1 Cor 12: 12-27 - "You are the Body of Christ"

“We are the body of Christ! The hand clapping, toe tapping, heart pumping, mouth tasting, arm embracing, justice seeking, hymn singing, love making, bread baking, risk taking, body of Christ.” This statement is from my favorite call to worship. I like it because it explains that the body of Christ is something we experience and that we are truly a part of. That we are members of one body. But what exactly does it mean to be part of the body of Christ? What do we profess when we share in communion together? Do we really need each other?

A few weeks ago the confirmation class went on a retreat to Watson Homestead. While there we focused on what it means to be part of the body of Christ. Pastor Jon West from Mansfield UMC invited the students to listen to this passage with their eyes closed. To experience the text and then report what they had seen or heard. The responses were nothing short of amazing. Some students visualized a giant eye. Others saw many different people forming a body when you looked at them from above. Still others imagined different people holding hands and working together. We went on to tell the students that even though they each visualized this text differently, even though they each picked up on something different, even though they contributed something different to the conversation, they were all part of the body of Christ. 

The apostle Paul is writing to a church that is divided. Some people believe that they are better than others because of their status in society, wealth, or previous background. There was fighting at the communion table. People were disregarding the sins of a few and focusing on the sins of others. In other words, Corinth was turning into a dysfunctional church. They didn’t see the necessity of their brother and sister and it was causing distress. 

Paul wanted to remind the church that their were baptized by one Spirit and under the leadership of one Lord. The church is one of the only places I can think of where we are valued as both individuals and part of a group. God loves us individually as children, has crafted each of us even before we were born and knows us intamently, yet calls us to be part of something bigger than our individual selves in the work of the Kingdom of God. In fact, God invites us not only to be part of this particular body of Christ here in this community, but as part of the body of Christ in many churches in this county, and the body of Christ across the United States and around the world. In fact the body of Christ working to realize the Kingdom of God on earth is bigger than what we can possibly comprehend in our minds, yet we are called to be part of it! We are called to be part of Christ’s beautiful body.

Paul is facing an obvious problem, people don’t realize how big the body of Christ is. They are saying to one another that some are not important, that some aren’t needed. And that critique from other’s was leading people to not see their worth or value in the body of Christ. Because they did not have the same gifts to offer as others they felt as if they did not belong. 

While we may not communicate this message as blatantly today, people still get the message that they do not belong, that they have no value or are not worthy. By telling people you would rather do a task for the church on your own. That you don’t need their help or their gifts. By telling young people that they aren’t allowed to participate in worship in certain ways. The list goes on and on. The result is that slowly, over time, people stop offering to participate in the body. Stop coming. Start thinking that they don’t know enough or aren’t good enough to contribute to the Kingdom of God. And friends, that breaks my heart. 

We are united by the broken body of Christ for something bigger than ourselves, but sometimes that means we need to get out of God’s way. It means we need to realize that we are of value and not second guess God’s call on our lives or the gifting we have been graced with. It means that we realize we cannot do everything alone, and that we need all, yes all, of the body of Christ working together or we will miss out on missional opportunities. 

I rejoice in the fact that we are all different and have different gifts. I believe God provides within our local body every person and thing we need to reach this county for Jesus Christ. I believe that in the Church Universal we have all the people and things we need to transform the world for Jesus Christ. I have often churches bemoan and say “if only”. “If only” we had more people, more resources, more money. But brothers and sisters, if we neglect this body, the body we have been gifted with, by saying that we are not yet good enough or have enough for the mission of Jesus Christ then we are not living up to the call of the Kingdom. And more will not come. 

People are perceptive. One of the statistics thrown around a lot about new people entering into a church community is that they will decide in the first five minutes if they are going to return at any point in time. Five minutes. Its because in those five minutes people can perceive if people love and respect one another. They can tell if people feel appreciated or dejected. Because nothing is heavier then a sense of hostility amongst church folks. Because that sense of being told “I don’t need you” hangs in the air long after an incident of rejection. Visitors can tell better than people who have been part of a local church for a long time if this community is a place where people find wholeness. If members are actually connected like muscle and bone. If people truly suffer and rejoice together. 

This past week I was at a meeting where we discussed how to write powerful children’s messages. We were tasked with composing a children’s sermon based off of our sermon text for this week, and the first thing that came to mind was the story of Stone Soup. Have you heard this story before? One day a stranger came into a village with only an empty pot. None of the villagers offered her any food. So she wondered down to the river and filled the pot with water and searched for a large stone that she put in it. Some of the villagers looked on in confusion and asked what she was doing. And she explained that she was making stone soup - the best soup - but it was just missing some flavoring. Is there anything they want to add. One by one the villagers started to add their favorite vegetables and seasonings to the pot, enhancing the flavor. At the end of the day the village shared in the perfect soup they had made together.

Friends, what made the soup perfect is that each added something to it to made its unique flavor. They didn’t think they had something to offer the stranger alone, but together they made something amazing. Brothers and sisters you have gifts to offer this church community, and this church has something to offer the Church Universal. Each person is necessary. Its why we want you here every week, adding your gift to the pot! We need you! You are vital to the body of Christ! You are part of the living, breathing, body of Christ! We need your uniqueness! Do you know what you bring to the body? Why you are so important? If not, I encourage you to spend time discovering your gift. If you do know your gift, add it to the pot, don’t hide it. We have what we need to transform the world, brothers and sisters, if only you offer yourself and your uniqueness, without reserve, to the risk taking body of Christ! May it be so!