304 S. Elam Ave.
Greensboro, NC

Phone: 336.272.2196
Fax: 336.275.7800

© 2007 First Moravian Church
Greensboro, NC

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October 8, 2006 Anniversary Sunday

I Cor 12:12 -26
"Working Together"

1 corinthians 12:12-26

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot would say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear would say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.' 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

Paul is writing to a first century church that sounds a lot like our congregation here at First Moravian. The Corinthian church included folks from many different backgrounds and religious traditions, with rich and poor members, old and young, and both men and women in leadership roles. In this kind of church community, then and now, conflict and disagreements about how to live together, how to be Church, are a given! So as we celebrate 98 years of presence and ministry in the Greensboro it's worthwhile to reflect on the image Paul gives us as the church as a human body, and what that tells us.

So imagine with me for a moment in your minds eye, the inside of the human body—remember one of those pictures on the wall of the examining room you glance at while waiting for the doctor to come in—See in your imagination, the various parts of the human body—the lungs, heart, stomach, ligaments, muscles, bones. The veins and nerves, the backbone and skull.

Each part of our body has vastly different roles, outlooks and understandings of what's necessary to keep our body functioning in peak health. The concerns and functions of the liver are different than a hand's. Nerves have one job, arteries and veins another. Muscles, ligaments and bones work together but have different purposes. Just imagine for a moment the billions of cells and parts that make up each one of our human bodies! Unless we're a 4 th year medical student we probably can't even begin to name them all.

So the first truth we draw from Paul's image of a how we should be together as a congregation is that diversity of outlooks and ministries not only acceptable, but necessary to give wholeness and vigor to the body. The fact we are different and have different perspectives on what is needed to follow our Head, Jesus Christ, is a positive!

A second truth is: we know from experience that if even one part of our body is damaged or missing, then our body doesn't function nearly as well. We are adversely affected when part of our body's been removed, or no longer works as it's suppose to. We don't function at peak performance when we are sick. The rest of the body must work together to heal the damaged part. Otherwise we risk doing greater damage to the body.

So the second truth shows us we as a body are adversely affected when any member is hurting or missing. Paul goes onto to tell us that if one member of the body suffers, the whole body suffers. Or said another way, we are our brothers and sister's keeper when they are in need. We each are adversely affected by their need whether we realize it or not.

A third truth, Paul gives us, is that Jesus is the head of our body. No part of the body can see clearly except the head, Jesus Christ. What binds us together in common purpose, what unites us in our great diversity within the body of Christ is our common goal of discerning the mind of Christ. What would Jesus have us as a congregation do? The short answer of course is Jesus was concerned about obeying the will of the Father and thus we should too—as the Body of Christ we should follow Jesus and do God's will. But how do we know what God's will is? Our answer must be congruent with what the gospels tell us Jesus Christ said and did. What was Jesus concerned about? What instructions did Jesus give his followers?

So the third truth we have is: we must always ask ourselves, is what we are doing and saying, congruent with what we know Jesus said and did in the gospels? If our answer is consistent with what Jesus has taught us, then our answer, our action, may not always be the best answer, but it will be a right answer.

Another way of understanding the truths Paul gives us as to how we are the Body of Christ is to examine your own experience for its truth. As you reflect back on your years or months, or even just a few weeks here at First Moravian, ask yourself: What blessings have I received from others in this congregation that I did not deserve? When have I been weak and helped by my church family? The list may surprise you! For it is God's grace given us through other parts of Christ's body when we realize we don't deserve what we have received. God's grace comes when we see our life not as an entitlement, not as our just reward, but as gift.

And also ask yourself: What have I given to others they did not deserve, but needed?

What difficulties have I caused others and how can I repent?

What do I need to let go of so that God's grace and love can fill this body of Christ?