2020 Daily Devotion - Day 65
John Donne was an English poet and scholar born in 1572. He wrote this marvelous poem that is still relevant today:
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." - John Donne
We have been living through the past many decades, too often, as if we don’t need anyone in our lives – somehow, we are on our own, living our own private lives unaffected by others. However, this has never been true, and the Coronavirus has made it clearer as we now crave interaction with others. God’s formula for us is to be engaged in Christian community. Scripture calls it the Body of Christ the Church. Perhaps going forward, we can recommit to Christian community through Small Groups and Cursillo.
I Corinthians 12:14-26
Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would 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 would 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 the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 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 members, yet one body. 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 members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, in our broken and sinful condition, we have sometimes thought we could live the Christian life in isolation. However, Your Word and will has never offered this as an alternative. You have always called Your people to be one body. When we hear the church bells toll at a funeral, we are reminded we are part of community in Christ. Help us to recommit to Christian community in the months and years ahead. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Yours because of Him,
Pastor John R. Steward
Senior Pastor
Mount of Olives Church
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." - John Donne
We have been living through the past many decades, too often, as if we don’t need anyone in our lives – somehow, we are on our own, living our own private lives unaffected by others. However, this has never been true, and the Coronavirus has made it clearer as we now crave interaction with others. God’s formula for us is to be engaged in Christian community. Scripture calls it the Body of Christ the Church. Perhaps going forward, we can recommit to Christian community through Small Groups and Cursillo.
I Corinthians 12:14-26
Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would 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 would 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 the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 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 members, yet one body. 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 members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, in our broken and sinful condition, we have sometimes thought we could live the Christian life in isolation. However, Your Word and will has never offered this as an alternative. You have always called Your people to be one body. When we hear the church bells toll at a funeral, we are reminded we are part of community in Christ. Help us to recommit to Christian community in the months and years ahead. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Yours because of Him,
Pastor John R. Steward
Senior Pastor
Mount of Olives Church
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