A list has been put together of the world's SHORTEST books. Perhaps you've heard of some of them. The top ten are:

Everything Men Know About Women Everything Women Know About Men French Hospitality George Foreman's Big Book of Baby Names "How to Sustain a Musical Career" by Art Garfunkel Mike Tyson's Guide to Dating Etiquette One Hundred and One Spotted Owl Recipes, by the EPA Staple Your Way to Success The Amish Phone Directory The Engineer's Guide to Fashion

This list of book titles makes me wonder what you would call the story of Fairfax Presbyterian Church. If this church were turned into a book, what would you title it?

Would it be … The Church Behind the Fairfax Medical Center? Or … A Couple of Pastors Named Henry? Or … Presbyterians Who Know How to Spell Presbyterian?

Based on my first few months of ministry here, plus the insights of the apostle Paul in today's Scripture lesson, I would call the story of this church "Heads … Hearts … Hands." It wouldn't be the shortest book ever written; instead, it is a story that is still being told.

Paul's point in this letter to the Corinthians is that the church of Jesus Christ is both united and very diverse. Now, at first this seems to be an enormous contradiction: How can a single Christian community be, at the very same time, both one and many? Paul answers this question by using the image of the human body: An organism that is one body with many members.

This is certainly true for the community here at Fairfax Presbyterian. We are one congregation with hundreds of diverse members: Young, old, middle-aged … conservative, liberal, moderate … affluent, middle-class, just getting by … men, women, boys, girls … Northerners, Southerners, Westerners, immigrants from abroad … former Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians … plus at least a couple of lifelong Presbyterians. To an outsider, we might appear to be very diverse in our backgrounds and perspectives. So you might well wonder: Where is our unity?

The answer is that our unity comes from God - and this is a reality that I hope we will discover to be more deeply true in the months and years ahead. Our unity does not come from our talents, our traditions, or our human abilities - it comes from God. As Paul says, "For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and we were all made to drink one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13).

The reason we are here is that God has called us here, to be members of the one Body of Christ in this place. Whether you are a charter member who joined this church almost 50 years ago, or you are a brand-new member like Aidan Kyle, baptized today, God has made you a part of this community, and he has given you the gift of the Holy Spirit so that you can serve him in this place. Church is not like a club, an organization that you can drop into or drop out of depending on your changing interests. It is more like a family - a group which you are a part of whether you are always happy with it or not. Paul captures this for the Corinthians when he says, "If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it" (v. 26).

Fortunately, the Body of Christ here at Fairfax is a lively and healthy organism, with many opportunities to serve God in a variety of ways. That's where the title of this book comes in: Heads, Hearts, Hands. I am seeing a number of strengths in these diverse body parts at Fairfax, as well as some areas where I believe we need to work harder.

First, we are a community of faith that takes the role of the Head seriously. This is a thinking, questioning, exploring congregation, one that demands intellectually stimulating sermons and high quality Christian education. I've been very impressed by the topics being explored in our Adult Education classes, and I believe that our children's program is getting stronger day by day. I would challenge everyone to seek out more opportunities for Bible study - such as the Basic Bible class on Friday mornings - since Holy Scripture is such a fundamental foundation for our faith.

Second, we are a congregation with Heart - one that seeks to love the Lord our God, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. In my few short months here, I have seen so many signs of devotion to God and one another: Mentors working with members of the Confirmation Class, women studying grace in their circle meeting, deacons and elders taking Communion to homebound members, men singing together at their monthly breakfast, church members reaching out to one another in times of illness and loss. If there is one area we should work on together, I would say it is learning to better share stories of faith with others. Fortunately, we will be having a festival weekend this September, with a special visit from a member of the national Presbyterian staff. The Rev. Rosalie Potter will lead us in a time of fun, and the development of skills for faith-sharing.

Third, and finally, we are a community that uses its Hands in service to God. Volunteers are at work throughout the year to provide immediate, sympathetic help to neighbors through the FISH program. Host families are now anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Children of Chernobyl, and many members have made generous contributions to support these young people during their visit. Our high school and college age students are in the midst of exciting mission trips this spring and summer, and great work is done year round by our Hunger Committee, Homeless Concerns Committee, and Sewing Group. Of course, we can always do more. The need is great. We should never forget that we have been blessed by God so that we can be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:2).

All three of these parts need to be nourished if they are going to function effectively in the Body of Christ. That is why we are celebrating Holy Communion this morning - that meal which challenges us to remember Christ in our heads, to feel him in our hearts, and to let him strengthen our hands for service. This is the joyful feast of the people of God, and all who trust in Jesus are welcome to receive this food which brings inspiration and new life. Members, as well as friends who are here for the first time today, are invited share this meal, and reflect on what you can do to deepen your commitment to God.

Heads, Hearts, Hands. That's a pretty good title for the book we are writing together. May it be a long and exciting story, and one with a very happy ending. Amen.