You are a Valued Member of the Body Preached on January 27th, 2019 at Wollaston Congregational Church Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a In a general way, I might be considered a health conscious person. But I have to confess that over my lifetime my efforts to maintain a whole and healthy body have been lacking. I have tended to focus on body image, rather than whole body care. My diet and exercise routines have not always been most advantageous for my health. I’ve exercised the body parts that people see, and ignored the parts that go unnoticed. And so, some years ago, when I was taking a yoga class, and the instructor directed us to “thank our feet” for all that they did, I did not pay much attention. When I performed the yoga stretches at home, I’d pass over the ones for feet without a thought. I did not show the gratitude due my feet, for carrying me everywhere I needed to go, in fair weather and foul, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer. My poor abused feet were ignored. And now I am paying for it. Foot pain has become a thing for me, and having been ignored for so long my feet are demanding my attention. I imagine that we all have body parts we have not appreciated enough, until they’ve given us pain or fail us in some way. And I wonder if this is what the Apostle Paul is getting at when he likens the church – in Corinth – and around the world, to a body of many parts, all of which are valuable. The analogy of a body, for a functioning organization, such as a military or political machine, was already understood in the Greco-Roman world. The comparison imagined a hierarchy with a strong a powerful leader, such as a commander or CEO, managing an top-down structure. At the base were the lowly workers, or foot soldiers, who would obey commands without question. Yet, here Paul is turning the image on its head, so to speak. Paul is telling the early church that every member is valuable, regardless of its place in the body. The eye, the ear, the feet, what Paul calls the “less honorable” parts, the heart, the lungs, the kidneys, the pinky toe, are all essential to the healthy function of the body. And this body is to be known as the body of Christ. The Church is to be imagined as Christ’s bodily presence in the world, now that Jesus is no longer physically present in the world. And so, we, the church, are provided with an image in which every member is a body part. Everyone who is a part of the church, whether it is here on Wollaston hill, here in Quincy, or throughout the world, has a valued and unique role to play. No one member is more valuable than another. When one member suffers, like the feet, we – the body - suffer as a whole. Paul presents a counter-cultural idea in an organic image. It is consistent with the teachings of Jesus, who lifted up those who had been ignored and set aside by the community of his time: the poor, the weak, the widows and the children. African American churches practice lifting up of the least of the body at their gatherings, by thanking and celebrating the oldest in attendance and the youngest. We don’t always think about ageism, but perhaps you’ve noticed that in many human systems the power goes to those in their middle years. In spite of Paul’s image, many churches insist that some kind of structure is necessary for organization. Some use a powerful hierarchy with the assumption that those in positions of power will act as “servant leaders” to the members lower in the structure. And we are only too well aware of times when that has not worked out well. Humans, given power and authority with little accountability, rarely live up to the ideal of servant leader. And so, I’m glad that the United Church of Christ favors a non-hierarchical structure. Instead of Bishops, we have Conference Ministers and Associate Conference Ministers, who consult and advise the local churches but rarely lay down the law. The United Church of Christ biannual synod makes various resolutions that local churches are encouraged to follow. But the local church has autonomy within the larger organization. This is because culture of the historical Congregational church was preserved by the UCC. Every member of the local church has a voice in the decisions that are made. And today, as we conduct our Annual Meeting, we will exercise that practice as we vote on the matters at hand. Ideally every member is valued and held as important. During our Annual Meeting, we will also vote in officers of the church, such as the Moderator and the Treasurer; the Stewards – who are responsible for our three ministry areas; and the Deacons. We are always grateful for those are serving or have served: whether they are new, retiring or continuing in their positions. And yet, we know that the work of the whole church is not done only by those in official positions. There are those who do the quiet work of setting out the appropriate paraments for the altar, lectern and pulpit. There are those who maintain the decorative touches in the sanctuary, tending to the flowers on special occasions and the Advent wreath and crèche during the appropriate season. There are those who pick up and take home our elders and members without transportation. There are those who take any opportunity to get busy in the kitchen, washing cups, checking on the refrigerator, and those who signup to bring snacks and make coffee each week. There are those who send cards to their fellow members, who make phone calls when the service is cancelled due to severe weather, those who check in on the ones who cannot be with us when we meet for whatever reason. There were the volunteers who set to and cleaned out the room, upstairs, for the new ministry with “All Hands In” and those who assist Marian with the Powerpoint or read the scriptures during worship. No matter who you are, what kind of a member of the body you are – whether officially a member or by virtue of the fact that you are simply here - we need you and we need one another. Perhaps your sweet singing voice will encourage another person in the pews this morning. Perhaps the celebration or concern you share will spark another member to deepen their prayer life. Perhaps your smile and greeting will help another person feel a little less lonely in the coming week. We all have a part to play. The ideal of everyone having a voice, in a non-hierarchical structure, and everyone having a part to play, sounds lovely. And yet, there is a down side to the United Church of Christ culture. And that is, that sometimes our sense of authority can get a little off balance. Back in the fall, group members of the discussion on the display of the flag in the sanctuary were stumped by the following question: “Who is the head of the United Church of Christ?” Some may have thought of John Dorhauer, the current General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. Others may pondered, the President of the United States. Neither of these answers is correct. Thankfully, we are not subject to the dramatic shifts of the leadership of our nation. The Apostle Paul does not mention who is the head of the church, in the letter to the Corinthians. A letter to the Colossian Christians, probably written later by a follower of Paul, addresses this question. The author reminds the church that Jesus Christ: “is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.” (Colossians 1:18) The constitution of the United Church of Christ states : “The United Church of Christ acknowledges as its sole Head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior.” And so, every member has a voice, and every member is valued, and when one member hurts the whole body hurts. And still, thankfully, we – the church – whether in the UCC, or the larger Church throughout the world – ought not to be subject to power play, or human whims or reactivity. Ultimately, we are all called to give authority to Jesus, and diligently seek God’s will. We are to do so in our prayer lives, in our reading of the scriptures, through our reasoning, our traditions, and our experiences. And so, I say to you today, you are a valuable member of the body of Christ. May we all listen to the head, Jesus Christ, and act and speak accordingly for the common good of the church in this place and throughout the world. May all God’s people say, Amen
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