“The Body”

Psalm 121

I Corinthians 12:12-31a

Rev. Dr. R. Tim Meadows

They’re back! You know who they are. Chances are you are either in their number or like me your world is changed by their presence. That’s right the January people have invaded our health clubs and wellness centers. They are determined to fit and tone and sit and spin their way to health, even our own Pastor Rhonda confesses to being a member of this fraternity of people, whose determination most of us know last at least until January 31^st but no longer than March 31^st. (By April 1^st it will be easier to find a Lane Kiffin fan in Tennessee than to find a January person anywhere near a health or wellness center.) The obvious question I have of this group is Why? The obvious answer they say is because they are concerned for the body. This concern for the body is also what drives Paul’s words to the Corinthians you heard earlier.

Paul is not so concerned for the physical body but the body we call the Church. The obvious question is why does Paul choose the body as a metaphor for the church? The answer from this context is to emphasize our interdependence or if you [prefer a prettier word our symbiosis. In the midst of the Corinthians struggle with interdependence Paul insists that embracing interdependence is the only way they can survive. As he makes his case, Paul suggests several things about the body that were true in Corinth and remain true in Tellico Village

I. The Body Is Necessary For Our Survival: We are a people God intended to be in community and when we are not, our existence is diminished. In creation, God said “It is not good for Adam to be alone”, and that remains true.

II. The Body Must Cooperate And Adapt: If we are better suited to be in community, we will have to find ways to make that happen given our great diversity. If we make long term commitments to remain open and receive new members to our community we will have to adapt to the changes that occur.

III. The Body Should Live Life Together: Sorrow, Celebration, and all the stuff of life is better done in community than in isolation. We can always do more together than we can ever do individually.

IV. The Health Of The Body Is Determined By The Health Of Its Members: All parts of the body must receive what they need and in turn contribute what they have to give for the body to be healthy.

V. The Impact On The Body By Individual Members is Significant And Long Term: Thoughts, Words, Deeds, Contributions, what you do matters and will remain long beyond your physical presence with the body.

These lessons of Paul may be familiar to you and may seem obvious. You may be tempted as I was to check off these tasks as understood and done. But, just as I was about to do that and move on to more exciting lectionary options from which to preach, my mind began to be filled with questions from this passage that deserve an answer from you, from me, and from the body we call The Community Church at Tellico Village.

Questions like:

- What does the body need that it receives from me?

- What do I need that I receive from the body?

- If the health of the body is dependent on me, how is it doing?

- If my health is dependent on the body, how am I doing?

- Can people who know me recognize that I belong to the body?

- Can people who know the body understand why I choose to be a part of such?

- If I were gone from the body what would be the impact of my absence?

- If the body were gone from this location what would be the impact of the absence?

- What lasting legacy will the body receive from me?

- What lasting legacy will the body leave for God’s world?

When I reflect on the Church I am full of questions like these and I hope that you are as well. May our questions compel us to be better in our dependence on each other, our cooperation with each other, and our accessibility to others who need us. AMEN!