“We will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph. 4:15-16)

Geodes are common rocks, usually round or oval, whose cavities are lined with mineral deposits. From these, crystals grow, provided they have a slow, steady source of (usually) groundwater. (Apologies to geologists everywhere for my simplified definition.) You’ve seen these in natural history museums - those plain rocks sawed in half to reveal breathtaking shards of colorful (often amethyst) crystals in stunning patterns. For our current sermon series, large geometrical shapes surround the cross behind Pastor Alex, representing shards of a geode which also appears in full color in the opening slideshow. 

The geode is a fitting symbol for our current sermon theme - building inner strength and a resilient core - as well as for this particular week’s scripture - Eph. 4:1-16 - which underscores the unity of believers. Let’s explore the symbolism. 

Exterior plainness is no predictor of interior beauty. There’s no easy way to tell what’s inside a potential geode - or a church body - until it’s cut open. Will we see beautiful crystal formations? Colors begun but aborted? Has the shell shielded its cavity so completely that it prevented growth, its mineral deposits staying ever the same?

Slow, steady external forces cause growth. Without the steady influence of a water (or other) source, crystals won’t grow inside the geode cavity. Without the steady influence of the Holy Spirit and other believers in our lives, Christian growth won’t occur. 

Crystals and Christians are stronger together. Yes, those amethyst shards grow individually, but together, they form a beautiful - and strong - whole. I doubt a geode is ever broken open to reveal a single crystal. But if it were, imagine how breakable it would be. Our inner strength comes when we use our individual talents (see 4:11) for service, so the whole “body of Christ can be built up and [unified]” (4:13). We - crystals and Christians - mature separately, but we’re knit together, supporting each other, just like those crystal shards. Strength and resiliency come from community. 

“From Christ the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (4:16). Isn’t this just like a geode? Break open that geode, that church, and just watch your breath catch.

Lord, it’s easy to enjoy the protection of our church shell on Sunday morning, safe from the Culture Wars “out there.” It’s easy to sit and listen, even take notes, but rarely act. Lord, help us open ourselves to the steady working of the Holy Spirit, to join in the fellowship of other Christians, to start a shard of growth that will intertwine with others to produce a geode’s beauty, to showcase inner strength through unity.