Shall We March?... Or Dance?
Christians. Believers. The Church. The Body of Christ. Unity. Forbearance. Long suffering. Gentleness. Patience. Forgiveness. Love.
These are words and thoughts that have been swirling around in my head since listening to last Sunday's sermon.
Having been a christian for most of my life... and having the majority of my friends and family being Christians... somehow, unity isn't the first thing I think of when I think of the Body of Christ. In fact... sadly enough, it seems that a lack of unity seems to be a striking characteristic of the Church rather than unity being a beautiful adornment of us.
The Church... universal. Christians. Followers of Christ. Believers in the Risen Son of God. Brothers and sisters. Heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. Children of God. Sinners that Christ gave his life to save. Saving us from the wrath of God... and from eternal separation from God. Saved from the dominion of sin... and the kingdom of darkness.
Christians talk a lot about what we're 'saved from'... but I think that we need to answer another question. What are we SAVED FOR? Saved from sin and death, yes... but of course it doesn't stop there. We were bought with the blood of Christ... and therefore UNITED with God through Christ. We were welcomed into the family of God. One family. Jesus even takes the idea of unity even farther by describing us as THE BODY OF CHRIST. ONE BODY.
We represent Christ on this earth. We are his hands and feet. His feet were dirty and worn. His hands touched the sick and they were healed. His eyes looked on sinners with love and compassion. His mouth spoke truth in love. It's even been recorded that, Jesus, in his early thirties... looked much older than his age. He didn't 'self preserve'... he poured himself out... continually. Trusting his Father to continue to fill him and meet his daily needs.
I can't help but think... if we are the body of Christ... why aren't we more appealing to the world around us? The lost, sick and broken flocked to Jesus. Shouldn't they flock to his church in the same way? I'm not pretending to have the answers... it just seems to me that the power of the spirit within us... within his body... is lying dormant to some degree.
Now please bear with me. It is not my intention to sound sacrilegious in my comparison... but imagine us as the body of Christ. A literal body.
When there is some sort of growth and change taking place in the body... aches and pains are a natural occurrence. Growing pains. Change. Discomfort.
When the body is sick... it needs to rest for healing to take place. When parts are dislocated and broken... the pieces must be put back together before continuing to do its job. It would seem quite silly for me to limp along with a broken leg or my hip out of socket... and think that I would be very useful to anyone. Broken bones need to be placed back together. Inflammation surrounds the wounds... and calls all the effort and resources to the healing of that particular wound. Healing. Restoration.
When the body protects itself from injury... it cowers and reserves. We want to avoid another injury, so we play it safe. We stay in our comfort zones. We don't push ourselves. Self preserve. Safety. Reservation.
It seems to me that we go through many similar stages as the body of Christ. Times of growth, change, injury... and wounds. Healing.
The beautiful and redeeming reality of Christ's sacrificial love for us... is that he saved us FOR SOMETHING. Something beautiful. How amazing is it that we are now JOINED IN HIM... THEREFORE... JOINED WITH ONE ANOTHER.
If you actually visualize us as the beautiful, unified, loving body of Christ... what do you see?
Sometimes... I see us lying in a fever induced coma... as the body fights within itself.
Sometimes I see us limping around... complaining about this 'bad leg' that just doesn't work properly.
Sometimes I see us marching to a set of rules. I'm not sure about you... but marching has never been very appealing to me. Everyone in rows and lines... rules and regulations.
I've been asking the Lord to open my eyes to see what He sees as beautiful. I want to know what blesses the heart of God. Of course I don't have to strive to please him or earn his favor... I know that he sees his perfect son when he looks at me... because I am hidden in Christ... covered by his blood. But being hidden in Christ isn't an excuse to prop up my feet. It's a reason to offer up my life, all that I am, as a living sacrifice to him. It's a reason to empty myself everyday, trusting that he will fill me up. It's a reason to give everything without reservation. It's a reason to love those around me even when we don't understand each other. It's a reason care for one another, because we are all a part of the same body... and when one suffers we all suffer.
When I consider what blesses the heart of God... I think of the Psalms... I think of David. God called him 'a man after his own heart'. David didn't have his act together... in fact, the book of Psalms is filled with David's highs and lows. Moments of despair and moments of victory. But the thing that stands out about David the most is that he was a worshipper. He was after the heart of God. He danced.
When I imagine what would bless the heart of God... I imagine the body of Christ... dancing. Of course the hands and feet aren't doing the same things. They weren't designed to. But as we stop and listen to God... the rhythm of his heartbeat... we begin to move together. I imagine binding up wounds quickly. I imagine the legs working a bit harder when the back is out. I imagine the feet doing their job to the best of their ability instead of waiting for the hands to figure it out.
