Together in the Toolbox

Have you ever gone on a road trip?
On this long weekend, in the middle of winter, with hints of 60-degree weather, a road trip sound nice right about now. A change of scenery, a switch from the routine, a bit of adventure.
For my first big road trip, my dad laid out road atlases across the kitchen table and marked our planned trip routes to prepare for the route to my great aunt’s as our driver. My mother, the co-pilot, navigator, noted our upcoming directions in the way that we today have gotten familiar with Siri or Garamond doing. Turn left up ahead at Route 1 South. My brother, my sister, and I were across the back seat complete with Car Bingo, juice boxes, goldfish, crayons, books, and other distractions. It was the longest drive we had taken as a family up until then. All the way from Downingtown to Virginia Beach, over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and through the tunnel.
I now know, there is always someone who has to use the bathroom more often than the rest of us. And someone is very interested in the route and is sure they know the best way, even without the map or GPS! And someone wants to scroll the radio (or phone) until their favorite song comes on. Each of us is just a little bit more intense on a road trip. My family was no different in the midst of wrong turns, multiple bathroom breaks, a Toyota Corolla Station Wagon that seem to grow smaller with each mile, and choruses of Are We There, yet? We were together with a shared goal of reaching Aunt Kitty’s house. That was what we were to keep in mind as we negotiated whether to listen to New Kids on the Block or Beach Boys. We almost didn’t make it with all three kids sitting together in the backseat together poking each other over the edge or pushing our parents to the brink. Quickly, we learned that not agreeing with you is not a reason not to love you.
This month as we have been exploring the body of Christ and the spiritual gifts with which each of us have been gifted. The Holy Spirit bestows gifts on all of us. Through the Holy Spirit, there is unity and connectivity, honor and value. The seemingly less needed members are vital; the respected members do not need this.
Paul knew that unity meant that there are essential connections that united the believers in Corinth. Unity does not mean uniformity. In fact, the previous 25 verses have been sharing with their distinctives. Distinctively, each believer in Corinth was gifted with spiritual gifts. Each gift is for upbuilding of the community. Community cannot be built and divided at the same time. We model for the world how to love one another in the midst of distinction. Uniquely, each child of God was blessed with a different role in the body of Christ. Unity in tenderness is a celebration of what we hold in common – Jesus Christ.
And because of our faith in Jesus, we draw near to one another in joy and concern. This is our excitement to tell everyone when our child gets into a first-choice college or we get a new job! Additionally, this is part of the community when we lean on friends at the time of frightening medical news or an uncertain future. We need one another. God created the body of Christ just this way.
This week, two small groups I was a part of shared deep concerns for prayer. They leaned on one another to lift one another up in prayer. In both cases, as one person shared a fear about the future, there was tenderness from others in encouragement and prayer. Emails and texts provided encouragement. Multiple people surround each other in love. No longer was that person facing caring for aging parent or facing down testing by themselves. They were together in the toolbox with others!
Jesus knew that when he called a group of disciples who were as varied as twelve could be. From fishermen to tax collectors, tradespeople to treasurers, occupational backgrounds and personality differences as well as spiritual gifts all came together to follow Jesus with their lives. Some who were focused on immediately accomplishing the tasks at hand, while others were content to absorb and contemplate the teachings of Jesus. Simon, called the zealot, was attributed with a concern that Jesus’ mission the usher in God’s kingdom was not urgent and militaristic enough. Thomas, who was unsure, and left room for doubt. James, one of the sons of Thunder, wanted to receive the credit for the actions of Jesus, without any of the responsibility. Peter, who doubted and then denied even knowing Jesus, was the foundation of the church! Together the disciples begun to establish the body, the church. Not agreeing was not a reason not to love a brother or sister in Christ. They were united around sharing the gospel of Jesus.
The United Methodist Church prepares for General Conference this week for a special called session. This is the first time since the merger with the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968, and then previously over slavery. Divided across the theological divide and across the world, the delegates from the church gather to consider human sexuality in St. Louis. Some will come with joy; others with pain. But across all of the connection are those who love Jesus and who seek for God’s way to be known. I will be present with my alma mater, Moravian Theological Seminary as seminarians write about the historical moment in process. Please covenant with me to be in prayer for our delegates as well as our bishops, all those who will be affected as well as local churches.
All are united around sharing the gospel -the good news of Jesus Christ. That’s why the church has gathered. Not just why the church is gathering this week, but across time – to proclaim the Jesus. Each delegate, bishop, attendee of general conference comes with a God-given gift. Despite the fact that various delegates come with different understandings, they all embrace the centrality of love. We pray that they might remember, “Not agreeing was not a reason not to love a brother or sister in Christ.”
Now, imagine us, together in the toolbox with one another. You with your giftedness for prayer and you with your giftedness with witnessing, You with your giftedness me with teaching, my giftedness with discernment. As part of the body of Christ together, we, like a hammer and screw driver, a saw and wrench, are gifted differently. Using a hammer to screw in a screw would be unproductive as would hearing a call for missions and offering stewardship instead. Knowing that our prayer ministry is needed and sending trustees would not help. As a full body, the church we embrace the unity of Christ.
God calls us to embrace unity in tenderness. And not agreeing with those in the body of Christ is not a reason not to love them. Love is more important than being right. We have to choose it daily. It takes our practice, in the face of the disagreement. Where does this come from, you might ask? This comes from the selflessness of Jesus. And we are called to regard all parts of the body of Christ with honor. This is Christ-like. Jesus regarded others as better then himself. This was not in a casual, self-depreciating kind of way. But earnestly. Together, in the toolbox, we are being called to be more like Jesus, to not need agreement as a precondition.
Our road trip to Virginia Beach ended with us pulling into Aunt Kitty’s house. We more than endured our time together. There was tenderness in our time together. This isn’t to say there wasn’t some poking and disagreements. We found the joy in road trip. This was the perfect time to play games with Jeopardy, the license plate game, and tell stories.
Somehow, we know this when it comes football teams and baseball teams, that we can rib one another and care well for one another when needs arise. Eagles and Steelers fans can keep up their rivalry as well as care well for each other. Blest be the tie that binds, we will later in worship sing as a both a blessing and prayer for ourselves and for the General Church.
May you find tenderness in loving those in you are in close proximity with. May God grant you a generous heart to love, even where you do not agree. May you learn God’s love extravagant and generous, heartfelt and expansive.
This is the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ, thanks be to God, Amen.

New Testament Lesson: I Corinthians 12:22-26
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.

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 4:23-25
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Meditations For Your Week
Sunday, February 17 ~ Saturday, February 23

Sunday: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.” Matthew 4:23. The ministry of Jesus included caring for people across divisions of geography and gender, class and culture. Today, we too, seek a unity of purpose in focusing on Jesus over our divisions.

Monday: “So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them.” Matthew 4:24. Pray for those who seek relief from chronic pain and debilitating diseases.

Tuesday: “And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.” Matthew 4:25. From West Grove to Shanghai, Avondale to Sydney, people would follow Jesus anywhere. Living out faith is listening and following where Jesus leads you to care for others. How are you caring for others today?

Wednesday: “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;” 1 Corinthians 12:22-23. Pause to pray for those who seem to be less important to you. In your prayer, give thanks for where you have seen God working through them.

Thursday: “whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member,” 1 Corinthians 12:24. Consider how you have overlooked some people. Next time you are in a room of people, notice who is not speaking or getting the attention. Consider how to care also for these members of the body.

Friday: “That there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another.” 1 Corinthians 12:25. Pray for the unity of the body in care for one another.

Saturday: “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26. Who can you rejoice with today? Share joy with them.