“Awkward or coordinated?”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, May 17, 2025
Colossians 3:12-17 (Forward, p. 19) CEV p. 1235
The apostle Paul frequently uses the analogy of the human body to describe the Body of Christ, the Church, but then, it is most appropriate to ask just how that body will function together. Will it be like some teenagers, awkward and uncoordinated, or will it have outgrown that phase and be able to function smoothly and harmoniously? It is that very question that he addresses in Ephesians 4: 15-16: “Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head of the body. Christ holds it all together and makes all its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.”
Today’s passage continues with this line of thinking: “Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace” (verse 15a). The rest of this passage describes some of the character traits that should characterize such people:
-gentleness
-kindness
-humility
-meekness
-patience
-forbearance (to put up with each other)
-forgiveness (to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us)
-love (which ties everything completely together)
-peacefulness (to live together in peace) (Let the peace that comes
from Christ control your thoughts)
-gratitude (to give thanks to God for everything, be filled with
praises and allow God’s message to fully fill our lives).
Obviously, this is a tough row to hoe, but it is possible, albeit with God’s help. Perhaps we won’t be able to do so in complete perfection, otherwise why would patience, forbearance and forgiveness be necessary. But as we
exercise these qualities, especially love, we will become better coordinated and better able to function smoothly and harmoniously as God’s Body, the Church. And surely that is what we within the Church need—and the world outside as well. Thanks be to God.
Forward notes: “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful” (verse 15).
“A mentor once told me that I shouldn’t let a day go by without writing at least one thank-you note. On the surface, the advice was remarkably practical. Over the years, I’ve tried to follow it, with varying levels of success.
“After writing these daily notes for a couple of months, I realized the advice was not as exclusively practical as I had first thought. There was a spiritual dimension to the practice. To write the note, I needed to take time each day to reflect on who needed to be thanked and for what. It is a gift to reflect on the joys and surprises that arise in even the most mundane days.
“Over time, the consistent practice of gratitude for daily gifts begins to change how we view the world. Things that can pass without notice—a cup of coffee, a held door, the opportunity to make a left turn at a stoplight—become occasions for joy and thanksgiving.”
Moving Forward: “Consider committing to write a thank-you note each day for the rest of the month. Then, reflect on the impact of this practice on your life.”