“I am the Church! You are the Church! We are the Church together!”

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the coming rain. It is a sign that even though our lives may feel stuck in one place because of the pandemic, the world is actually going on. Help me to find ways to participate in the movement of the world and of your spirit. Amen.

Scripture: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1Corinthians 12:27

Message:  I was struck today by a Facebook post from a friend extolling the virtues of being able to participate in worship virtually. He was surprised that the experience was edifying and was even looking forward to the next service. I was reminded by this post again that the Church, the Body of Christ rests in and among the believers before it moves out into the rest of the world. Edifices with their steeples, pews, and colored carpeting, banners, and the like, which might range from the spectacular to the humble, are just spaces where those filled with the very spirit of God come together. In times of isolation by choice or thrust upon us, it is essential to recognize that you, we, are the Church. There are always ways we can be in communion with the body of believers whether local or far away. I have been saying lately to friends and colleagues, “We all need to get back to those old-fashioned ways of communicating. Write a letter, send out a card, make a phone call date to have coffee together.”

The title of this devotion comes from a hymn written by Richard K. Avery and Donald S. Marsh in the 70s. It is complementary to our reading from 1Corinthians. The Greek word, sóma, translated body most often refers to the physical body…flesh and blood. While most interpret the use of sóma to apply to the spiritual or metaphysical body, I would like to focus on the use of soma to mean the physical body.

What does it mean that your physical body is the body of Christ? Let’s take a look at 1Corinthians 6:19-20, which reads, “…do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body” (ESV). Your physical body is a place in which worship and work of the Holy Spirit can and should reign. It is not just your mind and spirit that have been ransomed by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. It is also your physical body and its senses. It is the physical body that provides acts of love, mercy, and charity. It is the physical body that sits next to others in places of worship. It is the physical body that is moved to compassion and therefore acts. It is the physical body that reacts when it feels the presence of God. I need you; you need me, we all need each other because we are the body of Christ. We are his hands, his feet, and his heart. So, while it might be preferable, it is not necessary to be in a specific building to experience God’s presence. It also not necessary, though preferable that we be in close personal contact to worship or to be in communion with one another. There is no “holy of holies” and God doesn’t dwell in an Ark. God dwells in you. The hard part will be remembering this so that your body, mind, and spirit acts like it. Please pray with me.

Closing prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for choosing to dwell in me. I often feel like the least likely vessel, but I remember how joyfully Mary received the news that she would bear the Savior of the World. Help me to be at least as joyful as that responding, "I am the Lord's servant…May your word to me be fulfilled" (Luke 1:26-38). Amen.