May the words of
my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock
and my redeemer. Amen.
I’m
a pretty big Winnipeg Jets and Blue Bombers fan. I used to watch as many hockey
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 Saturday to watch Hockey Night in
Canada. Football is still on every week, but while I don’t watch much hockey
anymore, when it comes to playoff season, I’ll try to find a way to fit a few
into my schedule.
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. We often 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,
expressing his praise to God. “For from him and through him and to him are all
things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.” (11:36) But the letter doesn’t 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 simply 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. No matter our gift, 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 the CFL, 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 a 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 out in our community from 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 be just an institution. It was meant to be 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 are perfect but we all are part of one body and one team. We are 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 voice and hands and feet to the
world. The church that truly offers ourselves for service to others in the name
of Christ.
Amen.
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