Sacred Kinship Part 2

February 26, 2025

Sacred Kinship Part 2

Why is a spiritual community so powerful? The apostle Paul spoke to the question when he says in First Corinthians, “Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you a limb or organ of it” (12:27). He talks about all believers being in one body in Christ. A genuinely spiritual community has tremendous power that transforms its members, and the people they touch. Community members take on the various parts of the body, which, in concert, makes a unified functioning body. In the Christian community, this is part of the larger body of Christ. 

Jesus’s disciples, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna, each brought their talents to the table. They were the first community of the body of Christ. All in that small community were fallible humans; nevertheless, together, they changed the world. Their group’s power came from their relationship with Jesus, their inspiration, devotion, and the amazing synergy their various talents and weaknesses created. 

Communities of faith are not simply random mixtures of people. They are made up of members who are devoted, inspired, and who offer their gifts. Like any living organism, its members take on the various tasks of helping the organism to live and thrive. The first Christian community’s synergy is re-created with each one that is formed.

Our specific calling or purpose is unique, and becoming a part of a spiritual community activates our life’s purpose. Our gifts and needs shape the community, and without us, the community is not the same. For example, if our life contributes to the “leg” of the community, we are helping the community to stand and walk in a manner in which only we are equipped to do. We may be a part of our community’s arm, for outreach and grasping, or its heart for emotional strength. We are essential to our community because without us, its make-up would not be the same.

Spiritual practice: Take stock of your spiritual community and your function within it. Do you bring inspiration and devotion to the community? Are you receiving from the community? Are you supporting your community with your gifts and perspectives? If you are a part of a living body, which part of that body would you be?

Dear God, 

I pray for the gift of belonging. In your name, Amen