“Member”ship

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole
body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God
arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. "

Are you a member of the Body of Christ? I’ve been thinking lately about how our understanding of this is affected by our present cultural definition of the term “member”.

We are called members if we join a club. It might be a social club, a philanthropic club, or even a country club. To some degree, we share an identity with the other members, because we have some common goals and / or values. But, we continue to carry our own separate and distinct identity. Our “member”ship will only last as long as that separate and distinct identity continues to be compatible with that of the group. In other words, for as long as the club serves and reinforces that separate and distinct identity. Is this what the God means when He calls us members of the Body?

We can also be members of a team. This is a little less of a separate and distinct function. The team can be far more successful if all of its members work together and contribute to the team. When one member is hurting, other members can step up and compensate. Again, though, we have a separate and distinct identity. When the team no longer meets our needs, we will find a new team.

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I think we are all aware that the Biblical concept is very different. It is presented in comparison to the human body. The term used by the Apostle Paul in this passage is the Greek word “melos”. It literally means: “limb; a member of the human body.” Jesus used this same word when He talked about a part of our body perishing to save the whole from hell (Matthew 5:29). Paul used it in his letter to the Romans in regard to not presenting the members of our body to sin (Romans 6:13) as well as our being members in one body (Romans 12:4,5). In Ephesians, he says we are members of one another (Ephesians 4:25).

It is also used by Paul to tell the Colossians to consider the members of their earthly body as dead to immorality (Colossians 3:5). James uses it to describe the tongue as a small part of the body that is among our members (James 3:5,6). Again, he uses it in his conclusion on quarrels and conflicts to say that the source is their “pleasures that wage war in your members”.

So, what happens when part of our physical body (a member) is really hurting? Sure, other parts may step up and compensate for it, but they also feel and share the pain right along with the hurting part.

"The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet; I have no need of you. On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."

There is a very strong interconnectedness among our
body parts. Look at your hand for a moment. Can you tell the exact spot where your finger stops and your hand begins; how about where your hand stops and your arm begins? Don’t they kind of meld together as if they were one? The members of our body also have a strong commitment to each other. The finger doesn’t just decide one day that its needs are not being met by this body and go attach itself to another body. It takes some pretty serious conditions for part of the body to be removed. And, it is usually
not a decision made by the body-part to be removed.

Our physical body does not have All-Stars and role players quite like a team. Sure, there are some parts that are critical to sustain life, but even they cannot function without other parts. What good is my heart without arteries and veins? If my lungs are healthy, but my liver shuts down – what good are the healthy lungs? To be fully healthy and functional, all of the parts must serve their unique role and work together for the good of the body.

So, clearly the Biblical concept of “member”ship is one of being an interconnected part of a body.

Maybe we should start to hold body part classes instead of membership classes in church!

A Matter of Trust

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Well, for about 6 years now, Lauren and I have been talking about how we are going to go sky diving together when she turns 18. (Actually, Dennae was always part of that but for some reason she has been distracted lately). I have to admit, in the back of my mind I kind of hoped she had forgotten, but she did not. Not long after school started Lauren started to remind me of our plan.

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When she was home from college for the Christmas holidays she mentioned it again, and I knew she meant it. We weren't able to make arrangements prior to her return to Boston, so I was off the hook until Spring Break. But, I promised her I'd make the arrangements and we would go when she came home. It seemed like a long time away, so I made the arrangements and just sort of filed it away in my brain.

Over the next couple of months, as I thought of it from time to time, I would vascilate from being excited to being really nervous. All I knew was my 19 year old daughter wanted to go on an adventure and she wanted to do it with me. There would be no way I would miss out on that! So, I kept mustering up my courage and looked forward to sharing the experience with Lauren.

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Then the fatefull day arrived. It was hard to sleep the night before. It is really hard to describe exactly what I was feeling: Yeah, honestly, a little nervous, also really excited, but also very honored that this young lady would want to share this experience with her Dad. I tried to keep my mind off of what we were planning to do as we drove down to Casa Grande Airport that morning. It was almost like a dream the whole time.

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When it came time to go and I was paired up with my instructor, Paul, I felt really at peace. This guy has done this thousands of times. He really enjoys himself. He is not going to let anything happen. As we climbed to altitude in the little plane, I was fully enjoying the experience. I had this indescribable peace in trusting that Paul was going to do this right. After all, his life was on the line along with mine.

The peace lasted right up to the moment when Lauren scooted over to start her jump. Then, I looked at her hanging out of the plane and I thought: Oh my gosh, my baby is jumping out of an airplane!

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I reached over to squeze her leg before she jumped, and before my hand got there she was gone. Then, we started to get in postion for my turn. The peace and trust returned. It is very hard to describe how I felt. It was a total dependence like I have not felt before. I was glad I didn't have to remember much other than "arch your back". It was all in Paul's hands.

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I have been thinking a lot about that the past couple of weeks. Here was a guy I didn't even know a couple of hours earlier. He was a falable human being. He didn't really care much about me. He did five or six jumps the day before; five or six that day; and the same number the next. Yet, I developed, a level of trust and confidence in him and a feeling of dependence that I have not experienced with anyone before.

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So, I have a Father, God, who loves me infinitely and unconditionally. He cares about me to the point where all the hairs of my head are numbered [ a bit easier for Him than it was when I was younger :) ]. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omnicient. He created me and knew me in my mothers whomb. He knows how many days I will spend on this Earth. So, do I truly trust Him, the way I trusted Paul, my dive master? I mean do I REALLY trust Him? When I go through a trial, do I "count it all joy", because I know He is in control and is working it for my good? Seriously?

Trust in the Lord always, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5,6

God Loves Starbucks!

