Proclaiming Good News: One Body, One Spirit for All

Holy maker of stars and glaciers, holy mender of broken dreams, holy fountain of joyful news, we stand in awe of your glory. We cry out with the psalmist in wonderlander as your word is proclaimed in the silent psalm of the cosmos. We cry out with your faithful ones as your presence is made known in the stories of your people at all times and places. [00:08:35] (27 seconds)  #WonderAtCreation

When the people returned from captivity in Babylon, you gave them your precepts to sustain as they rebuilt the city. When Jesus read the words of your prophets to his hearers in the synagogue, he reminded them of your promise to release captives, to restore sight to the blind, and to free the oppressed. Today, you call us to be members of the body of Christ, your embodied word made flesh, and to offer healing and wholeness wherever we go. [00:09:02] (31 seconds)  #HealingAndWholeness

``I want you to notice that at the center of this circle or sphere is Jesus. As the radii extend, we see different people, denominations, communities, etcetera. Do you see it? I hope so. Now I want you to consider this, that as each entity at the ends of the spokes moves closer to Jesus, to the center, they also move closer to one another. With Jesus at the center, even though we are diverse, we are unified. [00:28:41] (39 seconds)  #JesusAtCenter

A discovery has been made that when the roots of trees touch, there is a substance present that reduces competition. This unknown fungus helps link the roots of various trees, including dissimilar species. A whole forest may be incorporated together in this manner. If one tree has access to nutrients, another to water, and a third to sunlight, the trees have the means to cooperate with one another to live. [00:29:32] (37 seconds)  #WoodWideWeb

Last week's text speaks of all the gifts going together to make up the whole. This text says each gift goes together to make up the whole. A subtle distinction, to be sure, but it is nonetheless important. You can think of it as this: last week we were saying the whole matters, unity matters, the body matters. [00:31:23] (26 seconds)  #EachGiftBuildsTheWhole

This week can say, you matter to the body. You matter to the whole. Your gift matters. You matter is an important and popular message these days. But Paul's emphasis would have even more insight. It would be, you matter because the body won't be the body without you, without the gift you bring, without the person that you are. [00:31:48] (34 seconds)  #YouCompleteTheBody

The first part of today's text can be seen with dealing with the inferiority complex that many of us have. We might think that our contribution to the whole isn't worth a whole lot, or that we don't major up to the leaders of the congregation or the ones up front week after week. I'm just me, somebody might think. I'm nothing special. I'm nothing crucial. I don't really matter. [00:32:23] (24 seconds)  #YourPartMatters

But this passage, it tells us that each and every person's contribution is important. Whether it's sitting and listening, or checking the pews and cleaning up stuff that gets left, or bringing cookies, or greeting a visitor, or holding a door open for someone. Think about it. Each and every task, and each and every person has importance. [00:32:47] (29 seconds)  #SmallActsMatter

The second approach that Paul takes in this text is to deal with those who have a, I guess we could call it a superiority complex. These aren't the folks who need to be coaxed out of the shadows to the stage of recognition. These are the ones who are already there and they think they're above everybody else. They think that their gift deserves more recognition than someone else's. [00:33:16] (24 seconds)  #HumbleService

Paul, in this chapter dealing with these quarreling Corinthians, Paul is attempting to push some into recognizing their proper place as part of the whole and that everyone is part of the whole. He is teaching that a little humility would be a good thing. Paul wants us to remember how we get these gifts. He clearly states that any gift worth the title of spiritual gift has not come from within, but it has come from the spirit. We are all sourced from the same reservoir. We all drink with the same spirit, Paul tells us. [00:33:39] (44 seconds)  #GiftsFromOneSpirit

Because of our common origin, because of our gifts' common origin, we can share in mutual support and mutual honor for whatever it is, whatever we do within the body of Christ. It's important to have focus on the interrelatedness of the gifts we use for building up the body. The reading says, If one member suffers, all suffer together with it. If one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. We are part of the whole, not one above another, or one more necessary than the other. We are one. [00:34:23] (45 seconds)  #GiftsInterconnected

Yet there is still individuality. He says, You are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Individually members, meaning you are important. You the individual. You the person. You matter. But we know that best when we engage in the whole. That's when we realize how much we matter, when we act as part of the community and not just lone rangers. [00:35:09] (27 seconds)  #YouMatterInCommunity

Well, here's one thing. The Church, the body of Christ, works by the Spirit. Luke emphasizes that role, the role of the Holy Spirit in lots of different verses. The book of Acts focuses on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. Fulfilling the commission of the Church depends on the power of the Holy Spirit. [00:36:59] (23 seconds)  #SpiritPoweredChurch

Think about 10 gallons of gasoline. The energy in that gasoline can be released explosively with a lighted match, or it can be channeled through a car engine and used to transport a person 300, three fifty miles? That's pretty cool. The Holy Spirit works both ways. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit exploded onto the scene. Thousands were affected by one burst of God's power. But the Spirit also works through the Church, channeling through the body of Christ here, through worship, through fellowship, community, through service, Christians tapping into that lasting power. [00:37:36] (47 seconds)  #PowerOfTheSpirit

The Holy Spirit anoints the Church to preach the Good News. When the early Church faced oppression, they prayed to the Lord to enable your servants to speak your word with complete confidence. Boldly proclaim because of what the Good News can bring to the poor, to the prisoners, to the blind, to the oppressed. The Lord promises freedom, sight, and release. [00:38:31] (25 seconds)  #GoodNewsForTheOppressed

Rock and Redeemer, you call us to remember that we are all members of one body in your spirit. Forgive us when we do not embody your love, when we speak harshly to one another, and when we judge others in our hearts. Together, we drink of the one spirit and share in the same love that makes us one. [00:40:50] (21 seconds)  #UnitedInSpirit

Reclaim us when we refuse to hear your word when spoken by those who do not look or sound as we expect. Remind us that when one of your creatures suffers, all of creation suffers. Renew us when we forget that we are one body, one family of our heavenly creator. Hear the good news. God heals our illusion of separateness and makes us one and whole. [00:41:12] (29 seconds)  #OneBodyOneFamily

And now in our prayers of the people, we lift up the many the many events around the world. Many of you have been watching things in in Morocco, in South Pacific, things across this country. And we hold all of those up all of those people. We pray for healing. We pray for safety. We pray for relief. And we hold up those near and dear to us, those families we know that are battling COVID, those people we know who have lost loved ones. We hold them all up, and we come together in praying for them. [00:41:51] (35 seconds)  #HoldingTheWorldInPrayer