| I Corinthians 6:12-20 "I Am The God Who Heals You" |
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| Written by Rev. Don Lee | |
| Saturday, 14 January 2006 | |
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Tens of Thousands of Muslim pilgrims gathered in Saudi Arabia last week, just before dawn and began hurling pebbles at three huge stone pillars; a symbolic ritual to drive Satan away. Al-Jamra, (in Arabic, “stones to throw at Satan”) is one of the final rituals of al-Haj. It looks back to the OT story of God’s command for Abraham to sacrifice his son, and the temptations he faced. The Islamic practice of al-Jamra is something many in western culture would consider odd, naïve, and animistic-ly primitive. It doesn’t help that last week 345 people died in a stampede of pilgrims participating in the ritual. “Stoning Satan indeed,” we reason. Too bad they aren’t privileged to our socially enlightened, progressively Christian, westernized minds. We’ve long since exorcised our demons! · Got problems? Say a prayer. · Have an addiction? Get therapy. · Feeling overwhelmed? Pop a pill. · Bored? Buy some toys. Besides, (and let’s just call it what it is) some people are much too angry at Islam to give much validity to anything Muslims do. Folks, you’ve got to name it before you can deal with it; and you’ve got to deal with it to follow Jesus! Maybe throwing stones at the devil is not such a bad idea. It gives us something tangible to do, when faced with the horrors in our world, as well as the brokenness within our own selves. The idea being that when we recognize evil for what it is and take a stand against it, it is a good thing. In our scripture reading, the apostle Paul has heard reports that members of the church in Corinth have been engaging in some pretty “hard core” behavior. Despite the freedom that comes from living under grace, Paul argues that Christians have even more reason to live holy lives. Our reading comes from 1st Corinthians 6:12-20. I invite you to listen for the Good News: 12 ‘All things are lawful for me’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me’, but I will not be dominated by anything. 13‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’, and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, ‘The two shall be one flesh.’ 17But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. 19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. Prayer: Lord God, our Creator and Redeemer, all that we have and all that we are has come as gifts from your loving hand, including the gift of our mortal bodies. Because you have so wonderfully fashioned us, because you have given us the gift of health, and physical ability, help us to be good stewards of our bodies. We pray this day for all those who suffer in their bodies: for the sick, for those in chronic pain, for those who are addicted to sex, or enslaved to chemicals, and for those who have been born with great physical disabilities. Give them the grace they need to live with and in their bodies. Give those of us who have reasonably well and fit bodies compassion, understanding, and love for those who struggle with their bodies. Help us, in all things, in all circumstances, to glorify you. Amen. Paul writes in verse 15, Do you not know that your bodies (in the Greek, your “Somas”) are members of Christ? “Soma” refers to more than just simply flesh and bone…Paul uses it to refer to the whole self. It’s the same word he uses in Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you, therefore, sisters and brothers, through the mercies of God, to present your (your “Soma,” your whole self) as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” While Greek thought separates body from soul, Hebrew thought looks upon the two as interconnected. That’s why (theologically speaking) the eradication of poverty is not just a good thing. It’s a God thing! You cannot address the human soul while ignoring the body. You cannot separate one from the other. With one exception. It’s called death! Borrowing a phrase from J. Ellsworth Kalas’ “the body is woven through with soul.” The Ten Commandments from the Backside, P.74-75 Abingdon Press Nashville 1998 The Mission Committee has been in contact with Bunny Summerlin at Metrocrest and Mary Joiner at Sr. Services about ways to involve in our members in mission in our immediate community. Mary mentioned that they deliver meals to Seniors and a nice project would be to provide cookies and Valentine's Day cards to put on the trays. Emily Luevanos and Diane Stem are inviting members of the congregation to sign up to bake cookies and provide Valentine's Day cards for these 50 some Seniors. The Christian faith refuses to stay personal. Why? The body is woven through with soul. According to scripture, the Soma is sacred or holy. Holy means something set apart for God’s purpose. That’s what the apostle Verse 19: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?” The idea is of something held in trust for someone else. I Corinthians 3:16-17 says: “You yourselves are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in you and that temple is sacred.” The body is precious; a Gift Card from your creator that should be used in a thoughtful and timely manner, and not wasted. Paul is not advocating Puritanism. H. L. Mencken described the Puritan as, "Someone who is obsessed with the notion that someone, somewhere might be having a good time." Rather Paul is operating from a high theology of the body, thus he concludes in verse 20, "Glorify God in your body.” That’s a pretty interesting concept for those of us who come to church to “get spiritual” and instead hear scripture telling us to “get physical!” Paul argues that we need to embrace a theology of the body that “takes into account the incarnation of Christ and the redemption of our bodies.” I received a letter last week from the Methodist Children’s Home in Waco thanking us for the communion offering we sent last month. Many of the children living at the MCH are troubled kids who got kicked out of school or couldn’t get along with their parents. Many of them have made bad decisions, gotten into drugs or gangs, got arrested or pregnant. Some simply had no place to go. The representative from MCH shared a story about 2 of their residents that I want to share with you. “Star and Flower, two girls that reside on our Waco campus, are great friends. They have a lot in common: they’re roommates, they like the same music, they’re both high school seniors, and they both grew up at MCH. They also know what it’s like to experience the untimely death of their fathers and witness the financial and psychological strain on their families as a result. So when Star’s mother died a few months ago, about a year after her father, both girls took it hard. We sent Star to be with her mother during the last few days of her life, and Star shared the burden for caring for her family. She spent the money she had saved while at MCH to help bury her mother and buy the essential care items she needed while living on her own. