say and do, but what our bodies show, without being aware of it, that may signal the total opposite of what we are trying to say.

Are we sitting with the friends we came with, and looking rather worried about a stranger in our midst? Are we as Christians full of warmth and love, or are we cool and aloof? When we talk to people are we giving them our full undivided attention? Or are we distracted by something or someone just over their shoulder? Whatever we answer to these questions they say something about the body of Christ, about us, about our lives and acceptance of each other. And if the healer picks up a different message from what we are saying, then it only leads to confusion and often misunderstanding.

Today this service has been prepared by the women of Papua New Guinea, their theme, ‘In Christ there are many members, yet one body’, reflects their multicultural situation, where over 800 languages are spoken. You may think that would be a cause of many difficulties, trying to interpret so many languages, but the reality is that the people from Papua New Guinea are known for their kindness and hospitality, a society well rooted in cultural values and beliefs, where 96% on the population are Christian and where the churches have realised that by working together, they can influence their society and have a greater spiritual impact.

We here in Britain, could learn a great deal from the churches and people of Papua New Guinea. So often in this country we are too busy working in our own little groups, in the Church body forgetting that there are other members on a Church down the road, doing exactly the same thing. Yet they work independently, not part of the same body at all, many members and many bodies, struggling to get the task finished. Wouldn’t it be great if we could forget our differences and come together in one body for the sake of the town, our communities and the church? Remember what Paul wrote. “In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to the other.” Each of us has been given different gifts for her use not just of the local Church but for the building up of ‘the one body’. Working together for the glory of God.

Now this is the difficult part, we have to learn to change our signals, to change our attitudes, to deepen our commitment to Jesus and one another. Our reading from Romans gives us the answer, “love must be sincere…be devoted to one another with mutual affection.”

Poor Paul had his work cut out with these young Christians, they were too busy fighting over their spiritual gifts – envying and arguing with those who had different talents, that the Church soon became a place of tension, bitterness and division. Being loving and devoted to one another seemed forgotten, the Church needed to unite, to the one, before any growth could take place.

I wonder if our Churches any better than those Paul was addressing?

Today in churches there is talk about spiritual gifts of visions and words of knowledge of tongues and healing. Often we are disheartened because we may feel we don’t have these gifts, that somehow we, or our Church is not in that ‘super spiritual’ league. Somehow if we are part of the body of Christ then we must be a part that is not very exciting, with nothing of importance to offer. That isn’t what our reading says. The gifts in our reading are serving, encouraging, generosity, leadership, being merciful, being cheerful. Surely each one of us here, can do at least one of them. We all have individual gifts and talents that are God given, and each of us have plenty opportunity to use them, for the nourishment of growth of the body.

But here’s the big questions, do we use them? Do we share them, or forget them? It’s painful, to see how often our gifts, are not used for the body of Christ, then there are those who use their gifts but somehow feel the body of Christ, then there are those who use their gifts but somehow feel they are better than the rest. And isn’t this what causes division and conflict. We all have gifts from God, and we need to work together for the glory of God – not bicker and fight as people without hope, without faith, without love.

Love is at the centre of our Church. Of our faith, and as Paul says, “love must be sincere.” For without love all those other gifts are worthless, and our actions, however impressive are all in vain, Love is a gift that lasts.

Paul goes on “Be devoted to one another with mutual affection.” I like that phrase – mutual affection. Paul doesn’t ask us for a doormat humility. Allowing everyone to tread on us, but he promotes respect and self-discipline in the way we relate to one another – which is another way of describing Christian love.

Reaping what we sow is nowhere more true than in our attitudes to one another, in the way we relate to one another. Often, ‘she got angry with me’, means, ‘I acted in such a way that I made her angry with me.’ Of course we’re not always to blame. Sometimes it really is the other person who is showing aggression - but we can choose not to respond in the same manner but react with understanding. Of course we may not be able to control all the snarls that come our way, but it helps when we try and understand – with mutual affection. Maybe we should all take mutual affection into account, and try not to win the argument but to win their love.

Through love we can overcome our divisions and begin to learn from each other. Love, devotion, mutual affection, honour, joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer, hospitality. Each of these is for the building up of the body of Christ. Maybe in this World Day of Prayer we can learn from the women of Papau New Guinea, who give us an example of the united body of Christ, who, despite many social issues including many forms of violence, have come together to acknowledge that they cannot remain silent, they realise that working together to spread God’s love is the way to influence their homes, community and churches.

So as the Body of Christ in Colchester, we too need to stop and take a look at our body language, what are we communicating to each other, are we saying one thing but doing another? Are we nothing but individual people making lots of empty noise? Do we smile, yet our eyes show irritation? Do we welcome people with a warm hand, yet inside remain aloof and cold? Maybe we should try and signal each other, words and actions that show we are making full use of the gifts God has given us. Gifts that show, “In Christ there are many members yet one body.”

AMEN