One
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Have you ever thought about what a beautiful thing the Body of Christ is?
His Bride.
The Church.
Beloved.
And I’m not talking about the physical church building -- ours here in the tribe looks very different from yours, no doubt.
And we’re not talking about denominations either …
No, rather, His beautiful glorious inexplicable Church -- His people.
As we were sitting in the believers’ meeting this morning, our backsides wriggling and squirming trying to find a more comfortable position on the split-palm floor as the three hour meeting progressed, I was struck deeply by the beauty of the Body of Christ.
In just over a month we will be back in Australia. We will meet in a different church building, worshipping and sharing with a different part of His Body. The form of service will be poles apart from how it’s done here. (I must admit I’m looking forward to those cushioned seats!) The worship team will get up and lead the singing while we read from an overhead powerpoint show. Someone will give the announcements, the offering might be taken, one person will get up and preach for 20 or 30 minutes. If he reaches the 40-minute mark, watches will be surreptitiously but frequently checked just in case the preacher’s forgotten there’s such a thing as time and lunch.
And God will be glorified through His Body in this particular way and in this culture, place and time.
But this morning as I listened to the in-depth teaching from Colossians and watched the tribal Banwaon Bible teachers preach and teach and expound with incredible understanding and passion, then as others around the meeting house piped up with their thoughts and insights (that’s how it’s done here -- two or three main teachers sitting up front, everyone else sitting on the floor of the open meeting house, but anyone free at any time to interject a thought or explanation), I realized that although the setting is so different, it’s really no different to what we’ll be doing in Australia in just over a month.
We are His Body. We are One. The same Spirit that is empowering and guiding Amay Disi in his teaching of the Banwaon believers today, is the same Spirit who is speaking through Pastor Greg in Laurieton, NSW, and Pastor Walter in Croydon, Victoria. Just as God was working through Amay Ladinay and Inay Gadya and Birtu in the things they shared today, He is working through Bronwyn and Sally and Neil in Australia.
The faces and food, clothes and houses, lifestyles and customs of the Banwaon people are so unlike anything we’ll experience in Australia. Yet it makes no difference in the Body of Christ. We are one in Him! It struck me afresh with such force this morning I just had to write about it. You who are reading this, who know and walk with the Savior, are part of His Body. Just like the Banwaon believers here. They are part of you and you of them because of Christ. It’s inexplicable and it’s indescribably precious.
Some people have written asking who will take over for us here in the tribe for the next two years while we’re back in Australia. I must admit the question took us a little by surprise. Aside from the fact that a new missionary couldn’t possibly learn first the trade language, then the tribal language and culture, then take over Albert’s translation work all within the two-year span that we plan to be in Australia, we found ourselves wondering why we’d need more expatriate missionaries replacing us in here anyway.
Why? The Body. Ever since there have been believers in Jesus Christ in this place, the Holy Spirit has been working in their lives -- maturing, growing, accomplishing Christ’s purposes. Their hearts have thankfully been fertile ground and when we look at the part of the Church we will be leaving behind, we are in awe of their spiritual perception and maturity. No, definitely not perfect -- who of us are? Silly question. But God and God alone has indeed been building this part of His Church in this place.
Recently we were able to go out to town for a short break. When we left, there were major things brewing between two key village leaders, both of whom profess to be Christians. It had the potential to be one of the biggest difficulties we’ve yet seen here, possibly splitting this area of the tribe, and thus making things extremely difficult even among the believers. When we returned from our break we were greeted with the news that church and village leaders had been able to sit down with the related parties and thoroughly work through the problem, resulting in repentance and restitution and a commitment between the two parties to work together for the glory of God. God had worked through His Body.
Rejoice with us! It fills our hearts with joy. How cool that they don’t need us here! Yes, there is still a part for us to play as the translation is not yet complete and there’s always stuff to do. But do they need us -- or someone to replace us? No! They have been discipled, they are growing, they are mature and they are just as much part of His Body with exactly the same spiritual blessings and gifts that He has given your part of the Body.
Hallelujah!
Be blessed today! You are appreciated -- you are part of us.
