Called to Community
Life in Community
Differences
Pages 195-199
TOGETHER read the devotional and the scripture.
INDIVIDUALLY take notes in your journal on what stands out.
Galatians 3:26-28 (NIV) So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 12:12-26 (NIV) Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving 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.
TOGETHER pray for one another.
INDIVIDUALLY answer the questions in your journal - process your devotional notes and pray.
O’Connor claims that “true dialog is difficult for everyone.” What does “true dialogue” entail? Why is it so difficult?
In your church community, is dialogue encouraged or discouraged?
Why do we fear disagreement? How might disagreement be a good thing?
In the end, what goal are we trying to achieve?
EXTRA READING:
“Neither revolutions nor faith can be won without keen suffering. For me, Christ was not to be bought for thirty pieces of silver but with my heart’s blood. We buy not cheap in this market.”
- Dorothy Day (1897 - 1980)