As Minister to Senior Adults, I get to hang out with some of the “funnest” people.  Generally speaking, the senior adults I work with are funny, refreshingly honest, grateful, full of life experiences, and are willing to try anything new!

Recently I was asked to teach one of the “well-seasoned” Sunday School classes at our church.  One member of the class told me, “When you graduate from our class you are heaven bound!”  As part of the class, I asked each person in the group to draw a church.  The drawings you see were samples of the group’s work.

You may not be impressed with the quality of the artwork you see.  You should know, however, that some in the class were told to draw with their non-dominant hand.  (If they were right-handed, they were to draw with their left, etc.)  Others were instructed to draw using only their feet.  Still others had to draw with the paper on top of their head so they could not see what they were doing.  In light of that, I think the drawings are exceptional.

The point of the exercise was to demonstrate what happens when a part of the body – especially the body of Christ – is not doing what it was gifted and called to do.  Other parts that may not be as well-equipped have to pick up the slack. The result is that the church will not function as it should.
A serendipity that came out of the lesson was that, although the instructions were simply, “Draw a church,” some drew a building but others drew a group of people.  It is easy to point to a building and say, “That is my church!”  And you would be correct.  But the church is more than the building.  It is the individual members who worship, fellowship, teach, and serve who really ARE the church.  Each one is important and has something to contribute.  When any member does not do their part, something is missing. 

Paul wrote to all of us who are followers of Christ when he said, “Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27).  If you are faithfully using your gifts to serve God, give yourself a hand…or a foot!

By Dr. Jim Baldwin