Nominations or Permission? LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

G.K.Chesterton once commented: “The more I considered Christianity, the more I have found that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild.”
Here we are, finally voting on the Nominating Committee’s Report. Some people can’t wait for the ceremony and sport of the Nominating time. Others can’t stand it, for all the anxiety it creates. Some feel that we design our efforts around making sure NOTHING happens in order to avoid the worst possible scenario.
When I consider the first Christian church – they were all about making disciples, not about making decisions. Counsels met not to nominate but to endorse spiritual initiatives by Spirit indwelled people. The first Christian church did not sit in conclaves puffing smoke to decide who will do what. They had people in leadership with the gift of Discernment watching for manifestations of Spiritual Gifts to recognize, affirm, endorse and support all ministries prompted by the Holy Spirit.
This year we had struggled to appoint leaders into offices. It is our hope that as the Body of Christ we will transition from Nominating to Giving Permission and Recognizing God given Ministries & Gifts.
Think of the perfect Biblical metaphor of the Church as the Body! Body parts do not decide what functions to assign or reassign annually. Let’s make a kidney a heart for this year, or let’s make an eye function as a tongue, or better yet……(you can fill in the blanks as you wish).
Just imagine if the lungs would have to wait ear’s appointment to take a breath. The involuntary system of the Body functions because parts are assigned by Design. The Spiritual Body members, the individual people-cells, do have Divine Purpose, Divine Design, fitting each into the Body for harmonious functioning.
Yet even in the Body cells have a freedom, just as in the Body of Faith individuals have freedom to do as they please. In the physical body there are cells that become disloyal, that live for themselves. These cancer cells are as healthy as others, they just live for themselves, becoming controllers, and making the Body dysfunctional for selfish reasons. In the Body of Christ we can live on behalf of the Common Good, or Self – Your Choice to make. If we chose to bless diversity of one another and cooperate with each other for the Purpose of the Body – the Body is healthy and grows. If we live for self – we will prosper for a time, until the Body dies and we with it.
Speaking of choices Paul warned the church on this topic: “All things are permissible, but not all beneficial. You say, "I am allowed to do anything.” True, but not everything is constructive, not all things build up.” (1st Corinthians 10:23)
If you find that your functionality was not recognized, and you have not been given permission to function according to God’s calling – speak to your elected leaders, join the network of cells working in that calling, connect with others who are doing what you would like to do, let your purpose and calling be known. Give life to the Body!