Being a Member of the Body of Christ

If We are the Body
by Casting Crowns

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girls teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances
Tells him that his chances are better out on the road

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the body of Christ

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

Jesus is the way

How often are we NOT being the body of Christ. How often do we not reach out to those in need within and outside of our church?

My husband brought home a beautiful, sad story about a man who entered a church as a stranger. He went to the Adult Sunday School class, sat down at a table and one of the members of the congregation came over to him, coldly looked at him and said, "You took my place." The gentleman got up from the seat, eventually leaving before the class began since he had no where to sit.

Instead, the gentleman decided to go to fellowship. After standing within the fellowship hall where no one spoke to him, he decided to sit down on one of the chairs at the edge of the room. Once again, a member of the congregation came over to him and said, "You must get up, you took my place." He got up, went upstairs to the sanctuary to wait until church began.

When Sunday School let out and everyone went to the beginning of service, another member of the congregation came up to him again and said, "You took my place." So, the gentleman stood up, began walking toward the altar and as he was walking, he began to change. When he reached the front of the church, he turned and the members of the congregation saw that it was Jesus they had been ignoring. He looked upon them, opened His arms wide as though upon the cross, and said, "Yes, I did take your place."

If we are the body of Christ, are we not to BE HIM? Are we not to reach out to those who make us uncomfortable? Are we supposed to tease and make fun of those who are in difficult circumstances? HOW do you believe we are supposed to BE the body of Christ?

Romans 12:3-5

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

God bless.