One Body

During the service on Sunday morning, we read I Corinthians 3:9, which presents the following metaphors: "[Y]ou are God's field, God's building." These are profound and instructive concepts to explore at some point, but they reminded me of another metaphor Paul uses later in Corinthians and also in Romans: "As we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office, so we--being many--are one body in Christ" (Romans 12:4-5).

God's people are a body. It's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. I will confess to being nosy--wanting to know what's going on with everyone and, if possible, to tell them how to do their jobs. God has been teaching me for some years now to mind my own business and do the work He has given me. So when I came to Romans 12 on my memory work list, it was a good reminder of these truths.

How smart of God to use common comparisons we can all relate to. My feet do lots of hard work. So do my eyes and hands. Naturally, the feet are best suited to carry me from place to place (and dance the occasional jig) while my hands dig in the dirt and type on this keyboard. How foolish it would be to try to walk on my hands all day long--just as foolish as trying to do everyone's job in the body of Christ.

As I listened to Sunday's sermon, I was also thinking about the many members of our Grace body. One we will miss is Jon Carter. Pastor Ben noted Jon's humble and quiet service over the years, and I recalled that he helped paint my classroom, working for hours on something that he would never personally use. Earlier, just after Sunday School, I had been talking to Carol Woods about a memory my son has of her and some helpful advice she gave to him years ago. Right before that, another church member thanked me for influencing her son in a good direction. Each one of us had a part in carrying out God's work--a part that we could perform best.

We are all members of the same body, friends. I could not possibly do it all myself, and neither could you. We need each other. I'm so thankful for God's wisdom in putting us together in this place.

--Sherry Poff