Build Up the Body
Elaine Poproski Download: Audio
Sunday Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:7-16 (NRSV)
7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it is said,
“When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;
he gave gifts to his people.”
Looking to Sunday: Preparing to Hear From God
by Elaine Poproski
Have you ever had a cold? What am I saying? Of course you have! Everyone has had a cold at some time or another in their life. Some colds work their way through your entire body, making your joints and your bones ache. Some colds stick to the head, fogging your brain and filling your sinuses. Some colds you power through and some knock you out for a week or more. Think about one of those colds that left you sniffling and sneezing and a bit more tired than usual, but that didn’t lead to the flu or pneumonia or make you wish for death – think about the little cold.
Isn’t the power of a cold incredible? This tiny little virus gets inside your body and the next thing you know, no part of your body is functioning quite at peak capacity. Breathing is a bit more difficult; your heart might need to work harder; you need more sleep than you usually do; all because of a microscopic little bug in your nose. I know the nose is important. We need it for breathing. But I also know I often forget how important my nose is until I have a cold and can’t use it for breathing.
When the Apostle Paul talks about the church, he often uses the analogy of a body to describe it. It’s a fantastic description. Just like the body, the church is a unified whole made up of many different parts that work interdependently. If the parts didn’t work together, the body as a whole would be seriously compromised. At the same time, if the parts didn’t do their own thing, but all tried to do the same thing, the body would be just as seriously compromised. The diversity of the parts are what make the whole, whole.
When we gather this Sunday we’ll be hearing the words from Ephesians 4:7–16. We will be reminded that the church’s unity – its wholeness – is made possible because of the many different parts working together. We’ll be invited to think about ourselves as those parts. And we’ll be invited to think about our church as something that can only be described as a whole, if we, the parts, are included in that description.
As you prepare for Sunday, I invite you to spend some time thinking about yourself. What talents and gifts and experiences do you bring? How is Walmer shaped by your presence, by your participation? How would Walmer be different if you weren’t part of the church? Are you an active part of the Walmer body? Are you contributing to the body’s health and wellness? Are you contributing in the way(s) God created and gifted you to contribute? As you prepare for Sunday, I invite you to ask God to reveal some truth to you around these questions.