The Body of Christ
Without the discipline of community, solitude degenerates into self-absorption and isolation; without the discipline of solitude, community degenerated into co-dependency and enmeshment…
The community of faith is where we learn the language of love. And the church uses two kinds of language—the verbal language of liturgy, scripture, and sermon, and the body language of sacraments, gestures, and social outreach.
Being a part of a life-giving faith community is like a healthy foot getting directional signals from the rest of the body. A life-giving church is one where human brokenness is lifted up like bread and wine to be held, and touched, and blessed—to heal the world.
—Kent Ira Groff
Journeymen: A Spiritual Guide for Men
The apostle Paul spoke of the body of Christ as our being in it together: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body.” He then described the beauty of God’s creating diversity within that one body—a foot can’t say to the hand, “because I’m not a hand, I’m not needed.” The ear can’t say to the eye, “I don’t need you.” But in fact, there’s interdependence among the many parts. They need one another. If there is a missing or non-functioning part, it’s a handicap. Paul explained: “But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be” (1 Corinthians 12:18). He’s orchestrated the body as he sees fit. Your role is as he desires. What part do you play? How are you living up to that role? The rest of the body depends on you. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics