Thursday, March 31, 2005
The Sum
I began a new series this week in youth group called “Greater than.” I will be exploring various spiritual concepts that are greater than we are used to, have experienced or even expected. This is the first.
Have you ever heard the saying, “The sum is greater than the individual parts”? I saw this concept clearly portrayed during the Olympics. We sent the best individual players to represent the US. This included with basketball. We sent the pros from the NBA. Most of these players average over 20 points a game and are recognized as the best players in the world. But we didn’t win the gold medal. Though our team was made up of the best individual players, our team was awful. They did not play well together. Instead, a team of less talented players who worked well together won. The point is simple: though individually a team should be better, if they don’t work together they will not succeed. The sum is greater than the individual parts.
The Bible contains the same sort of idea: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ…But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12, 24b-26)
We are called “The body of Christ.” In other words, we as individuals, when put together, make up a body that Christ uses. We only function correctly when we work together. We only live as the body of Christ when we see each other as having worth and importance. We don’t all bring the same thing to the body. But we all have something and are also called to actually bring that something. Then, we are called to respect one another for what we do bring.
If you miss connecting to the body of Christ, you miss Christ. There is no healthy relationship with Jesus without a relationship to the church. Church is not just coming, singing a few songs, hearing some guy talk, and then heading home. Church is about friends. It is about fellowship. It is about glorifying God together. And it is about giving of ourselves to the body. It is not necessarily about what we get out of it either. Now understand, if you decide that you want to skip church you will be okay. Notice, YOU will be okay. But you are forgetting that about what you bring to other people. When you commit to coming to the body, you are not just committing your time for a certain period, you are committing yourself to other people. You showing up clearly says that you care about the rest of the body.
Much can be done for God’s kingdom and for one another when we commit to each other and work together without concern for what is wrong with each other. You may not be beautiful by the world’s standards. You may not be smart. You may not be flashy. But you are important. And alone none of us is as effective or as good as we are together. The sum is greater than the individual parts.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
39 comments:
i like it! good stuff.
but what does the dog with a bone have to do with any of it? just curious
Did you even read the post? It has EVERYTHING to do with it. Or...not. Actually, it was the first picture that came up in a google search, so I just used it. I don't even know what is on the acutal page that it came off of.
Oh, and Jason - glad to see you made it to my blog. Feel free to comment any time.
mobygunner your The Sum makes a great read. In my http://serendipitysuccess.blogspot.com/2005/11/update-to-steelers-climb-to-top-of-afc.html football and its dynamic ability to create passion in individuals drives what blogging is all about. Other subject matter in your The Sum blog simply adds to the flavor of our blogging community. Keep up your great prose and themes for it creates great reading for all of us. Other partners will always move us to different plateaus in life. Thanks.
Hi mobygunner, very interesting post.
I'm not too familiar with blogs, but I found your post " The Sum " a good read. I was actually looking for information on Google Adsense and found your post. Any recommendations for the best infromation about Google Adsense?
Nice one.
Hi mobygunner,
I see you share my interest in Powerseller Package. Your input would mean a lot to me. If you would be so kind to visit my site and give me your feedback, I would most appreciate it.
Thanks
Hi mobygunner,
I see you share my interest in Powerseller Package. Your input would mean a lot to me. If you would be so kind to visit my site and give me your feedback, I would most appreciate it.
Thanks
Hello mobygunner,
I am based in the UK and I stumbled across your post " The Sum ".
I'm quite keen on finding any useful information on Ultimate Ebooks. I found some good stuff on Ultimate Ebooks but I wondered whether you may have any advice on the best resources out there.
Thanks in advance.
Hi mobygunner,
I see you share my interest in Ultimate Ebooks. Your input would mean a lot to me. If you would be so kind to visit my site and give me your feedback, I would most appreciate it.
Thanks
mobygunner,
Great post. I found your post a good read. You may be interested in Online Business.
Any recommendations for the best infromation about Online Business? Nice one.
Hi mobygunner,
I was busy looking for information on Google Adsense and I came across your post " The Sum ". Very interesting. If possible, have you got any ideas of where to find the best resources on Google Adsense.
Regards
Hello mobygunner,
I am based in the UK and I stumbled across your post " The Sum ".
I'm quite keen on finding any useful information on Powerseller Package. I found some good stuff on Powerseller Package but I wondered whether you may have any advice on the best resources out there.
Thanks in advance.
Hi mobygunner, very interesting post.
I'm not too familiar with blogs, but I found your post " The Sum " a good read. I was actually looking for information on Online Business and found your post. Any recommendations for the best infromation about Online Business?
Nice one.
Hi mobygunner,
I was busy looking for information on Money Making Website and I came across your post " The Sum ". Very interesting. If possible, have you got any ideas of where to find the best resources on Money Making Website.
Regards
Hi mobygunner,
I was busy looking for information on Google Adsense and I came across your post " The Sum ". Very interesting. If possible, have you got any ideas of where to find the best resources on Google Adsense.
Regards
mobygunner,
Great post. I found your post a good read. You may be interested in Powerseller Package.