I am a real quality time guy. One of my favorite activities is just going to Starbucks with someone I like to be with and hanging out. Sure, the coffee is great and the atmosphere is fantastic. But, what it really is about is the person I am sharing time with. (It doesn't get any better than Starbucks in Providence in the winter with Dennae).

Sometimes we talk about serious issues in our lives, sometimes we solve the world's problems, sometimes we plot our next adventure, and sometimes we just talk about silly stuff.

So, if you are like me and like that too, I have a question for you. When was the last time you took God to Starbucks? I mean really, have you ever just gone there alone for the specific purpose of hanging with Him and talking to Him? If you haven't, I highly recommend it. If you are not a Starbucks fan, you can do this anywhere. You could hike to the top of a mountain (or a big hill if you live in Phoenix). You could go sit in a park. You could stay at home (NO TELEVISION). The point is to have some serious hang time with your Heavenly Father.

I think a lot of times we are so used to being busy and being around people that we do not like to be alone. But, if we are hanging with Him, we certainly are not alone. Rather than deciding to spend time with Him as a last resort, because we are lonely, why not do it on purpose? Why not take the initiative to block off some time and just hang with Him. Take Him with you, have Him sit in the seat across from you and just hang out with Him. I believe that He really does love Starbucks, and you won't even have to spring for a double decaf non-fat latte for Him. :)

Reflections of an Empty Nester

For the past few weeks our home has been filled with boxes. There have been boxes in the hallways, in the rooms and in the garage. Most of the rooms have looked like they were turned upside down. That is because within just a few days of each other Dennae has purchased a condo and moved out and we have dropped Lauren off at Gordon College near Boston, Massachusetts. So, tomorrow we will fly home to an empty house.

It isn’t like we have not had plenty of time to prepare for this. We have known Dennae would move out one way or the other this year. She was gone overseas for four months in Africa and Europe and has now graduated from college. We have raised her to be an independent young woman and we are very proud of her. Lauren has been leaning toward going out of state to college for several years. She decided on Gordon College around the first of the year. We knew this day was coming. We are also very proud of her and excited by the opportunity she is pursuing in her new life. We encouraged her to have the courage to make a decision like this. We are truly blessed to have two daughters who love their God and their family. We are confident that the world will be different because of the lives of these two very special young ladies.

As we sat on the bank overlooking the pond at Gordon and prayed with Lauren this afternoon, many emotions rushed to the surface of my mind. For some time, all I could do was sob. They were emotions of joy for what lies ahead of her and excitement over what she will experience and what she will become. There were emotions of relief and satisfaction that we had completed our mission of raising her in fear and admonition of the Lord. There were emotions of intense love for this young lady who calls me Daddy. There was a sense of loss that she no longer will look solely to me as her protector; and a sense of total trust in the Lord that He will be. There was a strong sense of sadness in knowing how much I will miss this sweet person who has truly become one of my best friends. Yet, there was also a sense of joy over how our relationship will now grow to a deeper level as she has less of a need for me, but still chooses to be my friend.

The college orientation staff chose a theme for the class of 2010 of Digging Deep and used Ephesians chapter 3 as its scripture. Besides this, my prayer for Lauren is that she will experience a scripture that she and I memorized together about a year ago. That is Colossians 2:6,7

"as you have received Christ Jesus, so walk in Him being rooted and built up and established in the faith as you have been taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving. "

There is also a sense of what is next for Roxana and me. We have had as our primary calling for the past twenty-two years the raising of these two special people. Every decision we made, whether about our work, our recreation, or our ministry had been made in the light of that responsibility. Now we stand at the edge of a great gulf. We can truly say to God: “Lord we are available to you, send us where you will to do whatever you will”. We have always had that attitude, but have also known that He would not contradict our primary ministry calling. So, we have been children’s directors, and youth leaders, and we have made our home available to young adults and children to match the ages and callings of our children. All of this we have done with great joy and much blessing. There has never been a doubt that it was what we were called to do. But, it was also always a secondary concern to our most important calling.

I am excited to see how God will use us over the next several years. I am also excited to see how He will help us grow together in our marriage, now that we don’t have the children as a common thread to our relationship anymore. Sure they are still our girls and we will have grandchildren before too long (at least I hope so). But, that is not the primary focus of our lives any more.

Please pray for Roxana and me, that this will be a time of growth for us. I am confident that we will grow spiritually as individuals. But, I also want to see us grow together as a couple spiritually, emotionally and mentally. Life is good, because God is good!

Oh My Gosh, She's in Africa!!!



A while back I did a post called "What Weighs Me Down". One of the things I talked about was the mixed feelings I had about the possibility of Dennae going to Africa. Well, time has flown bye and she is actually there. It is having an amazing impact on her life and she is having a huge impact there. I am so excited for her and proud of her.

Oh My Gosh, She's in Mexico!!!

Meanwhile, my niece, who is more like a daughter to me has headed to Guadalajara, Mexico for an extended missions and education program. She really has a heart for these people and is already learning Spanish quickly. She called me the other night and rattled off a whole bunch of Spanish. Of course, I have no idea what she was saying. Allie is an awesome young lady. I am so proud of her and the choices she is making in her life.

Oh My Gosh, I'm Going to India!!!

Now for my part; in just a few short weeks I am headed to India. I will be working with a small team training local Pastors and Leaders. These are precious people, many of whom have only known Christ for a few short years themselves. They are in great need of materials and practical training in discipleship and evangelism. I am totally stoked about it!!!

So, at the end of this month, our little Rogers family will have members in four countries on three continents. We definitely covet your prayers for protection, provision, and for blessing on the people we humbly go to serve.