GPBC Blog

By Myrna Hill--

Do you attend Greater Portland Bible Church? Or are you a part of the body of Christ at Greater Portland Bible Church? You might be asking, "What is the difference? Aren’t they the same thing?" Not really.

In my years growing up in the church, I attended every chance I could get because it was my social network and the place where I learned about God. But for many of those years I was not acting as a part of the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12 says that we are all parts of the body of Christ. Some may be an eye, some a hand, some a mouth, some a big toe, but all parts of the same body. And as parts of the body of Christ, we all have our part to play. If I am a hand and I do not participate as a hand, how will I get food into my mouth to sustain my life? If I am a big toe, I am necessary to maintain balance for the rest of the body.  

I have been a part of five churches. It is never easy to leave one church and start to attend another. It has been easy to sit in the seat on Sunday morning and feel sorry for myself because I am lonely. It is easy to watch other people interact with each other and to feel like I am an outsider and will never fit in. I am an introvert and as such I do not make friends easily or fast. Over the years, I have discovered that if I expect other people to come to me, I will be waiting a long time. All people have their comfort zone, even in the church. They have the people that they know well and tend to gravitate toward on Sunday morning. So where does that leave introverted people like me? Sitting in the seat feeling sorry for myself? Yes, I have spent some time doing that. My focus was on what I was getting out of the church. It did not make me feel like I was a part of the body of Christ because I was not participating in the body.

Several years ago, I was helped to understand that even as an introvert I could participate in the body of Christ in my church. I realized that I needed to make an effort to get to know other people in the church. How? By becoming a part of a Sunday School class (even as an adult). By going to a Women’s Bible Study. By becoming a participant in a small group. By volunteering in the church office, in the Food Pantry, or in the Nursery. All it took was one small step on my part to get to know others in a new way. Yes, it was scary at first because I did not know anyone. I had to be vulnerable and be open to sharing my needs and even my successes. But very soon I was welcomed into the conversation of the group and began to become a part of the body of Christ at GPBC.

Paul uses the description of the body to help us understand that we are part of each other in Christ Jesus. Jesus instituted the church for the well being of each person in the body. We need each other. To encourage and be encouraged. To correct and be corrected. To comfort and be comforted. To care for and be cared for. I encourage each of you to read 1 Corinthians 12 this week to see how being a part of the Body of Christ is so much better than just attending Greater Portland Bible Church. There are many opportunities to be a part of Christ’s body here so get out of your seat and come join us. We will welcome you.