The body

We need each other. This is a fundamental truth for humanity and for the church.

In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul uses the imagery of a human body to describe the church. His choice of something that is alive shows that the church is more than a place, an organization, or a bunch of programs. The church is, first and foremost, a living, breathing organism.

When we lose sight of this and start to look at the church more as a place, organization, or a bunch of programs, we can begin to have an unhealthy view of church. I want to consider a few unhealthy understandings of church that emerge from this way of looking at church.

We focus on how we can be served, not how we can serve. When we think that the church exists to serve me, we begin to think that church is about us. This could surface in a number of ways. It might mean that we complain about the songs we sing. If the church doesn’t offer the programs that entertain me or appeal to what I want, we don’t participate.

Our consumerist, market-driven view on life has taught us that if we get bored we can simply change the channel, jump to the next song on our playlist, or simply walk away. As products have become more disposable, so have the intangible things in life. If a relationship isn’t serving my needs, I walk away. If a church isn’t what I want, I change.

It seems as though more and more people shop for a church like they do insurance or a new car. When something better, or newer comes along, they simply change.

That may work with a car or insurance, but that’s not how the church should be. The church is not a club you join or something that exists exclusively for your benefit. It is a family, a living organism, a gathering of people committing to live life together under the banner of the Kingdom of God.

And this brings me to a second unhealthy consequence.

We spend time with people more like us, and neglect those who are different. When church becomes about me and my preferences, then I hang out with who I want to hang out. This could shape an entire church or segments of people within the church.

As a church, we might become a group of people who only really make those who are like us feel welcome. If you’re from a different socio-economic level, have a different cultural background, or if you’re different in some other way, you may not be as welcome.

I realize that this is a challenge for everyone, but it is also something we should be aware of and working on at all times. We should be the one place in the world, where the markings of the world cease to carry the power to divide.

But even if we have a church that welcomes diversity, we must make sure we are not creating clusters of people who are all the same. As Paul says in the
1 Corinthians 12 passage, we all need each other. Hands need ears. Feet need eyes. We all need each other, and if we only spend time with “like parts”, we are missing out on the richness that God created us for.

What does it mean to be a body? It means we appreciate our uniqueness, embrace our diversity, and work together to carry out the calling that God has placed before us. When we work together, we can accomplish so much more than when we are divided.

 

shine!
Jason