All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
There is Diversity in the Body of Christ
God has designed the church (that's us) in diversity.
I'm weary of seeing judgement in the body of Christ (particularly on this website). I'm weary that we don't celebrate eachother enough, and recognize the diversity in eachother.
God's Creativity blesses us and helps us to grow, be sanctified, get the job done, and Praise Him in this diversity. Are you praising God for the differences in others...or condemning the methods that others may use? (don't worry, I'm posing this question to myself also)
Webster's online dictionary defines 'diversity' in this way:
Definition of DIVERSITY
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on
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Carla,
I teach others what I have learned from personal experience. In everything a person does, there is experience learned. I do anger people and I am sorry for that. I do drive some away and I am sorry for that. I want to judge but I try to keep uppermost in my mind why God tells me not to do that.
Our diversity is there. We can count it as a blessing or a curse. I don't know my gift, but my desire is to teach others how vitally important it is to study God's Word, believe it and then work on ourselves and the way we use what we learn. Only then can we help others learn to grow.
Blessings...
Rita
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Permalink Reply by Carla on
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Thank you Rita,
Teaching is a gift.
When we surround ourselves around God's Word, and in community these gifts naturally come out. It's truly beautiful. I think it is important that these two things are in place...surround around God's Word and then expressing those gifts in community (the application).
God's call to us to live out this diversity in community and rejoice in it encouraging one another and edifying one another is what we are called to.. That's pure beauty. :-)
Bless you Rita.
~C
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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Paul was very intellectual, wasn't he? :)
I like this discussion.
I am diverse :) Diverse means "of a different kind, form, character, etc.; unlike: a wide range of diverse opinions"--
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/diverse
But I have some things in common with others, too. I long to be accepted, warts and all :)
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We all long to be accepted.
Sometimes words are carelessly spoken that are hurtful. i think part of the problem is that we (the church in general) do not recognize and celebrate our families diversity.
We are a family you know.. warts and all. ;-)
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We know that the twelve disciples were a pretty diverse group. They had different types of personalities, different back grounds. Matthew was a tax collector. Peter and most of the others were fishermen. Simon was known as the Zealot. They often spoke words carelessly, too. Even on the night He was betrayed they all got into an argument. Luke 22:24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest (NIV). I suppose they needed the new birth. But even those who have a changed heart can still have prejudices. I think a good question to ask is, what is a Christian view of diversity? What is the biblical perspective of diversity?
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I found this article. I liked it: Diversity, Inclusion, and Tolerance: Where do they fit in Christian...
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Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on
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Okay, okay, Carla,
I'll quit sitting around.......and say something.
Thank you for this timely post. we need it on this site. Seems there have been several who have left for one reason or another lately.
It's just wonderful when we say or write a Biblical statement......and everybody says amen!.....and agrees completely with our point of view.......hmmm, not likely. You're right, Carla...we're diverse...and that's fine. but, we really don't need any modern day Pharisees doin' their thing.
How about Colossians 3:14-16, "And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.(15) And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. (16) Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God".
Grace and Peace.
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Hi, Sam here (typing on my iPhone) ... I wanted to briefly say diversity is necessary to accept and bask in
... But I prefer 'Puritan ethics' (Pe)...Pe is what made our country strong and brought freedom
To many all over the globe... Diversity in a narrow way, has brought some decay
To our nation and regrettably, to some of our souls- hence, I favor the mores and values of
30-40 years ago...
You have a beautiful piece of work written here... Forgive my comment as I did not
say much toward Christ, but toward society & diversity...:)
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Sam,
I have thought a lot about how I was raised in comparison to how kids are raised now and how they are behaving as adults and I have to agree about what you have to say about Puritan Ethics. I didn't know there was a name for it...perhaps it's yours...but the way kids are raised in comparison to the way I was raised and the way I raised my kids has certainly declined.
These people raised in the decline of these ethics you speak of are in turn bringing more discord into the church, if they are even there. As result, the diversity that Carla is speaking of is struck with something else....an uncaring for one's fellow man.
The diversity that Carla speaks of can be a good thing because we all are different and we need to recognize that all are not identical to ourselves and we shouldn't expect them to be. On the other hand, discord, brought on by the lack of these Puritan Ethics that you speak of, can bring destruction to the unity of the church.
Every person who operates under the impression that they are the one who is right causes a rift in the Body of Christ.
Blessings.....
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Rita,
You said:
Every person who operates under the impression that they are the one who is right causes a rift in the Body of Christ.
I completely agree. It is important for each one of us to remain teachable. When someone says, "My mind is made up" we can discern that the person is no longer teachable about that particular subject. Instead, we all should probably have a different perspective and say something like, "This is my point of view and this is what it would take for me to re-evaluate my point of view..." The latter statement reveals that the person's heart remains open to learning and the person remains teachable. After all we all could be wrong about everything...really. That includes you, too, and me and that's why I keep asking, knocking, and seeking. Once we have found Christ it does not mean we stop seeking Him.
Philippians 3:
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
P12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
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