I had the privilege and pleasure of preaching again at Red Bank UMC in Chattanooga on January 26th. It is a good place to pulpit supply.
Here is the sermon:
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a (NRSVUE)
January 26, 2025
Red Bank UMC
3rd Sunday after the Epiphany (Green)
As we continue in our time of worship this morning, will you pray with me?
“God of Light, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy
Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and your word proclaimed, we may hear
with joy what you say to us today. Amen.” (Prayer for Illumination, UMH,
in Upperroom WorshipBook, page 35)
Listen
for what words or phrases stand out to you.
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a (NRSVUE) [New
Revised Standard Version Updated Edition]
12 For just as the body is one and has many
members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is
with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of
one Spirit.
14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one
member but of many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I am
not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a
part of the body. 16 And if the ear would say, “Because I am
not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a
part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where
would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of
smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the
body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single
member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many
members yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I
have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of
you.” 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to
be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body
that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less
respectable members are treated with greater respect, 24 whereas
our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the
body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that
there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same
care for one another. 26 If one
member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all
rejoice together with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And
God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third
teachers, then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance,
forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all
apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work powerful deeds? 30 Do
all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But
strive for the greater gifts.
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GOD IS STILL SPEAKING.
THANKS
BE TO GOD.
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As you hear these words, what stands out?
We don’t have the time
to go over all the great parts of this passage today. It would make a great
study.
As I reflect on this
passage, two things stand out to me: belonging and body/community.
I don’t know about you,
but I think of a few different things when I reflect on these words.
We are not all alike.
We are all different, unique. Each part of the body serves a purpose, has its
place. We cannot all be the ear, the eye, the foot, etc. Okay, so what comes to
mind for me? Mr. Potato Head. Maybe it helps you visualize this passage a
little better. If all Mr. (or Mrs.) Potato Head had were eyes or ears, or
feet…. That would be silly, right?!?! There is no way it could “function
properly”. Whatever that means for a potato toy. But, we can play around with
it, giving it several sets of eyes, ears, etc., placing them where we want
them. BUT, it’s not real life.
We are individuals,
with unique gifts and graces, with unique backgrounds, with all kinds of
differences. With all of our differences, we are still one. We are one body.
That is what we read and hear today.
And, together, we
rejoice with one another, we suffer with one another, etc., because we ARE one.
Each part, each person
is needed in order for the whole to function at its best.
Now, we may not like
the nose or the ear or the foot. There may be parts of the body that we don’t
understand.
Let me offer a
different analogy. How many are familiar with Winnie the Pooh and Friends? You
may have noticed that the stole I am wearing today is Winnie the Pooh and
Friends. It’s full of green, so it fits right in to today’s liturgical color for
the Ordinary season.
Each of the characters are different and have
their unique personalities, right? Some of them might be more “beloved” in our
eyes than others. Think for a moment—which of the characters do you relate best
to and why? Now, which of the characters do you not relate to and why? We might
relate to or become frustrated with Tigger’s extreme energy and constant
bouncing. Or, we might find Eeyore’s attitude to be a bit too much or find we
relate to it. Or, we may find Rabbit to be too controlling or bossy or none of
those. And so forth. Yet, they live in community, do they not?!? And they offer
one another strength, insight, love, care, compassion, etc. One thing we learn from our friends in the 100 Aker Wood is that they
respect each other’s differences. They live into their inclusive and diverse
environment, recognizing that they need each other and that they are part of
each other--that is what helps them survive. They understand that each one of
them belongs to the body, to the community.
A quick search on
“belonging” I found this: From Cornell University-- https://diversity.cornell.edu/belonging/sense-belonging
Belonging--Belonging is
the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance,
inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group. It is when an
individual can bring their authentic self to work. When employees feel like
they don’t belong at work, their performance and their personal lives suffer.
Creating genuine feelings of belonging for all is a critical factor in
improving engagement and performance. It also helps support business goals.
If we were to take that
definition and apply it to a faith community, it might sound like this:
Belonging--Belonging is
the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance,
inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group. It is when an
individual can bring their authentic self to church. When people feel like they
don’t belong at church, their worship and their personal lives suffer. Creating
genuine feelings of belonging for all is a critical factor in improving
engagement and performance. It also helps support community goals.
Maybe you’ve heard the
expression, ‘we’re better together’. When we find ways to live as the body of
Christ in community, allowing the gifts that each person brings to grow, our
hearing improves, our vision improves, we are able to be the hands and feet of
Christ more effectively.
You may or may not know who Hezekiah Walker is. He is a gospel musician and a pastor at a church in Brooklyn, NY.
Hezekiah Walker has a song “I Need You to Survive”:
You need me
We’re all a part of God’s body
Stand with me
Agree with me
We’re all a part of God’s body
It is [God’s] will that every need be supplied
You are important to me
I need you to survive.”
Other lyrics of the song:
“I pray for you
You pray for me
I love you
I need
you to survive
I won't harm you with words from my mouth
I love you
I need you to survive”
As
you look around the sanctuary today (yes, take a moment to look around), the
faces you see are all a part of God’s body. We need each other to survive, to
grow as followers of Christ, to live out the gifts each one has.
As people who belong to the body of Christ, may we find a way to pray for one another, to love one another, to support one another, to rejoice with one another, to grieve with one another.
Will you pray with me?
Creator God, we are reminded today that each of us has a different gift to share in the body, in community. We are not all the same. You have created us uniquely. Help us to learn from one another in our differences. Help us to work together, recognizing we all belong to the body. Help us lean into your love as we seek to become a community that thrives because of our differences. Thank you for your love and your grace that allows us to be your beloved children. Amen.
Rev. Deb
LINK TO CHURCH SERVICE VIDEO:
LINK TO ONE VERSION OF "I NEED YOU TO SURVIVE""
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