The Body of Christ

The whole congregation of believers was united as one--one heart, one mind! They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, "That's mine; you can't have it." They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person's need.

(Act 4:32-35 MSG)

For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.

(Rom 12:4-5 NRSV)

If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

(1Co 12:26-27 NRSV)

I cannot imagine suffering through an experience such as we have without the love and support of family and loved ones. I mentioned in an earlier post that if you are part of our life, Patty and I consider you family whether kin or not. We have lots of kin but a huge family. Most of that family is the body of Christ. I thank God that most of our blood kin are also part of the body of Christ.

As Christians, we have a bond that goes much deeper than blood. We are united through the love of God, the blood of Christ, and the witness of the Holy Spirit. The spirit of Christian love has poured out on us in this situation like nothing I could have ever imagined. Your kindness and generosity is overwhelming. We are in a hospital one hour away from home and we have 33 pages in a notebook filled with the names of those who have visited or called. I could not even begin to count the text messages, e-mails, and Facebook comments that I have received. We have had as many as seven preachers visit in one day. During Patty’s surgery on Monday, four Methodist and one Church of God preacher stopped by. We have a large bag nearly full of cards and letters. We have had meals brought to us and several gift baskets of snacks. This type of outpouring of love just doesn’t exist in non-Christian secular families.

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

(Joh 13:34-35 NRSV)

Sadly, not everyone shares in this bond we Christians have. There are folks here in this ICU who have had very few if any visitors and the few they have are only their immediate family. They have had no one to pray for or with them.

I lift up in prayer this morning those who are suffering illness without a church family to pray for them. I lift up in prayer this morning those of my kin who lack a loving relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ. I praise God this morning for the Body of Christ which demonstrates the love of Christ by sharing that love with others.