to the body

 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should 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. And if the ear should 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.  If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts,yet one body.

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.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,  and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
{1 Corinthians 12:12-27}

Body of Christ....
When you function as you are meant to do,
you are beautiful.

Not, certainly, beautiful in the conventional sense.
In fact, I am afraid that we have been photoshopped far too often.

No, we are a broken body.
One that carries scars- of pain and nights hopped to forget and shame and
oh we are scarred.
We have been broken.
We have fallen a thousand times,
and we carry scars as our reminder.

Don't hide them.
Those scars?
They were your shame.
No more shame.
Now?
Wear them proud as a reminder;
He's done amazing things.

These are your Ebeneezer,
your remembrance of the acts of God.

One day,
we will bow before Him...
and what will we touch?

His scars.
Scars the reminder of Love.
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see.
{Luke 24:39a}

He has done great things for you.
Don't forget this.
Share them,
tell the next generation-
let us taste and see that the Lord is good.

Let us, the next generation see your scars.
We are tired of the photoshopped falseness.
We need to see what He's done.

Body of Christ.
We are His hands-
Jesus touches the dirty,
the sick,
the unclean.
His hands reach out,
always in love,
always with forgiveness,
always with healing and hope.
We are His physical hands.

We are His feet-
He goes into the crowd,
into the mess,
into the places of darkness,
and brings light.
We are His physical feet.

We are His mouth sometimes-
speaking words of love.
Jesus speaks love,
forgiveness,
healing.
Truth, sometimes hard to hear,
but always in love.
We are His mouthpiece.

Don't forget this.

Body of Christ,
we are to be Christ to a world full of scars.
We may be the only glimpse of His face they see.
Be light.

You are doing a good job.
You are beautiful when you are real.
When you share,
when you hurt together
and are joyful together.

You are full of light when you are food to a starving world,
when you are the beautiful feet bringing the Good News.


Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.
{Matthew 25:37-40}

This is your calling.
Look for the King.
He is in the broken.

The broken is looking for the King-
in you.

Oh, Body of Christ.
We will fall again a thousand times.
We will look and ask "Them? Really? Do we have to say we're with them?"
No part is greater than the others.
No part is lesser.

Yes, we will fall.
Yes, we carry scars.
He will catch us.
He heals.

This is your life.
Now you are the body.


Love:)

R