I imagine it taking a while to learn how to work and move together... but I imagine that the result of healing, training and practice would result in a glorious dance. A dance that is beautiful to those who are watching. A joyful dance for those participating... and inviting others to join in. A dance that moves to the music of his Holy Spirit... and reflects the heart of our Father.
What if we started dancing? What if we listen to his heart? Allowing the training, truth and discipline, found in his word, to meet the rhythm and music of his Spirit. Spirit and Truth. Together. One Body. United together... because we are united with him.
Christians talk a lot about what we're 'saved from'... but I think that we need to answer another question. What are we SAVED FOR? Saved from sin and death, yes... but of course it doesn't stop there. We were bought with the blood of Christ... and therefore UNITED with God through Christ. We were welcomed into the family of God. One family. Jesus even takes the idea of unity even farther by describing us as THE BODY OF CHRIST. ONE BODY.
We represent Christ on this earth. We are his hands and feet. His feet were dirty and worn. His hands touched the sick and they were healed. His eyes looked on sinners with love and compassion. His mouth spoke truth in love. It's even been recorded that, Jesus, in his early thirties... looked much older than his age. He didn't 'self preserve'... he poured himself out... continually. Trusting his Father to continue to fill him and meet his daily needs.
I can't help but think... if we are the body of Christ... why aren't we more appealing to the world around us? The lost, sick and broken flocked to Jesus. Shouldn't they flock to his church in the same way? I'm not pretending to have the answers... it just seems to me that the power of the spirit within us... within his body... is lying dormant to some degree.
Now please bear with me. It is not my intention to sound sacrilegious in my comparison... but imagine us as the body of Christ. A literal body.
When there is some sort of growth and change taking place in the body... aches and pains are a natural occurrence. Growing pains. Change. Discomfort.
When the body is sick... it needs to rest for healing to take place. When parts are dislocated and broken... the pieces must be put back together before continuing to do its job. It would seem quite silly for me to limp along with a broken leg or my hip out of socket... and think that I would be very useful to anyone. Broken bones need to be placed back together. Inflammation surrounds the wounds... and calls all the effort and resources to the healing of that particular wound. Healing. Restoration.
When the body protects itself from injury... it cowers and reserves. We want to avoid another injury, so we play it safe. We stay in our comfort zones. We don't push ourselves. Self preserve. Safety. Reservation.
It seems to me that we go through many similar stages as the body of Christ. Times of growth, change, injury... and wounds. Healing.
The beautiful and redeeming reality of Christ's sacrificial love for us... is that he saved us FOR SOMETHING. Something beautiful. How amazing is it that we are now JOINED IN HIM... THEREFORE... JOINED WITH ONE ANOTHER.
If you actually visualize us as the beautiful, unified, loving body of Christ... what do you see?
Sometimes... I see us lying in a fever induced coma... as the body fights within itself.
Sometimes I see us limping around... complaining about this 'bad leg' that just doesn't work properly.
Sometimes I see us marching to a set of rules. I'm not sure about you... but marching has never been very appealing to me. Everyone in rows and lines... rules and regulations.
I've been asking the Lord to open my eyes to see what He sees as beautiful. I want to know what blesses the heart of God. Of course I don't have to strive to please him or earn his favor... I know that he sees his perfect son when he looks at me... because I am hidden in Christ... covered by his blood. But being hidden in Christ isn't an excuse to prop up my feet. It's a reason to offer up my life, all that I am, as a living sacrifice to him. It's a reason to empty myself everyday, trusting that he will fill me up. It's a reason to give everything without reservation. It's a reason to love those around me even when we don't understand each other. It's a reason care for one another, because we are all a part of the same body... and when one suffers we all suffer.
When I consider what blesses the heart of God... I think of the Psalms... I think of David. God called him 'a man after his own heart'. David didn't have his act together... in fact, the book of Psalms is filled with David's highs and lows. Moments of despair and moments of victory. But the thing that stands out about David the most is that he was a worshipper. He was after the heart of God. He danced.
When I imagine what would bless the heart of God... I imagine the body of Christ... dancing. Of course the hands and feet aren't doing the same things. They weren't designed to. But as we stop and listen to God... the rhythm of his heartbeat... we begin to move together. I imagine binding up wounds quickly. I imagine the legs working a bit harder when the back is out. I imagine the feet doing their job to the best of their ability instead of waiting for the hands to figure it out.
I imagine it taking a while to learn how to work and move together... but I imagine that the result of healing, training and practice would result in a glorious dance. A dance that is beautiful to those who are watching. A joyful dance for those participating... and inviting others to join in. A dance that moves to the music of his Holy Spirit... and reflects the heart of our Father.
What if we started dancing? What if we listen to his heart? Allowing the training, truth and discipline, found in his word, to meet the rhythm and music of his Spirit. Spirit and Truth. Together. One Body. United together... because we are united with him.
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