The Body Of Christ

Sophie is a community youth worker in Erdington for the charity Urban Devotion

1 Corinthians 12:25-26 (MSG) —

‘The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.’

This week we’re journeying through the first of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, zooming in on chapter 12:12-27 where Paul likens the Church to a body made up of many parts. There’s so much in this passage that speaks to me and I hope the different verses and themes will speak to you too.

I love this picture that Paul paints of the Church where we are dependent on one another and so willing to draw upon the skills and giftings of one another to function as one collective force for Jesus. These days being dependent on anything can be seen as a sign of weakness. However, a real strengthening of the Church happens if we choose to work together collaboratively. If we want to be part of a Church that is thriving and living out its full potential, then being dependent is one of the best ways to be.

Paul isn’t saying that we’re part of the church body for purely practical reasons. He talks about there being a deep-rooted connection between believers as we work together. I can think of a handful of relationships in my life where there’s such a deep connection that I feel pain when they feel pain and joy when they feel joy. Paul’s teaching here to the Corinthians is totally challenging when he says that this is a sign that the Church is working together as it should.

The thought of a church where relationships are this tight sounds so incredibly beautiful yet can often feel impossible as we have limited time to invest in others across the week with calendars that are jam-packed. But if you want to see the Church flourish, I’d encourage you to think, where could there be more depth in my relationships with my brothers and sisters in Jesus?

Prayer – God, I thank you that you made us to live and work together. I pray that you would help me go deeper in my relationships with others and love them deeply.