Any recommendations for the best infromation about Powerseller Package? Nice one.
mobygunner,
Great post. I found your post a good read. You may be interested in Ultimate Ebooks.
Any recommendations for the best infromation about Ultimate Ebooks? Nice one.
Hello mobygunner,
I am based in the UK and I stumbled across your post " The Sum ".
I'm quite keen on finding any useful information on Powerseller Package. I found some good stuuf on Powerseller Package but I wondered whether you may have any advice on the best resources out there.
Thanks in advance.
Hi mobygunner,
I see you share my interest in Powerseller Package. Your input would mean a lot to me. If you would be so kind to visit my site and give me your feedback, I would most appreciate it.
Thanks
Hi mobygunner,
I was busy looking for information on Money Making Website and I came across your post " The Sum ". Very interesting. If possible, have you got any ideas of where to find the best resources on Money Making Website.
Regards
mobygunner,
Great post. I found your post a good read. You may be interested in Powerseller Package.
Any recommendations for the best infromation about Powerseller Package? Nice one.
Hi mobygunner,
I was busy looking for information on Powerseller Package and I came across your post " The Sum ". Very interesting. If possible, have you got any ideas of where to find the best resources on Powerseller Package.
Regards
Hi mobygunner, very interesting post.
I'm not too familiar with blogs, but I found your post " The Sum " a good read. I was actually looking for information on Google Adsense and found your post. Any recommendations for the best infromation about Google Adsense?
Nice one.
Hi mobygunner, very interesting post.
I'm not too familiar with blogs, but I found your post " The Sum " a good read. I was actually looking for information on Google Adsense and found your post. Any recommendations for the best infromation about Google Adsense?
Nice one.
Hello mobygunner,
I am based in the UK and I stumbled across your post " The Sum ".
I'm quite keen on finding any useful information on Online Business. I found some good stuff on Online Business but I wondered whether you may have any advice on the best resources out there.
Thanks in advance.
Hello mobygunner,
I am based in the UK and I stumbled across your post " The Sum ".
I'm quite keen on finding any useful information on Money Making Website. I found some good stuuf on Money Making Website but I wondered whether you may have any advice on the best resources out there.
Thanks in advance.
Hi mobygunner,
I see you share my interest in Online Business. Your input would mean a lot to me. If you would be so kind to visit my site and give me your feedback, I would most appreciate it.
Thanks
Hello mobygunner,
I am based in the UK and I stumbled across your post " The Sum ".
I'm quite keen on finding any useful information on Google Adsense. I found some good stuff on Google Adsense but I wondered whether you may have any advice on the best resources out there.
Thanks in advance.
Hi mobygunner,
I was busy looking for information on Money Making Website and I came across your post " The Sum ". Very interesting. If possible, have you got any ideas of where to find the best resources on Money Making Website.
Regards
Hello mobygunner,
I am based in the UK and I stumbled across your post " The Sum ".
I'm quite keen on finding any useful information on Online Business. I found some good stuff on Online Business but I wondered whether you may have any advice on the best resources out there.
Thanks in advance.
Hi mobygunner, very interesting post.
I'm not too familiar with blogs, but I found your post " The Sum " a good read. I was actually looking for information on Powerseller Package and found your post. Any recommendations for the best infromation about Powerseller Package?
Nice one.
Hi mobygunner,
I see you share my interest in Second Income. Your input would mean a lot to me. If you would be so kind to visit my site and give me your feedback, I would most appreciate it.
Thanks
Hi mobygunner,
I was busy looking for information on Money Making Website and I came across your post " The Sum ". Very interesting. If possible, have you got any ideas of where to find the best resources on Money Making Website.
Regards
Hi mobygunner,
I was busy looking for information on Money Making Website and I came across your post " The Sum ". Very interesting. If possible, have you got any ideas of where to find the best resources on Money Making Website.
Regards
Hi mobygunner,
I was busy looking for information on Powerseller Package and I came across your post " The Sum ". Very interesting. If possible, have you got any ideas of where to find the best resources on Powerseller Package.
Regards
mobygunner,
Great post. I found your post a good read. You may be interested in Google Adsense.
Any recommendations for the best infromation about Google Adsense? Nice one.
Hello mobygunner,
I am based in the UK and I stumbled across your post " The Sum ".
I'm quite keen on finding any useful information on Money Making Website. I found some good stuuf on Money Making Website but I wondered whether you may have any advice on the best resources out there.
Thanks in advance.
mobygunner,
Great post. I found your post a good read. You may be interested in Online Business.
Any recommendations for the best infromation about Online Business? Nice one.
Hi mobygunner,
Why would I want to give 100 people like you, F*ree access to my $97 value life changing product? Because I am launching my new product and need social proof of it's ability to make money, even for newbies to the internet.
Discover how you can make money from internet marketing before this unique time limited promotional offer is withdrawn.
Yours in Success
Buddy
Hi mobygunner,
Why would I want to give 100 people like you, F*ree access to my $97 value life changing product? Because I am launching my new product and need social proof of it's ability to make money, even for newbies to the internet.
Discover how you can make money from info products before this unique time limited promotional offer is withdrawn.
Yours in Success
Buddy
Post a Comment