It seemed inevitable that sports would be a big part of our family life! A husband that wasn’t content with his years of high school sports proceeded to play years of ice hockey and softball. And when it comes to being a fan, any professional sports team that makes its home in Seattle has a devoted following in the Roth household! Eventually those passions filtered down to our children, taking root at different levels, but becoming a part of the fabric of who we are.
This summer has been consumed by baseball! Benjamin is a part of a club team that has seemingly been traveling and playing constantly! Their team has been very good this summer, having won multiple championships including a national one in Colorado. It’s been fun to watch! But it hasn’t always been this way. He’s a part of a core of boys that have been with the team ever since the chaotic and amusing days of tee ball and coach pitch! It’s amazing to look back and see how far they have come! Energetic but bumbling and awkward in their early years, they’ve developed into talented young men who operate, often seamlessly, as a machine! Each one has a different, but no less important, role to play that has brought success when they play together!
This reminds me of the church. When we follow Christ, one of the truly amazing gifts he blessed us with is community! Being a part of a church can provide so many of the necessary building blocks that help us grow in our faith and relationships with Christ! But a community of believers, much like a baseball team, would be ineffective if we all waited on someone else to carry out the many parts of being a community. Imagine if an outfielder waited on someone else to catch the pop fly hit to them. Or a batter waited for someone else to swing the bat for them. Wouldn’t work very well, would it?
God blessed us with community, but in order for that community to be effective in supporting each other and also reaching out to our neighbors, He needs us all! 1 Corinthians 12 speaks widely to the important roles we all play within the church. And verse 27 makes it immensely personal by stating “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” We can’t wait for others to carry out the life of the church. It falls on each one of us! There are so many ways that you can be a part of the life of the church! It’s not the same role for everyone and there are ways for you to serve that that can utilize your interests and strengths!
Our Savior led you to be a part of Spokane 1st Church of the Nazarene! You have so much to offer and there are so many needs and opportunities to serve at different levels! In August we will be having a ministry fair that will provide a multitude of service opportunities within our church. I encourage you in the time proceeding to make it a matter of diligent prayer for the Lord to show you how you can serve! And while He may be using you to serve our community, He has promised to bring you your own fulfillment and growth through your active participation in His church!
Remember that serving is itself a growth process, but through time and active submission to how God wants to use you, He’ll soon take you from learning your part, like the awkward tee ball boys, to smoothly turning a double play.
Pastor Jordan
