12 There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ.

27 You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.

1 Corinthians 12:12 & 27

The last few weeks have been anything but boring around Emmanuel.  It seems to happen every September. As summer winds down and those hot temperatures begin to give way to the cool morning air the calendar starts to fill up.  There are activities and ministries and studies and meetings all that have kept people coming and going. And I for one love seeing it. I love to see the life in the church.  People coming, people going, laughter shared among friends, tears shed during times of struggle. It does my heart well to see it.

It has been during these times of busyness, whether it be a Sunday morning, a Wednesday evening, or a meeting of one committee or another, that I was reminded of Paul’s words to the church at Corinth.  He reminded them that while there is one body, it is made of many parts. That reminder served me well to recognize that all those things that take place are important. The times for worship, the times for business, the times for fellowship, the times for fun, the times for grief; all of them are a part of the church and its life and all of them can be done for the glory of God.

There are a number of different parts at work at Emmanuel.  But the thing I love about this Church is that I truly believe all of those parts are working for the same purpose.  To live in to our mission of, “Loving God, Loving Others, and Making Disciples of Jesus Christ.” Each of us is a beautiful, wonderful creation, made lovingly by God.  But when we come together, when we act as one, we are so much more. We become the body of Christ, we become Christ for the world around us.

We have recently been going through a time of seeking God’s will.  We have joined with First UMC for times of fellowship and prayer, seeking God’s will for the United Methodist Churches presence here in Blissfield.  Those talks have been very beneficial and I hope they are going to continue. We are going to continue to seek God’s will and ask for God’s leadership in putting all the different pieces and parts that make up the body in the places where they can best serve.  I know that God is not done with us yet, not by a long shot. There are still plenty of people in our neighborhoods, our schools, our places of work that need to hear the message of hope that is the love of Jesus Christ. I pray that we together as the one body can continue to work toward the goal of bringing people to the cross so that they too can have a relationship with our Lord and Savior.  Thank you for being the hands and feet that make Emmanuel move, let us continue to move forward for the glory of the Kingdom.

God Bless,
Pastor Devin

To view the rest of the October newsletter, click here.