January 23, 2010
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The wounded and diseased body of Christ
We are the resurrected body of Christ! Really! Can there be anything anymore exciting then to know we are the body of Christ in this world. Today we celebrate the addition of new members to our part of the body of Christ. A body that does not continue to grow and to change is dead. Our bodies must continuously replenish themselves in order to survive. Today we participate in the ritual of replenishing Safe Harbour MCC so it may be healthy, grow, and perform the tasks we are assigned as part of Christ’s resurrected body in the world today.
I had originally planned to speak on the importance of each one of us finding our gift or function in Christ’s body, to challenge our new members and the congregation to find the ways they are called to serve and to recognize what is not your function in the church. I would challenge you not to be envious of those whose function appears more important or glamorous but to be content in knowing there are no unimportant body functions. The health of the body depends upon each part functioning well. It is an important message and I hope you will ponder on what gifts and talents you bring to the body.
Events of the past couple weeks convince me I need to speak today about the health of Christ’s body. The body of Christ today is wounded and diseased and in need of healing. The body of Christ, which I believe is all of creation, has been critically wounded by natural disasters. The earthquake in Haiti has opened a huge gash in the body of Christ and it is essential that the rest of the body respond in ways to stop the loss, bring nutrients and pain relief to the wound area. Drought in East Africa and Australia has threatened the body of Christ with dehydration and the rest of the body must work to bring the needed life sustaining water to that part of the body. God has chosen the body of Christ to preach Good News to those who hunger and thirst, and to those who mourn.
The body of Christ has been assaulted by war and violence. Parts of the body of Christ are living with open warfare around them. The body of Christ struggles with the need to provide safety and order and the cost of military solutions in terms of life and our own humanity. The body of Christ is threatened by those who practice terror even those who practice terror in God’s name. The body of Christ is injured by those who take from the weak to satisfy their own greed and by those who physically and emotionally hurt those with whom they live. The rest of the body must respond with protection and comfort to those who are frightened and those who struggle with ethical decisions about the use of force to achieve safety. God has chosen the body of Christ to preach Good News to those who are frightened and troubled in mind and spirit.
The body of Christ is threatened by the diseases of bigotry and hatred. Parts of the body of Christ are told they are of no value or told they should be destroyed. Parts of the body of Christ are attacked because they are different or perceived to be different. Human bodies have antibodies in them that are designed to attack foreign intruders to the body that threaten it with harm. Some of the most painful and debilitating diseases we suffer is when these antibodies become overzealous and attack parts of the body that belong in the body. It is also true in the human body that too much attention to protecting the body from bacteria compromises the body’s ability to fight of disease. These things happen in Christ’s body also. People, institutions, churches become overzealous about protecting themselves from what is perceived as threat because it is different or because they agitate the person, institution, or the church. The over-zealous protectors force out parts of the body that the body needs to be whole and to be prepared to defend itself against criticism. The body of Christ becomes debilitated when we drive out what is essential for us to function and grow. We all have the potential to be a parasite when what we think we need or deserve keeps us from seeing the needs of the whole and from seeing the damage we are doing to the community that hosts us. The rest of the body of Christ must respond by calling back the over-zealous antibodies that would drive out difference and dissent. God has called the body of Christ to bring the Good News of moderation to the zealots that threaten the very body they seek to defend.
The body of Christ is threatened by parasites that would seek to use the church for their own purposes. Parasites do not concern themselves with the health of their host; they care only about getting their own way. Parasites in the church seek to satisfy their need for power by ignoring the rules and the voices of others and press forward with their personal agenda regardless of cost. Parasites in the church also threaten the church by using it as a means to get even, to settle a score. Parasites will suck the life blood out of a church for the sole purpose of starving one part of the church without concern that their actions may kill the whole church. The rest of the body of Christ must respond by changing the parasites into contributing members of the body or distancing itself from the parasite if its nature cannot be changed. God has called the body of Christ to preach the Good News of living for the well being of the whole to those who have lost sight of the world beyond themselves.
Let us pray. Great God, the body of Christ cries out to you today because it is wounded and diseased and in need of hearing your healing Good News. We are wounded by the events of the world and we pray for your wisdom as to how we are to respond to the needs of those caught in disasters, wars and violence. We are wounded by the loss of people we love and we have cared for and by life threatening illness in ourselves and in those we love and care for and we pray you send us the comfort we need and the healing touch needed by those who are ill. We are wounded by relationships that are strained or broken we ask that you send us compassion to respond in ways that strengthen the strained relationship or brings mutually respectful resolution to those that are irretrievably broken. We are broken by another change in our spiritual leadership in this church and we pray for discernment as to how this church finds new leadership in ways that are honoring to you and that demonstrate this is your church. The body of Christ is diseased today with personal agendas and power struggles, with hatred and bigotry, and with zealots who have lost sight of the object of their zeal. We pray your healing touch on our wounds and diseases so we can be what the body of Christ needs us to be. Amen.
