To Be Grafted In - How Does it Look?

As a picture of how Gentiles are brought into the Christian faith, the Bible uses an olive tree.  The Jewish people represent the original olive tree, and the Gentiles are the branches that are grafted into that tree.  

...and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree.  Romans 11:17

We have a tree on our church's property; in early spring, it has small white flowers.  One day I happened to see a cluster of pink flowers stuck between the two main branches of the tree.  It was right after Easter, and I wondered, "Why did someone put flowers there?"

On closer inspection, I saw that a "branch" was growing between the trunks, and it was blooming pink flowers.  How'd that happen?!!!

People are brought into the church in many different ways, although ultimately it's through God's Word and Spirit that faith and new life are given.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.   Romans 10:17

But it's from the olive tree analogy that we picture people being "grafted into the root, along with the original branches."

I look at that tree and think, "That's how it looks when new people are added to the church."

It looks different, it looks unique, and it adds beauty, color, and depth to the tree.

I often greet visitors at our Sunday worship service.  There's no "cookie cutter" version of a visitor.  Each visitor or visiting family is unique, with their own histories, make-ups, and talents. 

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.  If all were a single member, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.  1 Corinthians 12:18–20

God adds people to His church, and we become this beautiful tree; we have the same faith, but have different gifts, different appearances, just different, but all together we make up His church.  

Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  1 Peter 2:10

He joins us together as His church, and He builds us into His temple, a site to behold.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.                    Ephesians 2:19–22