Phillips: wholeness from the parts

Wednesday, November 16, 2022
    Feast of Margaret, Queen of Scotland, Philanthropist, Reformer of the Church, 1093
    Commemoration of Edmund Rich of Abingdon, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1240
Meditation:
    And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
    —1 Corinthians 12:28-30 (NIV)
Quotation:
    In his enthusiasm, the evangelist often finds it difficult seriously to imagine that anyone could be called not to be an evangelist. The man of vision and imagination finds it difficult to see the value of those who do no more than plod on faithfully along a well-tried road. The man whose concern is personal dealing with people and leading them to understand God better finds it difficult to be patient with the theologian or the Christian philosopher whose work is in the quiet of a book-lined study. Yet the truth is that the wholeness which God is working to achieve is never complete in an individual, but through individuals living together as one body, each supplying the deficiencies of the others.
    ... J. B. Phillips (1906-1982), Making Men Whole, London: Highway Press, 1952, p. 66 (see the book)
    See also 1 Cor. 12:14-31; Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-7; Eph. 4:15-16
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, grant me contentment with my place in Your church. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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