On August 1st, Melissa Spolar spoke about getting back out into life with the post-vaccine improvements in COVID care (before the Delta variant took off!) She received an invitation to a “Tough Mudder” — a running event with obstacles and lots of mud. It’s also about teamwork, which is presented as the spirit of the event. This team asssistance occurred to such a degree in Melissa’s experience that she found it to be a beautiful picture of humanity. Soon after she participated in a Spartan Race. This mud and obstacle race was based on self-challenge, success and competition rather than collaboration.

This comparison led to Melissa’s take on Ephesians 4:1-16. This was a “how to church” passage calling for churches to live in unity as believers. This is telling that unity has been a challenge for the church since the beginning — though it might have had added tensions with the mix of Jewish and gentile believers.
Melissa talks about covid isolation leading to a sense of separation from our community of believers. She approached the Ephesians passage in need and with prayer, and found that one of the ultimate goals is knowledge of Jesus. In the accompanying passage, as the crowd asks what they must do to accomplish what God requires, Jesus tells them to believe in him. Our acts as a body of Christ must be second to knowing Jesus. This is our foundation and our bond of unity.

Hear more of Melissa’s story and her exploration of Ephesians here: