Group Projects
October 21, 2008
Romans 12:3-5
3 I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. 4 A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. 5 That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another. -Contemporary English Version
I don’t know anyone who likes to do group projects. Every year I hear students complain about these projects. I understand their frustration. Group projects seldom go smoothly. When these projects are assigned inevitably there are those who try to take over and tell everyone what to do. There are those who just do what they are told, but don’t offer any significant input to the project. Lastly there are those who don’t contribute anything at all which makes more work for everyone else. Group members wonder if their absentee partner will even bother to show up for the final presentation. Sound familiar?
After I listen to students rattle off their laundry list of why they hate these projects, I realize that group projects are a foretaste of life to come. Working with others is a part of life. I can’t think of any job that does not involve engaging another person at some level. Anytime we work with others, we discover that different people have different gifts and passions. College is a place where diversity of gifts is blatantly evident. For the students, think about all the majors that exist at Reinhardt College. Some students spend their days painting and sculpting in the Fincher, while others are busy studying chemical reactions in Dobbs. There is something here for everyone. The same is true for those who work at the college. Some people send their time fundraising for the college, while others are outside all day keeping our grounds beautiful. It takes a variety of people with a variety of gifts in order to keep this place running.
Today’s scripture in Romans talks about the necessity of community in the Christian life. It claims that only in community can we fully know and understand ourselves. In this section, Paul is speaking of the new life that we have in Christ. In order to fully take on this new life, we must first take a step back from ourselves and understand that we are not self-made; rather, God created us. Without understanding God’s claim on us, we cannot fully understand who we are in Christ. The second part of our new life is found in the context of community. Since we belong to God, we belong to the one body of Christ. It is within this body that our individuality takes shape and contributes to the greater good.
God created each of us unique. He had no intention that we would all be good at the same things. What a boring world it would be if that were the case. To have a new life in Christ doesn’t mean that we have to conform to what others think we should be; however, it does mean that we need to remember that we are not an individual project. God didn’t create us to look out for ourselves; rather, God assigned us to be a group project. Living in a group context has its challenges, but it also holds the key to self-discovery.
Prayer: Creator God, thank you for making me who I am. Help me to use my gifts in a manner that is pleasing to you. Help me also to appreciate and support the gifts that you have bestowed on those around me. Together, may we live as your body here on earth. Amen.
For more information
Rev. Leigh Martin
College Chaplain
Hasty Student Life Center, Room 308
lsm@reinhardt.edu
O: 770.720.5634
F: 770.720.9105
