My writing and reading started early. When my Dad, sister and I would watch TV in the 60’s and 70’s, I would use the time during commercials to read. I didn’t really need TV breaks to read in our home south of Chicago. My Mom was a 2nd grade teacher who lived in the world of facts and trivia. I joined her in this. We both had a deep inner life, building an imagination for travels, discoveries in nature, and simply an escape into a better world. One of my favorite books in childhood was My Side of the Mountain. It is a story of a young boy that lived in a hollowed-out tree in the Adirondack Mountains and taught a falcon to hunt for his food. Then I fell in love with the Encyclopedia Britannica and would delve into all kinds of subjects. In those encyclopedias I honed in on a town called Klamath Falls, Oregon. Since my life was not going very well as a very small, non-athletic, shy kid, I dreamed of becoming a hermit with a five mile long driveway outside of Klamath Falls, Oregon.
When I was 17, God showed me a much better plan. I was born again, with a bunch of other geeky “Bible thumpers” in a rural Free Methodist Church. My life started to make sense. During that year, I was in a college prep course of College Writing. I did so well in that class that the teacher gave me the Senior English Award in my Junior year. I loved crafting thought and building an adventure to see where it led me.
I joined the devotional group about six months ago. Bummer that we are closing this chapter; yet I am well connected in other ministries at South Fellowship. I love the passage in scripture in Ephesians 4 regarding the proper functioning in the Body of Christ. I have tried to emulate it in so many different churches, two Christian communities, and in ministries such as the Walk to Emmaus discipleship training and Man in the Mirror. I have always wanted to taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8. Tasting is active; walking is active; praying is active; singing and worshipping is active; serving is active; listening is active. I Peter 1:13 says “Therefore gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”. Hebrews 12:1 says “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”. We all have a specific race marked out for us — it is active!
Here’s that great passage about the Body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-16
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, making increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Let’s take time to dwell on how the body tends to heal and strengthen that which is hurting and how the Body of Christ is intended to do the same. It does not take much familiarity with others in South Fellowship to discover the needs of those that are hurting. I am glad to be a part of the healing team, which inspires longing for each congregant to get “in the game”. This is counter-cultural: we are filled by God only to be poured out for others. In my profession, I look at cultures of caring for each other in the arena of safety. It takes a long time to build a culture; it does involve persistent action. And with engagement, it builds interest, and not only interest, yet interest in the success of the whole organization. I love to write about that. I love to foster that. So glad I am not a hermit. So great to have served you in this way.
by John Colvin
