At TGPA this past Sunday we talked about Religion vs. Relationship – about how religion builds a ladder and puts us in competition with each one trying to climb higher than the other and constantly comparing our self to each other. We also talked about how Relationship – the kind that God invites us to – is less like building a ladder, and more like baking a pie.
Pie pieces are of equal width and depth, all occupying a common space, and all pointing to one common center. This is a picture of our relationship with God and others. Each of us are like slices of pie around the tin, with Jesus as our common center. There are two things especially important about this image:
- We are each equally valuable pieces of a whole. None of us can be the whole pie alone. We are in the pie tin together.
- From the space we occupy, we each have a unique perspective of Jesus, who is at the center. If we are going to experience all of who Jesus is, we must rely on the other pieces to share with us what they see from their perspective. None of us can comprehensively grasp who Jesus is. He’s way bigger than any of our minds but we can each bring what He’s given us and together we can see more of who He is than we ever would alone. And together we can be more like Him than we ever could alone.
The Book of James is full of practices that can help us live well in the pie tin. We looked at them briefly on Sunday, and here they are again. Let’s take these to heart, ask the Spirit to teach us how to practice them, and get to work being Christ’s body TOGETHER! (Because that’s the only way it works!!)
Love,
Pastor Deb
Pastor Deb
