Grace, Mercy, and
Peace to you in the name of Christ our Saviour.
I’m
a pretty big Jets and Bombers fan. I used to watch as many games as possible on
TV and we’re Bomber season ticket holders. When I was a kid, we would go to my uncle’s
house every week to watch Hockey Night in Canada. Although I don’t watch the
games much anymore, when it comes to playoff season, I’ll try to find a way to fit
a few into my schedule.
Anyway,
one of my favorite parts was watching the interviews, especially after big wins
like the Stanley Cup or the Grey Cup. Everyone was so excited and happy. And
almost every person interviewed would praise their teammates. Even when the
reporter would ask about a goal or catch or touchdown that the player got, it
was always “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates”, or “we won this game
as a team”, or “it was a team effort.”
In
my opinion, the best teams are the ones who are there for each other. The teams
where when one player is struggling, another one picks up their play. The teams
where each person has their unique gift, is supported by their teammates, and
are missed when they aren’t there.
The
other thing that makes a team great is when they are involved in their community.
The Winnipeg Football Club announced this past Tuesday the donation of 525 new
football helmets to be distributed among Manitoba’s 35 high school football
programs. Isn’t that incredible? According to Chris Olson, head coach of the
Oak Park Raiders, “The Blue Bombers donating 15 helmets per school is a massive
support as helmets cost us around $425 each. Their support of equipment and
camps for kids year-round helps us make it affordable for our kids to play.”
Often,
we hear stories of athletes being involved in their community. Whether it’s
visiting children’s hospitals, donating money to military veterans, or having a
pickup game with neighbour kids.
Paul
says that this is what the church is supposed to be like.
The
book of Romans can be divided into two parts: a theological explanation of the
gospel for the first 11 chapters and a series of ethical exhortations for the
rest of the letter. At the end of chapter 11, Paul reflects on God’s
mysterious, fixed purpose and great mercies for all people. In response, he
broke into doxology. But the letter does not end there. Paul introduces new
content as he brings the story of Christ’s redemption to bear on the life of
the believer in tangible and practical ways. As we head into chapter 12, Paul
calls his audience to respond to God’s great mercies not in doxology, but with
a living sacrifice.
Pulling
on the language that giving a sacrifice to God was a typical piece of worship
during Paul’s time, he is telling us that we are now to be that sacrifice. Not by
offering ourselves in death at the altar, but by giving ourselves fully and wholly
to God. More than just spiritual worship, Paul is calling us to bodily worship.
Paul exhorts his audience to present their bodies and reminds them that they
are one body in Christ with many members.
In
the last part of today’s reading, Paul emphasizes that while we are one body
with many members, not all members have the same function. We are all individuals
with unique attributes and gifts that, when put together, become the amazing
body of Christ. We might be teachers or prophets or caregivers or leaders or
followers…we are all an important piece of the puzzle, important cogs in the machine
that we call “church”.
We
are a team. We are “Team Church”. Like in football, we meet once a week to do
the thing we do. We gather in one spot. We read some lessons. We hear a sermon.
We sing some music. We receive a blessing. And then we go home. And there is
nothing wrong with that! I have always called Sunday worship a resetting for
the week. It is powerful and meaningful. All of the things we do each week is
meant to be a communal reminder, a re-orientation, and loving accountability
which brings us back to the way of Jesus.
But
then what? Is this full-bodied worship? Is that being the body of Christ?
We
call the body of Christ “church” but that doesn’t mean the individual
buildings. Talking about church as the body of Christ is talking about the
people, the believers, who collectively form the church. Being the body of Christ
means to be united under his name, unified members working together to keep
being what Jesus called us to be from the very beginning – God’s beloved people.
For
Paul, this full-bodied worship is not an activity but a way of being, a way of
living in full relationship to God and each other through the way of Jesus
Christ. This full-bodied worship happens in the community as we live out our
faith by serving one another to build up the body of Christ. The quality of our
worship is not measured by what happens on Sunday mornings, but by what happens
when we are together Monday through Saturday. Paul’s worship of Christ wasn’t
confined to a building, so why should ours be?
The
western church has long enjoyed a privileged place as an institution. However,
the church was never meant to simply be an institution but a community of
forgiveness and love and generosity. Almost across the board, church buildings
are starting to empty. Where people used to walk to church in droves, they are
now driving in small groups. The meaning of being in the building is fading
away.
But
that doesn’t mean the team is breaking up! It just means things look
differently than they did before. The church is being reborn into what was
always meant to be – a group of people doing things that puts us outside the
norms of behaviour for our society. We are being called to change, to discern
what this new body of Christ will look like. We need to wrap our minds around
what we do day to day in our lives that expresses God’s will. Now, more than
ever, we will need to lean on each other, help each other discern our gifts,
and find new ways to serve God as a living sacrifice.
So,
what did Paul mean when he spoke about full-bodied worship? It means worship as
acts of service for others done in the name of Christ. It means moving beyond
the sanctuary into the streets. It means acts of kindness extended to others.
It means helping those in need rise above the barriers of the education system
or health system. It means giving resources to help improve the quality of life
for someone.
None
of us is perfect but we all are part of “Team Church”! The church that is a
group of people and communities gathered by the grace and mercy of God who
loves us freely and ferociously. The church that is meant to be a body giving Christ
a face and a voice and hands and feet to the world. The church that truly
offers ourselves for service to others in the name of Christ.
Amen.
Resources:
workingpreacher.org
bluebombers.com
pulpitfiction.com
christianity.com
millennialpastor.ca
"Feasting on the Word" edited by David Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor
