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Romans 12:4-5 NLT

'Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.'

The older I grow, the more I realise just how many body parts I have. Mostly unseen muscles and tendons discovered after gardening. Yet, these all work together to enable me live a full life, pursuing hobbies and performing essential daily tasks. Paul’s metaphor for the Church is this same human body, God’s extraordinary and complex creation, which is why belonging to a church is essential for a healthy life.

There are numerous expressions of church, none is holier or better than another. Most people choose an expression that they enjoy. Often, as we age, we may explore different expressions; this is healthy, since we discover more of the breadth of our Christian heritage. Of course, one central essential in all this is our need for fellowship or friendship. Church offers us supportive, social relationships that are themselves a source of strength and encouragement to a healthy life. I started out in a free house church expression and today find greater engagement in a Eucharistic approach.

One problem our physical body faces is the challenge of increased incidence of autoimmunity. Triggered through what we eat, environmental conditions and stress, our normally healthy defence system turns upon itself and starts destroying perfectly healthy cells.

For years the Church has failed to deal with its own autoimmunity. Rather than looking outward to ward off serious attacks upon the foundations of faith, it looks inward and invests time and resources in attacking itself. Various healthy expressions of church are singled out for attack as being inappropriate. Perhaps a better word might be ‘different’. Now the body can no longer function effectively, for it is insistent upon working against itself. Instead, much better to accept the differences and celebrate what we have in common, despite our diverse approaches to denominational and congregational life. As Paul states, “we all belong to each other”.

QUESTION: How are you being a part of God’s answer in revealing God’s love to the world?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I join with your prayer that the Church may be one in you.