"Freddy Mercury and the Importance of Community" by Martha Wood

Martha Wood gathered her Spirit-filled leadings into a message about how we become uurselves in community. She read from Luke 5:17-26 pointing out the dynamic of help throughout the chapter. The Gospel passage was the story of friends lowering a paralytic through the roof and Jesus healing him. We viewed the viral YouTube clip, "We Carried Kevan," about friends carrying a man with spinal muscular atrophy through Europe and beyond. They discovered that accessibility was more than ramps and pavement, but people helping people. It is highly probable that Martha made a reference to Mary Oliver in the message, but it was not transcribed. However, it can be said with certainty that she quoted the character of Freddy Mercury from the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody. "I need you, and you need me," he said to his band mates when he realized he couldn't create the magic of the band Queen on his own. Finally, Martha read from 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 about spiritual gifts. Verses 8-11 read: "To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses." Her queries were: What lesser known gifts would you add to this list? How have you experienced the gifts of this WHF community? What gifts do you add to this list? Open worship was full of the rich ministries, vocal and silent, of those in attendance. Link to youtube clip of "We Carry Kevan" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81RdjYexL8E