We are one Bouquet

The Church isn’t in competition with itself. But it feels like that in ministry at times.  We, the Church, aren't in competition with one another.  By Church I mean the big C church, the church of all believers world wide, the particular people for whom Christ died; the people whose full weight of faith is placed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are one Body. Or rather, for the sake of this visual, one Bouquet.



There are many opportunities when local, gospel-centered churches can work together, jointly, in cooperation, for the sake of the gospel, advancing the name of Jesus throughout their town, state, and world. It topples the pride of one single church to link arms with another, it’s humbling and encouraging thing to cheer on a Christ-centered body in their endeavors wanting their gospel effectiveness to spread. It’s a beautiful sight and pleasant aroma to all who see Her faithful witness. We can, and should, celebrate the good things happening just down the road; even if they do it differently, reach more people, and have congregations 3x our size.

The good things over there don’t nullify how God is working here. The ways that God gives growth to our church is not to the disadvantage of another. When two wildflowers grow together, they are not competing in beauty, but instead, amplify the beauty of each other. And so it goes, this is the church.

So we celebrate with the decision for a church to unite in one service time; the formation of a mom’s ministry; the hiring of a discipleship pastor; the building of a new chapel. We rejoice when our friends are going at a biblically-sound church across town. We give glory to God when we hear of salvations during a student retreat; of merging congregations; and of the planting of new churches. We thank God when the church two streets over begins to spread seed and reap harvests in the sending out of missionaries and in the reaching of unreached people groups. We celebrate when God does something in other congregations that he has not done in our own.

But why do we still feel compelled to disregard, potentially disassociate, and emotionally degrade local congregations that are not our own? We may not be growing in the same garden, but are we not a part of the same Body? Do we not worship the same Lord? Are we not attached to the same Vine? Is there not one Spirit who indwells? Again, are we not all apart of the same Bouquet?

Not all are gentle pillows of grace like the lamb’s ear.

Not all are the well-dressed, fringed fever few.

Not all give off a continuous, pleasant fragrance like lavender.

Not all drop hundreds of seeds like the wild daisy.

Not all provide refuge for bees like honey clover.

Not all are close knit like the blossoms of yellow yarrow.

Not all have far reaching rhizomes like ferns.

Not all have obvious transformations quite like viburnum.

But yet, a beautiful landscape nonetheless.

In your town, maybe you frequently find two different wildflowers, or churches, growing side-by-side, together providing a more suitable place for brown thrushes and wrens, the people, to nestle. But more frequently, all separate, but growing, and thriving.

But here in my hand, they are together as one Bouquet, something far more exquisite, far more spectacular. A garden of righteous.  There is a particular unity within much diversity for all those who hold to Christ as first importance. From every field, garden, and forest, united in one Bouquet.

Let all that has breath, praise the Lord.