Is God, in your mind, too big to be about the small?

God scattered the stars into the sky when He created the heavens. God sits on His throne and rules for all eternity.

But we miss out when we think God is only about the big eternal things. God is also about the small moments, the way we choose to spend each minute of our days.

Jennie Allen, in her book, “Restless”, points out that when we make God only about eternal, heavenly things, we are missing out on Jesus, and His love for each of us and our unique needs. She writes, “We miss his vision for his church: one body, many unique parts coming together to make a difference with their small moments.”

For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. Romans 12:4-5

Membership has become a casual concept in our consumer-driven culture. My wallet contains membership cards to Costco, AAA, and yes, AARP, among others. These are mostly about privileges bestowed upon us as members; other than financial obligations, there’s very little responsibility on our end.

But membership in Christ’s body? That’s a different story.

With membership in Christ’s body, as the church, there are both privileges and responsibilities for each one of us.

We have the privilege of joining together with others in what James Bryan Smith calls a “good and beautiful community.” One that offers forgiveness and reconciliation to everyone, and accepts people in their brokenness and dysfunction. The church is where we are offered the joy of knowing who we are in Christ, and where we are given hope, encouragement, and a sense of belonging.

We also have responsibilities as members of Christ’s body. We are shaped by the church and we are sent to share the Good News through both word and deed - through acts of compassion and justice. God calls each of us to a life of service, and through God’s church we are equipped to fulfill our unique callings.

But we can’t get caught up in the thought that our calling is a big, lofty thing we feel we can push off to “some day.” Our calling is most likely found among the small decisions we make all the time. If we pay attention to what God is whispering to us in those small moments and we follow God’s prompting, we will find those small moments add up to a life well-lived; a life invested in God’s mission and vision for the world.

The beautiful thing is we were made for this kind of life. It’s the only thing that satisfies the restlessness we feel deep inside ourselves.

Lord God, creator of the world who still knows all our thoughts, help us to be committed members of Your church. Instill in us a passion for the things You care about, and guide us in the small moments to choose the life You want for us. Amen.