Today’s scripture:1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-26

¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵If the foot would 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. ¹⁶And if the ear would 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. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many members, yet one body. ²¹The 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.” ²²On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; ²⁴whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, ²⁵that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. 

Yesterday was kind of a crazy day.  I had a meeting with someone yesterday morning that was really awesome and then I headed to the church to hang out for a bit.  I answered some questions, did some work from the front office and then went home to grab a bit of lunch.  While at home, I received a phone call talking about something crazy happening at the church.  So after a moment I returned to the church to work from my office (and yeah that is a bit unusual). I am usually working from downtown or out and about.  While in my office and working on some things, I talked with some of our regulars and yelled at another one to get out of the ladies restroom and answered questions (you can see why I don’t get much other work down while I am there), etc.  I then went to the other building to check in with Mark and then had another meeting with someone.  I went to buy pretzels for the evening devotional and went home to let the dog out for a moment before I returned to the church for Soup and Spirituality. It began to snow here in Mac.  Soup and Spirituality was great (the pretzels were a hit) and then to choir practice.

As I left choir practice, one of our regular guys who I enjoy chatting with stopped and turned to look at me.  He exclaimed, “choir too?  Next you are going to tell me that you go to the committee meetings!” I laughed and told him that yes, I go to committee meetings…but why was he surprised.  He said, “Courtney, I have watched you run around all day and talk to people, visit with people, counsel people and talk about God.  I just didn’t imagine that you did choir too!  I thought pastors were just supposed to hang out with people and you are all over the place.” I chuckled again and said, “well, I guess that falls under ‘other duties as assigned.'”

He then paused and said, “can I ask you another question? Why isn’t the shelter open tonight? It’s snowing outside and no one has room or they aren’t open.”  I was sorry that I couldn’t give him an answer besides the fact that the emergency shelter that we participate in but aren’t in charge of only opens when it gets down below freezing and the temp wasn’t below freezing.  In everything I did that day, I couldn’t answer why there wasn’t shelter last night.

So I walked away pondering a number of things.  First of all, this man who had hung out at the church off and on as much as I did yesterday probably knew my schedule better than anyone did yesterday just by observation.  Secondly, it takes all of us to be around the church.  I take great comfort that he and I can have different roles in the church and still be valued.  I can tell you that he is treated with as much respect by the office staff that I am on a daily basis and I know he feels that by being willing to have the conversation with me.  Third, we are all part of this great big body of Christ from visitation to choir to sitting in the hallway drinking coffee.  And yet, part of me can not let go to the fact that we failed last night because people had to wander all night in the snow without shelter.  This morning though I can guarantee that no one will get kicked out of the building if they have fallen asleep or need a place to be warm or dry.  That is an important care to the body of Christ today.

We have challenges ahead of us and today please say a prayer for those who are struggling to get by. Pray for those in the body of Christ who are running around trying to make a difference. Please pray for those who are just trying to find a dry place to be.  Please pray for those who keenly observe where your work is being done.

Peace,
Court