A boat is a boat

   I have a boat sitting in my garage. In my eyes, it's a very nice boat. It's not a big boat, being only 18 feet in length. It's not one of those beautiful, sleek racing boats. It's not a fishing boat, loaded with all of the latest electronic gadgets that will not only lead me to fish, but which would also put them on my line, drag them into the boat, then fillet and cook them up for me.
   I purchased this boat for a very specific reason. I had things that I wanted a boat to do. I didn't need it to take me out on the ocean, or even Lake Michigan for that matter. I didn't need it to be anything other than what it is. I didn't need it to do anything other than what it does. It fits me perfectly in being exactly what it was designed to be, because that's exactly what I wanted.
   So, what makes this boat what it is? It's a collection of very specific parts. It has a hull, a motor, seats, a windshield, carpeting, electrical wiring, lights, a horn, etc. All of these items were designed to be on this specific boat, and to contribute to the function of the boat as a whole. But looking at more specific detail, the seats are perfect in size and function. They're secured to the floor with bolts and nuts. They're stitched together at various locations by thread. The electrical system includes wire of various lengths and colors, gauges that tell me how the boat is operating, lights of differing colors that not only show other boaters I'm on the water at night, but also which way I'm facing.
   Some of the parts of this boat are plain to see, while others are hidden. But for the boat to operate as it should, and to be what it was designed to be, all of these parts need to do what they were designed to do. If some of them don't work, the boat would still function to an extent, but never to it's intended level of performance.
   As Pastor Len continues to speak on the various roles that each of us play within our church, he's speaking of the exact same idea. We're all part of this church. We all need to not only know what we were designed to do, but also who we were designed to be. God has built this church, just as the builders at Sea Ray built my boat. He knew every part He was going to place within it, what that part was designed to do, and how He wanted each part to work in contributing to the funtion of our church as a whole.
   His design of our church fits perfectly within His purpose for our church. It's not missing any parts. Sure, He might add parts from time to time as He asks us to do different things. But for this time and place, and for the calling our church has received on this day, we are whole and complete. It's simply a matter of the parts knowing what they are called to be and do within the church, and to step up in doing so.
   I don't say these things to make anyone feel guilty about not contributing. Quite the contrary. I say these things to invite each and every one of you to experience the true joy that comes from knowing beyond a doubt that God is using you, along with your own beautiful gifts, talents, and abilities, to further His purpose within the church, the community, the world, and in your own lives. Seeing Him work through you in these ways will forever change the way you look at yourselves, and it will be beautiful.