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Colossians 3:14, 15
His Bride.
The Church.
Beloved.
And I’m not talking about the physical church building -- ours here in the tribe looks very different from yours, no doubt.
And we’re not talking about denominations either …
No, rather, His beautiful glorious inexplicable Church -- His people.
As we were sitting in the believers’ meeting this morning, our backsides wriggling and squirming trying to find a more comfortable position on the split-palm floor as the three hour meeting progressed, I was struck deeply by the beauty of the Body of Christ.
In just over a month we will be back in Australia. We will meet in a different church building, worshipping and sharing with a different part of His Body. The form of service will be poles apart from how it’s done here. (I must admit I’m looking forward to those cushioned seats!) The worship team will get up and lead the singing while we read from an overhead powerpoint show. Someone will give the announcements, the offering might be taken, one person will get up and preach for 20 or 30 minutes. If he reaches the 40-minute mark, watches will be surreptitiously but frequently checked just in case the preacher’s forgotten there’s such a thing as time and lunch.
And God will be glorified through His Body in this particular way and in this culture, place and time.
But this morning as I listened to the in-depth teaching from Colossians and watched the tribal Banwaon Bible teachers preach and teach and expound with incredible understanding and passion, then as others around the meeting house piped up with their thoughts and insights (that’s how it’s done here -- two or three main teachers sitting up front, everyone else sitting on the floor of the open meeting house, but anyone free at any time to interject a thought or explanation), I realized that although the setting is so different, it’s really no different to what we’ll be doing in Australia in just over a month.
We are His Body. We are One. The same Spirit that is empowering and guiding Amay Disi in his teaching of the Banwaon believers today, is the same Spirit who is speaking through Pastor Greg in Laurieton, NSW, and Pastor Walter in Croydon, Victoria. Just as God was working through Amay Ladinay and Inay Gadya and Birtu in the things they shared today, He is working through Bronwyn and Sally and Neil in Australia.
The faces and food, clothes and houses, lifestyles and customs of the Banwaon people are so unlike anything we’ll experience in Australia. Yet it makes no difference in the Body of Christ. We are one in Him! It struck me afresh with such force this morning I just had to write about it. You who are reading this, who know and walk with the Savior, are part of His Body. Just like the Banwaon believers here. They are part of you and you of them because of Christ. It’s inexplicable and it’s indescribably precious.
Some people have written asking who will take over for us here in the tribe for the next two years while we’re back in Australia. I must admit the question took us a little by surprise. Aside from the fact that a new missionary couldn’t possibly learn first the trade language, then the tribal language and culture, then take over Albert’s translation work all within the two-year span that we plan to be in Australia, we found ourselves wondering why we’d need more expatriate missionaries replacing us in here anyway.
Why? The Body. Ever since there have been believers in Jesus Christ in this place, the Holy Spirit has been working in their lives -- maturing, growing, accomplishing Christ’s purposes. Their hearts have thankfully been fertile ground and when we look at the part of the Church we will be leaving behind, we are in awe of their spiritual perception and maturity. No, definitely not perfect -- who of us are? Silly question. But God and God alone has indeed been building this part of His Church in this place.
Recently we were able to go out to town for a short break. When we left, there were major things brewing between two key village leaders, both of whom profess to be Christians. It had the potential to be one of the biggest difficulties we’ve yet seen here, possibly splitting this area of the tribe, and thus making things extremely difficult even among the believers. When we returned from our break we were greeted with the news that church and village leaders had been able to sit down with the related parties and thoroughly work through the problem, resulting in repentance and restitution and a commitment between the two parties to work together for the glory of God. God had worked through His Body.
Rejoice with us! It fills our hearts with joy. How cool that they don’t need us here! Yes, there is still a part for us to play as the translation is not yet complete and there’s always stuff to do. But do they need us -- or someone to replace us? No! They have been discipled, they are growing, they are mature and they are just as much part of His Body with exactly the same spiritual blessings and gifts that He has given your part of the Body.
Hallelujah!
Be blessed today! You are appreciated -- you are part of us.
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Colossians 3:14, 15