In the charming town of Harmonyville, there was a tradition. Every year, a grand potluck dinner was held in the town square. Each family would bring a dish, and everyone would share and celebrate together. But this year, the mayor had an idea to make it even more special. He introduced the "Mystery Ingredient Challenge." A week before the potluck, every family received a random, unique ingredient. The challenge was to incorporate this ingredient into their dish for the potluck. Some got blue cheese, others got pineapple, and some even got seaweed! As the days passed, there was a mix of excitement and anxiety. The Smiths, known for their classic apple pie, struggled with how to include their ingredient: pickled jalapeños. The Johnsons, who usually brought fried chicken, were baffled by their ingredient: chocolate syrup. The day of the potluck arrived, and the townspeople gathered with their unusual dishes. Everyone was hesitant at first. Mrs. Smith's Spicy Apple Pie? Mr. Johnson's Chocolate Chicken?  But as people began to taste the dishes, something magical happened. The unexpected combinations led to delightful new flavors. The Smith's pie had a surprising kick that was balanced by the sweetness of the apples. The Johnson's chicken had a rich depth, with the chocolate adding a savory touch. In the end, the townspeople realized that sometimes, stepping out of their comfort zones and embracing the unexpected could lead to wonderful new experiences. It wasn't about sticking to the classics but about coming together, trying something new, and celebrating the diversity of flavors.

Life, like the dishes at the potluck, can be unpredictable. But Ephesians 2:18-22 reminds us that when we come together in faith, embracing our differences and the unexpected turns, we build a strong, unified community in Christ. Our unique experiences and backgrounds are like those mystery ingredients – they might seem out of place at first, but they're essential in creating the beautiful tapestry of our shared faith.

You know, it was around 20 years ago that I wandered into a church for nearly the very first time as an adult.  I’ve shared with you in the past what a grand experience it was the very first time I went to worship.  But while that was truly a wonderful experience, I think getting to work and largely live my life within the boundaries of church life have delivered even more blessings than I could’ve imagined that day so many years ago. It’s funny, you know I have friends that really don’t go to church and I see what they’re missing.  I try to tell them from time to time but have largely grown silent through the years.  There is just something about being a pastor that makes it nearly impossible to evangelize one’s friends.  Perhaps it’s that they knew me before, I don’t know.  But what I want to tell them, what I want to tell you, is that if you’re not in a church, you’re missing something vital for your life.

Just look at the language Paul uses in Ephesians when discussing our lives prior to our conversion.  He calls us strangers and foreigners.  For good reason. The term strangers ‘xenos’ is a word for a short time resident—a transient. In today’s terminology, we would say “homeless.”  The term alien or foreigner, ‘paroikos’, is a word for a person who is living in a country other than the one they were born in. They have no inheritance rights, no secure protection under the law, no voting rights. In our day, we would call them illegal aliens.  These two terms together show how much we do not belong. These are repeated ideas from Ephesians 2:12. We were strangers and foreigners. We were homeless aliens, without rights or protection. But we no longer carry that description.

Rather, also in Ephesians 2:19, we are fellow citizens with the saints. We often think of saints as having special rights and privileges, special access to God. But Paul says we are fellow citizens with them. Whatever they have, we have. Whatever rights they own, we own. In fact, in Ephesians 1:1, Paul wrote that all believers are saints, and therefore, all believers are citizens. Citizenship was a prized possession in the time of Paul. Men and women would work their whole lives and pay huge amounts of money in order to become citizens of Rome. But if being a citizen of Rome was special, imagine how great it is to be citizens with the saints?

According to Ephesians 2:19, that is what we are. To begin with, it only makes sense in that we are social creatures.  Even in our beginning God created us, male and female He created us, and put us in union with one another and with Him. Just think about that for a moment.  If God’s plan necessarily included two and then more people, is it really a good thing for us to shoot for being loners?  I mean, I appreciate time apart from others as much as the next guy, but we need only look at the book of Genesis to see exactly why a life spent in solitude is not what God intends for us.

No, as a matter of fact, it’s important that we stay together and stay in unity.  Psalm 133 remarks on just how precious that unity is from God. The Psalm begins with the proclamation, "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!"  This statement underscores the idea that there's a special beauty and joy when believers come together in harmony. Unity among God's people is not just "good" in a moral sense, but it's also "pleasant," bringing joy and delight.