August 18 Many Members Called to Be One Body

Dearest e-votees,

We are in a world that seems intent on fostering divisions between one group, one coalition, one party, one faction and another.  The upcoming election, the rabid partisan politics and the conventions that are afoot highlight the ever-widening gaps that separate us from others fashioned in the image of God.  Overt and systemic racism highlight those broken places too.  Sexism and all manner of -phobias do too.  We are a fractured species.

This coming Sunday's appointed epistle lesson from Romans 12:1-8.  It speaks of us all being members together of the body of Christ.  We are all gifted differently but part of that same one body.  We are not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought but regard ourselves with humility and sober judgment.  I would encourage you to give this brief reading your attention.  Sometimes the non-gospel readings fade into the background on Sunday worship services--much to our loss.

Peace,

Karl

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The beginning of this Sunday's text urges us not to be conformed to this world but rather to be transformed in the renewing of our minds towards God's purposes.  I would expect that "mind" is more than just cerebral in the Greek.  I think it safe to say that in all of our facets--mind, body, spirit and soul--we would do well to let God transform us rather than be conformed to the world.

We live in a world that exerts great pressures on us.  Stresses, the need to survive, the desire to thrive (at least in the ways the world defines thriving) and social pressures force us into forms that reflect our fallen world.  When push comes to shove we can be coerced into the likeness of the world around us.  Truth be told, often we don't even need the force.  We buy into the models of the world and gladly heed the siren calls from Madison Avenue to emulate and exceed the achievements of our neighbors.  We covet in thought, word and deed--by what we do and what we neglect to do--we wound ourselves and grieve God.

1 Corinthians 12 is all about being part of a body bigger than ourselves.  It reminds us to value the function and contributions of other parts of the body in addition to our own.  It calls us to not let ourselves be separated and ranked and disproportionately esteemed.  Christ is our head and all of us have a God-given place to serve in the body.   There is no room for arrogance and self-serving judgment.

If we could take in and live our Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 we would do well.  But it seems we always fall short.  So Paul follows up 1 Corinthians 12 with the chapter on love.  It is often taken on as a wedding text but it has so much more to say to us than to merely adorn a wedding bulletin or an embroidered pillow or wall hanging.  There is a most excellent way.  As our church letterhead says: Faith, hope, love… and the greatest of these is love - First Corinthians 13:13.  We are called to love--to love God, to love others as ourselves (which of course necessitates us having a healthy self-love as well).  As Burt Bacharach's song says so well:  What the world needs now is love, sweet love.  (If you haven't seen it or seen it enough you can see a virtual symphony singing this song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QagzdvzzHBQ).

Lord, we and all those in the world need love, sweet love.  Thank you for sending Jesus.  Help us to grow into loving you and loving neighbor as self.  Heal the divisions in our body of humanity.  Heal the divisions in the body of Christ.  Help us to seek humility and self-reflect with sober judgment all to your glory.  Amen.