Release Date: June 10th, 2026The Fullness of Christ
- by Marilyn Rudy-Froese
I am reading the book of Ephesians and noticing the references and images of Christ and the church. In The Anabaptist Bible, the word “church” appears twice in 1:22-23: “God put everything under Christ’s feet and made him head of everything in the church, which is his body. His body, the church, is the fullness of Christ, who fills everything in every way.” The Community Reflection Note in the margin asks, “What does it mean for the church—for our congregation—to be ‘the fullness of Christ’?” That question resonates with me as I think about the 106 congregations that make up MCEC.
The questions we bring to any scripture text lead us to wonder about why it was written, how it was received, when and where it was written, and how it connects to the scriptures around it, or in other places in the Bible.
I am currently enrolled in the AMBS Practical Leadership Curriculum course, “Teaching the Bible in an Age of Distraction,” and we were invited last week to choose a scripture passage, write 10 questions we have about it, and then write 10 questions the passage is asking our congregation or us. Initially, it seemed like a challenge, but once I started, the questions kept coming. The questions we bring to any scripture text lead us to wonder about why it was written, how it was received, when and where it was written, and how it connects to the scriptures around it, or in other places in the Bible. This is often the way we approach scripture, and it can lead to fruitful and meaningful engagement.
It is the questions the text asks me or us that can become a profound and meaningful way to pray with scripture and invite God to speak into our lives as individuals and as the church.
It is the questions the text asks me or us that can become a profound and meaningful way to pray with scripture and invite God to speak into our lives as individuals and as the church. If I ask more questions of these 2 verses in Ephesians, I might ask: Does the “everything” that is used 3 times really mean everything? Does that include how we worship, organize our congregational life, prioritize our budget, talk to each other, or show hospitality? And if “everything” applies to our whole life and witness as a congregation or regional church, then what difference does it make for our worship, organizational structure, budget, interactions, and hospitality? How does our congregation and regional church reflect the fullness of Christ? Do we have a choice about whether we want to be the fullness of Christ as a congregation or a regional church? Can we be the church without being the fullness of Christ? And if so, what does that mean? Does the fullness of Christ exist anywhere else, or is it only in the church? How do I, as a member of my congregation, participate in the fullness of Christ?
How does our congregation and regional church reflect the fullness of Christ?
Loving and Gracious God, in your great mercy, you have adopted us as your beloved children to reflect your goodness and love. We have been gathered into your plan for the climax of all times: to bring all things together in Christ. Give our eyes enough light, and open our hearts, so we can see what the hope of your call, the richness of your glorious inheritance, and the overwhelming greatness of your power at work among us is. Fill us in every way, in Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
- Marilyn Rudy-Froese is the MCEC Leadership Minister