Do not take your ecclesia for granted. Labor constantly for its health and welfare. The Truth itself is eternal and indestructible. But in these days of the flesh and of weakness, the Ecclesia is a fragile thing, needing constant tending and care. Ecclesias flourish, and ecclesias languish. Ecclesias live, and ecclesias die. Ecclesias grow and ecclesias shrivel. The difference may be you. The health of the ecclesia depends on the spirit of the ecclesia: the oneness, the unity, the closeness, the mutual affection and care of the members one for another. A body is not healthy unless ALL parts are alive and active and working. The ecclesia is a body with many members: all are necessary: all have FULL TIME work to do to make the ecclesia a true, living, spiritual, divine entity -- united to God, well-pleasing to God, steadily moving forward and upward to eventual
perfect eternal oneness with God. Make the ecclesia's welfare and harmony and spirituality and mutually upbuilding joy your constant prayer and care. Help, strengthen, encourage, support, serve. Subdue your flesh, and all your fleshly reactions. Subdue your natural antagonisms and criticisms and petty, small-minded frictions. All these things are destructive of ecclesial well-being. Forget yourself, especially your baby grievances, and work wholly for the common good. Herein alone will you find peace and joy and fulfillment.

[next]