Member

My name is Christopher Dryden. I am a member of the family of God which is also the Body of Christ.

There was a song we used to sing in the church that spoke of how glad we were to belong to the family of God. It was a beautiful song and would get the sort of camaraderie that would give the impression that what we were singing about was true. Yet for years I never quite experienced that. Sometimes the behaviour was more like a social club where membership in the club gave you insider perks and bonuses which was more about having the inside gossip.

That discrepancy between what we sang and what I experienced only grew when I read in the scripture what it was to be a member of the family of God and the Body of Christ. Thankfully, however, there were also glimpses of what it was like to be a member of the family and the Body.

For example being a member of the family really is a tremendous privilege. Everything flows from that truth. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus did what it took to bring us back to the Father – who I could now refer to just as much as my Father as anyone else’s. That, however, was not about being a part of a closed shop of people from a certain denomination or cultural preference. That was about seeing the heart of Jesus touch the hearts of people crossing denominations and cultures and there is a powerful connection because of Jesus that makes us family.

This is supposed to be the best expression of family because of our Father and our big brother. It is supposed to be, but it is made up of flawed and fallible people only growing to become like their Brother in the image of their Father. Yet there are always glimpses and the foundation of the family always gives hope to what we’re growing into. At its best it is the best family in the world – it is a family of men and women learning to submit to each other, learning to consider the other better than the self, to see the value that Jesus placed on relationships reflecting divine unity and pursuing it.

Being a member of the Body of Christ is likewise an enormous privilege. There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus is the single most influential human being ever to walk the planet. His mission, His teaching, His acts, His death, His resurrection, His treatment of friends and enemies alike have profound reverberations that have lasted millennia. His Body that He left on earth have that tremendous privilege of continuing to live His life here and now. Being a member of His Body really does mean joining in with others to see people healed, people follow life-changing teaching by learning to live the life of Him who is life. It is my life to live His life today and I get to do that connected with others who are likewise doing that.

When I think of people being sent to speak the heart of God to the world and share the good news whilst nurturing people and helping them learn about what the fullness of life looks life – wow, it’s brilliant. It doesn’t always feel brilliant. It doesn’t always feel like it is a Body, or if it is it’s comatose or paralysed or simply asleep. But it is a Body and because of the Christ we love and adore, this is His Body and one that He knows is vibrant and thriving all over the world despite the challenges it faces. Sometimes reading about what He has to say to the 7 churches in Revelation, it feels like little has actually changed about the nature of the Body. Yet this work in progress is making progress. Lives are being touched every day.

I have been guilty of criticising and feeling very sceptical about family and the Body. Yet in a real way it is self-harm. If a positive difference can be made my contributions about things going on in the Body then that is good. anything else – murmuring and complaining about how things are, proves to be counterproductive. I am a member – it’s my family and if the Body hurts, I hurt, I am a part of the Body. Any pain felt should have me seeking for the cure, for the right remedy. I feel very strongly about the family aspect of the things. It’s such an important element to express properly and I am grateful for the glimpses I see and I experience – genuinely seeing people from various cultures treating each other as brothers and sisters cherishing the unity of the Spirit.

My name is Christopher Dryden. I am a member of the family of God which is also the Body of Christ.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden