Sunday Services

Posted on Dec 5, 2011

Unity

by Elder Chairman, Rick Justice

Autumn brings a time of reflection for me.  Recently I thought back to my early childhood.  With apologies to Robert Fulghum (All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, 1988), I didn’t learn everything I need to know in kindergarten.  I really learned everything I need to know in Sunday School.  I recall many of the songs that I learned as a child, many of which are of unknown origin.  They tell of Bible heroes and Bible truths.  I will use those songs in a series of communications to remind us of simple truths and to communicate life in the E91 congregation.

Joyce Rowland, Nursery/Early Childhood Director, found a songbook entitled Wee Sing to help my aging memory.  Thanks!  I invite you to comment and/or tell the elders of songs that were meaningful to you as a child.  You may reach me at .

Remember the song where you folded your hands with fingers inside?  Here is the church (fingers inside) and here is the steeple (index fingers up to form a spire).  Open the doors (thumbs apart) and see all the people (wiggling your fingers).

When I parted my thumbs, I noticed the fingers weren’t all the same.  One has a nail that is misshapen; one has a small cut.  They are of differing sizes and shapes.  Here is what I noticed: they are all part of my hand; they are all members of one body, MY body.  Paul said the church is like that (Romans 12:4 ff).  We are members of Christ’s body.  We look different; we have different gifts, hold different opinions, but we are united as one.  Jesus prayed for our unity (John 17:20 ff) and we are instructed to strive for it (Romans 12:18).

In building unity, we believe that we should agree in things that are essential to our salvation.  In things that are not essential, we should be free to exercise differing opinions.  But in all things, we should treat each other with love.  That’s our goal.  I’ll keep trying.