Missing Body Parts

1 Corinthians 12

For the past two weeks we’ve been reading from the book of Corinthians about what it means to be part of the body of Christ. Both Pastor Paul and I have talked about the gifts we have each been given and how each of us has a unique role to play. We have also talked about things that hold us back from experiencing and sharing the good news of the love of Christ.  That is where I’d like to begin this conversation. What is holding you back from becoming the best and most complete, radiant YOU?  Are you operating as your highest self? Or do you feel you’re a bubble off center, not quite firing on all cylinders?

The body of Christ is a wonderful metaphor for an assessment of how well we’re becoming aware of our gifts and how well we’re using our gifts.  If you are new to the term “the body of Christ”, it is both literal and figurative. Our baptisms make us part of the body of Christ and our baptism takes us out into the world in service to one another. As believers we carry on the work that Christ began so that makes our participation quite literal.  Figuratively speaking, each of us “in the body” give legs, hands, eyes and heart to sharing Christ’s love.  It makes more sense when we remind ourselves that this building is not the church, we are the church. Only a fraction of the service we give to each other goes on inside this building, the rest happens in the world.

For us in this room, before we go forward I want us to look backwards from a vista point we don’t often talk about in church.   Some of us are held back because the shrapnel and direct hits we’ve taken in the name of God, came at us from a church pulpit. Part of the calling of MCC is to name it and heal it so that we can be sent forth in useful and joyful service.  Past spiritual violence and the echoes of spiritual violence are just one of the reasons some of us are still in pain; unable to move forward.

Two weeks ago I received a letter from an organization known as “Lutherans Concerned”. The letter included a heart stopping question as its lead. It read: Are you a "missing body part" of the body of Christ we call "Lutheran"?

The letter asked me to share my story by being a part of a survey being done to take a body count of all professional clergy who have left the Lutheran church due to issues related to sexual orientation or gender identity? Like our reading this morning, the letter took the time to say “although you may have heard the church say to you, ‘I have no need of you,’ you are still a valued member and yes, part of the body of Christ!
What a courageous and brilliant act of sacred defiance Lutheran’s Concerned is undertaking! The truth is the whole body of Christ needs to be made aware of all persons have been severed from it, but are no less part of Christ! The letter ended with even stronger language “The Lutheran church has no "mirror" to reflect back to it how hacked and dismembered the body of Christ….”

Feel that language? “Severed from the body of Christ, hacked and dismembered the body of Christ”.  The church of my youth excommunicated me for being a lesbian. At the time I was literally severed, hacked and dismembered from that body. It took me years of study and prayer to graft myself back into the body.  That’s why I talk about this as much as I do. Part of my calling is to shorten the learning curve for others who have been wounded by so called friendly fire.

Imagine the numbers if all the "casualties" of the church were added together. What would the global "body count" be?   

You did not deserve any of it!  Moreover, no one can sever you from the body of Christ. Humanity doesn’t have that power. The only way you can be severed is if you resign.

Before we can heal we have to be clear about the extent of the injuries.  Beyond severing, hacking and dismembering, is it more accurate to say you’ve been unfairly disabled, hobbled or shot full of the disease of self-loathing by people who are mistaken and just plain wrong! Do you know why I know they are wrong?  Because there is nothing you can do to lose the love of God. (spelling) N O T H I N G. Nothing. Salvation is a free gift.

You are brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous. You are powerful beyond measure. You were created in the image of the holy.

If you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender you were created on purpose to be exactly as you are today. You were designed on high to be here, in this place, on January 21st, 2007.  The service you are called to in the world is because you’re gay, not in spite of it. Those of you that are not g l b or t may have been wounded spiritually by other injustices.  Others of you may have a stake in caring for someone wounded.

Some of us are held back not because we’re still dealing with the woundedness of the distant past, instead you’re dealing with more recent woundedness. Occasionally I hear about those who are still hurting over the departures of former pastors. Or people in pain because we put a video screen up or the music isn’t the music that they would select.   Diversity can be challenging. If we all had the same opinions we’d be a clique and not a congregation.

God is found in our differences and our similarities.   You know that scripture “This is the day that the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it”?  That scripture tells me that today is the day for us to seize our best futures. If we’re stuck in yesterday, we can’t be present TODAY.

Here’s what I ask. If you’ve pulled your spiritual car over onto the shoulder, put on your turn signals and get back into traffic.  If you give that wounded ness to God, God will help you. If you need to talk it through with someone, so you can let go of it, Pastor Paul and I are here to work with you. If you’re actively working on an issue, take the time you need. But if you’ve hit a wall, please don’t pull up a chair to admire the wall.

Each of us has a unique job within the body of Christ that only we can do. You can’t do that job if you’re limping. You can’t do that job if you have clenched teeth. You can’t do that work if you’re unconscious. Moreover you can’t take your place in the body if you are content being defined by your wounds.

If I am the hands and you are the feet and you ain’t moving, then I say “feet, the body has need of you”. If I am the heart and you are the eyes but the eyes are full of tears then I say, “The body has need of your vision. We cannot go forward until you lead the way”.

God wants us to behold and become. Become the proud, brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous you that only you can be.

May Sarton says, “Now I become myself. It’s taken time, many years and places. I have been dissolved and shaken, worn other people’s faces…Now with God’s permission, I shall become myself.”
Nobody can be YOU better than YOU can be you.

“Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves who are we to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God! Your playing small doesn’t serve the world-there is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure about you. We are born to manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It’s not just within some of us—it’s in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

If you are still listening to disembodied voices of shame.  Tell those voices to take a hike.

We need to celebrate our sacred selves and grab hold of the gifts God put in us to use and develop.

E.E. Cummins says “It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are”.   We have chosen to worship in community so we need to pull together.  I pray none of you ever feel hacked or dismembered from this body.  I do ask you to assess for yourselves if your arm is broken or your foot is asleep?  If somebody, even you, has been sitting on your spirit like you sit on your hands, you might be numb.

Let’s try something.  Unfold your arms, stand up, turn to the person next to you and gently shake them. Say “You OK? You awake?” Now say “God loves you” to that person. If you want to, “hug ‘em”. You know you want to anyway.

Ok, now be seated. If you are one of today’s prayer partners, would you stand up? Today during communion, you have the opportunity to go to a prayer partner.  If you’re hanging on by a thread for any reason; if you’re not sure it’s ok to be gay; if you’re not gay but you have other prayer needs that hold you back, tell one of the prayer partners and they’ll pray with you.

There is a spiritual path calling out to your soul. Job one is to listen to that call and follow.  None of us need be missing body parts.

Next week Pastor Paul is going to talk to you about the Gospel according to Harry Potter. I’m a Harry Potter nut. Harry is one boy in a long line of mythical heroes who have reminded humanity that we are far more than we think we are, so much more powerful than we seem to know. Jesus said that we would some day do even greater works than He. Should we not take him at his word?

Heal the pain and get in touch with the magic that is in you.  It’s time for us to start working miracles in our world. Missing body parts? Zero!

And all God’s brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous children said, Amen!

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