WAY #7: CELEBRATE OUR UNITY, SAVOR OUR DIVERSITY

 
CELEBRATE OUR UNITY, SAVOR OUR DIVERSITY. Thank God that, like parts of the human body, we’re not all the same. Be open to learn from others, regardless of their age, background, experience, or tenure with our church. We make better decisions and grow as people when we consider multiple perspectives. Listen with curiosity to others and consider how to use their ideas.

a Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.  (Ephesians 4: 3-4)
 
b There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
 
c Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. (Romans 12: 3-5)
 
Ideas for Action: Seek out someone from a different background, culture or race and meet three or four times to get to know their lives and stories. Pray with them for racial and social healing.

 

Daily Devotionals

 
MONDAY:

Ephesians 4:3-4

THINK: What unites us is stronger than what separates. Gender, race, age, orientation, and theological disposition are all formative powers in our lives, but they do not hold a candle to the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit acts to Keep the Unity, how can we let anything divide us?
PRAY: that the Spirit would unite the diverse members of FPC into one body.

TUESDAY:

Galatians 3:28

THINK: This does not erase our particularities and homogenize us but destroys the dividing walls between groups. Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, all bring necessary insights about God. When we Savor Diversity, we come to know God through someone else’s eyes.
PRAY: that you would get to know someone who sees God differently.

WEDNESDAY:

Acts 2:7-12

THINK: When the Spirit comes in power, diverse peoples hear His words. People are awed at the power of God to reach each person in their own tongue. What poweris there in a gospel that gathers only people that would gather anyway? When we Savor Diversity, we declare the power of God.
PRAY: to see the Spirit move in power as in Acts at FPC.

THURSDAY:

THINK: Isn’t a multilingual chorus praising God a beautiful image? This is our hope that every knee bow and every tongue confess Jesus Lord and be gathered together with Him. No distrust, no hatred, no fear, but only the people of God in all their diversity worshiping their Maker together. When we Savor Diversity, we experience a bit of the promised place prepared for us.
PRAY: that God would fill you with hope for the coming kingdom.

FRIDAY:

THINK: It would be naive to think that we can Keep the Unity and Savor Diversity unless we also Forgive… Again. In our brokenness, sometimes diversity rubs us the wrong way. We feel attacked or begin attacking. This will happen. We don’t Keep the Unity and Savor Diversity by never always living together in perfect unity, but by taking the time to continually Forgive… Again.
PRAY: the Spirit continually drives us back to forgiveness.

SATURDAY:

Colossians 3:11

THINK: In each member of the Body, we see Christ. When we use diversity to cause dissension, we set Christ against himself. We are one body, one family, being united in and by God, but that work takes time. Do not see enemies in diversity, but Keep the Unity by seeing Christ as all and in all.
PRAY: the Spirit would convict you of where you have set Jesus against Himself.

Devotional Guides

SERIES ONE  Printable copy of Way #7 Devotionals (Small Group Guide)
 
SERIES TWO Printable copy of Way #7 Devotionals (Series Two)