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I received a call. Star was coming “back” home to Methodist Children’s Home, and everyone, especially Flower, was elated. I saw Flower a few weeks later and asked her how her friend was doing. She said Star was having a hard time and that she felt horrible that she could not afford Christmas presents for her family since she had depleted her saving while caring for her mother. The words that came next are a real example of “paying it forward.” Flower told me that she gave Star $100 from her personal savings account to help out her friend. There was no question in that 17 year-old girl’s mind that it was the right thing to do.” I think these girls get it. They understand they were born to make manifest the Glory of God within them, body and soul. VS. 12 ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything.” The operative word here being, “dominated.” That’s a hard (convicting) word for us to hear because we are such a bundle of appetites. So much of what we do is motivated by what we feel. We are unhappy about our lives; our jobs or our relationships or ourselves. And so we begin a feeding frenzy, realizing much too late what our unholy appetites will cost us. Missionary interpreter Jerri Savuto wrote recently that there are two things she and her husband Bill want to subtract from their lives. 1) Stuff and 2) Fear “The problem of too much stuff is my problem, but of course it affects Bill,” she writes. “I am a pack rat and have way, way too much stuff. I have real problems giving things away. I have many excuses but during our Christmas holiday I clearly saw my problem for what is really is - fear. I'm afraid to give things away as I might need them sometime and all that stuff somehow keeps me safe. Well, I decided while in NM that when I returned home I was going to give 100 things away by mid-January and then I would give one thing away each day. The first 100 things has been quite easy and every morning after my devotions and exercise I find one thing to give away. I have great news! Generally, my fear has been replaced by joy. It is liberating not to have so much stuff. My cub boards, closet and shelves are not as crowded and I am finding it awesome to think that I can give things to people that can really use them. I am wondering how I could be so confused for so long. I also have pledged that every time I receive or buy something new, I will give something away. I'm hopeful that will curb my shopping desires!” She concludes, “Oh, be assured there are some things I can't quite give away yet, but I am making a start and it certainly feels good. This exercise has helped me remember how little I need and how much I have. An added bonus is I feel so thankful for all I do have and all I can give to others. And I'm not as afraid or controlled by my stuff.” It’s amazing how easy it is to allow the things in our lives to dominate us. We’ve got some sand in the system! We say, “No, I’m good,” but the reality is, things are not that good or at least as well as we’d like people to believe. We’re suppose to learn from our mistakes, not keep repeating them! Paul says in verse 20, you were created to glorify God. What does that mean? I think it means that we are called us to holy defiance and unrelenting love! In my mind, Holy defiance is a non-violent resistance to the un-holiness of the world. It requires the setting and honoring of healthy spiritual and physical boundaries. Healthy boundaries free us up to truly enjoy life and embrace its gifts. It’s being a good steward with what you have including your body. Unrelenting love is how God intends for us to relate to others. For example, Christians are not to objectify the opposite people. We live in a shallow twisted sex crazed culture. What sort of culture do we have where young women get the message that they are only beautiful if they starve themselves to death? The Gospel has a different message. It declares all of God’s children as towb! Good, beautiful, and deserving of great love. Paul’s high theology of the body is not about God’s divine “no” but rather “God’s divine “yes” to who we can be. I was at Starbucks last week working on my sermon when a 2 year old sitting on an upholstered chair apparently lost a coin in the crevice between the cushions. He reached in, apparently found the coin, but he couldn’t pull his clenched fist out. “I’m stuck mommy,” he said. I found it mildly amusing, watching him try to get his hand out. There was no way he was going to let go of that penny. It was only after much coaxing from his mother saying, “Honey, just let it go…” that he finally released his grip and was able to pull his hand out. I wonder how much you and I are like that child? Hanging on so desperately, with our fists clenched, refusing to let go of something, stuck, unable to get on with our lives. · disappointment that things have not turned out the way we’ve planned; · grief that is tearing us apart; · the vice we think we can’t live without; · pride that says, “I deserve that…” or “I deserve better.” · the anger over having been hurt deeply by someone you love. I don’t believe we can received God’s grace with a clenched fist. Grace requires that we come to God open handed, like needy children… naked, frail, empty, and hungry, needing a gracious God in the worst sort of way. They have a saying in Brazil, “God writes correctly with crooked lines.” God wants to use you, all your gifts and graces, as well as your flaws and failures, to make God’s love known. It’s about acknowledging your brokenness, accepting God’s grace, and moving to a new place of healing and wholeness. You are invited forward to be anointed with oil, a symbol of God’s healing presence. In Exodus God speaks with the words: “I am the Lord who heals you.” And in the Gospels, Jesus adds, “My Child, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” By receiving this anointing we affirm our belief in the power of our faith in Christ and our conviction that God not only cares about us, but is involved in the life of all God’s people. Come as you are…. |
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