God given us all different valuable gifts to use for the building up of the church and His mission in the world (see Ephesians 4; 1 Corinthians 12).  A healthy church is built up by each person in it using their gifts for God's glory and for the good of others in the church community - Carrubbers would actually be less of a place without you being an active part of its life and work!

There are many things each of us cannot do and would not want to do in a million years; yet others in our fellowship have been gifted with the ability and the desire to do it instead.  That's great news because I'm not a great musician or song-writer - but it'd be sad not to have great hymns of the faith to praise God in our church services!  God in His great sovereign plan has all these things planned out, so that we would be able to accomplish the work He has given us in our community on the Royal Mile and our individual community relationships at home/neighbourhood, work, school and family.  He has planned how to give gifts and who to give them to and where to place them so that they can be fruitful and useful in His work, all working together as the body of Christ. 

The Biblical image of us being the Body of Christ is a very effective way of emphasisng the unity there should be between us as individuals who are gifted and work differently.  We compliment and we complete what is lacking in one another - but there is also the potential that we as sinful people can clash!   You probably don't need to be told what happens when such unity is lost in a church and people begin to clash - often it ends badly for the church and the reputation of Christ in the community.  Afterall, Jesus both commanded and exhorted: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).  In fact the incredible differences between us in personality, background, occupation, interests and gifting that demonstrates the reality of the power of Jesus Christ and the gospel - nothing else but Him could bring us together and bond us together in unity!  I would go so far as to suggest that our love and unity for one another in Christ is part of our passive witness and apologetic to the world!

Casting Crowns brought out a song on their new album released this Winter called "The City on a Hill".  It's a sober reminder of the need to protect our unity in 2012 (and every time we meet together) to ensure that we do not threaten to put out our light of witness and faithful presence as a church by losing our unity in Christ.  Please listen to it below and read the words:

"You see, poets thought the dancers were shallow;
and the soldiers thought the poets were weak;
and the elders saw the young ones as foolish;
and the rich man never heard the poor man speak. 
And one by one they ran away, with their made up minds to leave it all behind;
and the light began to fade on the city on the hill...." 

I love how the song then helps us to see something of the wisdom of God in bringing all these different people together to help one another and build up the church and accomplish His mission in the world:

"...It was the rhythm of the dancers that gave the poets live
It was the spirit of the poets that gave the solderis strength to fight
It was the fire of the young ones; it was the wisdom of the old
It was the story of the poor man that needed to be told"
City on a Hill

So in 2012 let's pray for and pursue unity with one another together in Christ, so that we might show the world and those in our community the incredible power of the gospel to transform our lives and to create God's new eternal community.  Those people who you may clash with or grate against, pray for them and think what God in His sovereignty is seeking to do in bringing that person into your life to build you and His church up!