Paul calls this group, the Church, the Body of Christ. The Church as the Body has this mystical connection to Jesus, the Head. This is something the Spirit creates. As a result of this, every person who is a part of the Church has some ability. This is something that the Spirit gives to each, which is why it is called a 'Spiritual gift'. This means that each person in this Body has a role to play. Each person.
So, each person is important to the functioning of the Body. Each person. Consider a human body, the model that Paul draws from. There is this thing called a pituitary gland. It's small, the size of a pea. Everyone has one. But if it doesn't work just right there are problems: blood pressure issues, growing to be too big, pregnancy problems and all because this little gland, the size of a pea, isn't fulfilling its role. And the point? Each person in the Body has a role to fulfill. And that includes the quiet people no one notices. And when someone isn't doing what he was placed in the Body to do, the Church doesn't work well. But, on the other hand, when all are working at using the abilities that the Spirit has given them, fulfilling their roles, the Church functions as it is intended. That is, the power of the Spirit overflows to do dramatic - and not so dramatic but still important - things. As a result, the Church fulfills its calling to reveal Jesus and the power of the Gospel to the world. But for that to happen each one must use the ability that the Spirit has given thus playing the role that the Spirit has given him. This is how the Church fulfills the critical role that Jesus has given her. We do this out of love: love for Jesus, love for the rest of the Body and love for the world around us all.
This is a part of a series of posts. For the others click on 'Being the Church' below.