TEAMwork

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

Some might think that TEAM is an overused acronym. A random search for the meaning of that acronym shows almost 300 different interpretations for TEAM. Some of the less-known ones are: Train, Endure, Achieve, Matter used for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; Technical Enhancement and Architectural Modernization used by a mobile company's cellular tower builder/designers; and The Electronic Auction Market used as Canada's online cattle marketplace.

Then there's the better known use of TEAM - Together Everyone Achieves More. As oft used an acronym that is, it still holds true in its imagery. Story after story of people trying to accomplish something found greater success as more joined in their endeavor. Building wells in Africa, rebuilding villages in storm-ravished Asia coastlines, and building homes for the houseless here in the States are all ventures which started as the hopeful dream of one person which grew into world-wide projects.

Such is the way of Christ. Paul reminds us that we work together with Jesus to remove the obstacles that exist in stopping us from becoming one people, unified in one love - the love which is shared through the unconditional acceptance of God.

That's a little more difficult to do then it seems. Ever since the first attempts by Paul to start churches where what we do is more important than what we believe, those who place themselves at the hierarchies of Christianity have done all they can to make it a religion about laws and rules and creedal commitments. What the church by Paul, in today's passage the church of the Corinthians, is battling with is how to bring together people of all thoughts, theories, teachings, and ideologies to understand that being unified as one people under God does not mean having to follow one set of those ideologies, but rather to open ourselves up to the fact that we are all different and it's through those differences we will be find a common ground to try to finish what Jesus started; the repair and rebuilding of God's dwelling place for all.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time when we're asked to reflect on our relationships and find a way to forwardly transform ourselves in order to repair and rebuild those relationships, whether they be with God, others, or ourselves. To forwardly transform one's self is not to find a way back to when times were good, but to find a way forward to make things good again. My hope is that in this Lenten season many of you will find that path forward into relationships that have long been distressed and make them whole again.

Paul's call for us to work as a team so that we can accomplish more in the way of bringing people together still rings loud and true today. As you go through the next 40 days (not including Sundays) search within yourself for those relationships you can fix and make better. It's in that way Jesus taught us to be his followers.