Day 125: Birds Of A Feather
Read: Ephesians 4:1 - 6
I so need your help this morning. Let’s see if you can help me complete
the following sentence: Birds of a feather [.....]. I believe that we
all know the answer is a rather obvious one - that being that they all 'flock
together', but permit me to tell you one child's answer: "What kind
of bird has only one feather, wouldn't that bird get kinda cold?" When I
overheard this exchange in the supermarket between a mother and her
five year old daughter, I smiled and almost laughed and thought to
myself: 'wow, she's gotta really good point there'! I do not believe I have ever seen a bird with one feather. Now we are all
familiar with that idiom. It indicates community, that people who are similar tend to stick together.
There are all kinds of different types of ties that can bond us together with others for instance: there are family ties. Pick up any photos from a recent
vacation or search out your wedding album or one of your parents or
grandparents and inside you will probably find a husband and wife of the
year contest that so uniquely depicts the ties that bind that husband
and wife together. There are ties based on common interests. For
instance you can go to just about any sports bar in town next Sunday
evening and find a whole bunch of guys and gals just hanging around partying, watching the Super Bowl together because of their common interest in football and all the different flavors of chicken wings.
Looking at our reading this morning, notice how Paul began chapter 4 of
Ephesians by describing the unity that the Holy Spirit establishes for
followers of Jesus Christ and four attitudes that we need to develop in
order to preserve that unity. He’s going to continue that train of
thought in verse 4 by describing for us some common bonds that we share
with other believers that are the basis for that kind of unity. 'There
is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when
you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father
of all, who is over all and through all and in all (4-6).' The key word
in this passage is obviously the word “one”.
This particular
word indicates something that is united as one rather than something
that is divided or consists of separate parts. It is a word that would
be applied to one team, but not to one individual player who is part of
that team. Paul uses the word “one” seven times in this passage and I
don’t believe that’s an accident. The number seven in the Bible normally
indicates completeness – like seven days make a complete week. I’m
convinced that the seven “ones” Paul writes about in this passage are
truly intended to indicate something that is complete and that is the
completeness of our deeply rooted relationship with Father Son and Holy
Spirit as the One Body of Christ.
Let Us Pray: Father Son and Holy Spirit, You, the one From whom on different paths All of us have come. To whom on different paths All of us are going.
Make strong in our hearts what unites us. Build bridges across all that
divides us; United make us rejoice in our diversity. At one in our
witness to your peace, A rainbow of your glory.
http://www.youtube.com/
Read: Ephesians 4:1 - 6
I so need your help this morning. Let’s see if you can help me complete the following sentence: Birds of a feather [.....]. I believe that we all know the answer is a rather obvious one - that being that they all 'flock together', but permit me to tell you one child's answer: "What kind of bird has only one feather, wouldn't that bird get kinda cold?" When I overheard this exchange in the supermarket between a mother and her five year old daughter, I smiled and almost laughed and thought to myself: 'wow, she's gotta really good point there'! I do not believe I have ever seen a bird with one feather. Now we are all
familiar with that idiom. It indicates community, that people who are similar tend to stick together.
There are all kinds of different types of ties that can bond us together with others for instance: there are family ties. Pick up any photos from a recent vacation or search out your wedding album or one of your parents or grandparents and inside you will probably find a husband and wife of the year contest that so uniquely depicts the ties that bind that husband and wife together. There are ties based on common interests. For instance you can go to just about any sports bar in town next Sunday evening and find a whole bunch of guys and gals just hanging around partying, watching the Super Bowl together because of their common interest in football and all the different flavors of chicken wings.
Looking at our reading this morning, notice how Paul began chapter 4 of Ephesians by describing the unity that the Holy Spirit establishes for followers of Jesus Christ and four attitudes that we need to develop in order to preserve that unity. He’s going to continue that train of thought in verse 4 by describing for us some common bonds that we share with other believers that are the basis for that kind of unity. 'There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (4-6).' The key word in this passage is obviously the word “one”.
This particular word indicates something that is united as one rather than something that is divided or consists of separate parts. It is a word that would be applied to one team, but not to one individual player who is part of that team. Paul uses the word “one” seven times in this passage and I don’t believe that’s an accident. The number seven in the Bible normally indicates completeness – like seven days make a complete week. I’m convinced that the seven “ones” Paul writes about in this passage are truly intended to indicate something that is complete and that is the completeness of our deeply rooted relationship with Father Son and Holy Spirit as the One Body of Christ.
Let Us Pray: Father Son and Holy Spirit, You, the one From whom on different paths All of us have come. To whom on different paths All of us are going. Make strong in our hearts what unites us. Build bridges across all that divides us; United make us rejoice in our diversity. At one in our witness to your peace, A rainbow of your glory.
http://www.youtube.com/
We Are One In The Spirit (They Will Know We Are Christians) - as sung by Jack Marti
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This song was sort of an anthem among the Jesus People in the '60s and '70s, but I always had a
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