(1 Corinthians 12:12-31)

[12] For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. [13] For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

[14] Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. [15] If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. [16] And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. [17] If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? [18] But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. [19] If all were a single member, where would the body be? [20] As it is, there are many members, yet one body. [21] The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." [22] On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23] and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; [24] whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, [25] that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. [26] If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

[27] Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. [28] And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. [29] Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? [30] Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? [31] But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

NRSV

INTRODUCTION:

I saw a poster one time that I hope I can get a copy of someday. It was a cartoon of an elephant with this pleading, perplexed and frightened look on its face. It's precariously balanced right on the very edge of a cliff, just ready to fall. The only thing keeping it from plummeting over the edge is the fact that it has its tail wrapped around the stem of a daisy. The caption, although it didn't really need one, read: "Sometimes you just gotta hold on!"

There's a lot of truth in that. Life is hard. At times you just gotta hold on. And sometimes it's HARD to hold on. Life can deal out some pretty nasty blows and when it does, it really gets hard to hold on. We grasp at almost anything. We feel a little like the javelin competitor who won the toss of the coin and elected to receive. It just doesn't go our way. We feel like the elephant: frightened, perplexed and just tying to hold on.

When life grabs us by the lapels and gives us a good shake; when the road of life reaches up and smacks us up along side the head, when we find our selves hanging on like that elephant, what do we do? Where do we turn?

We turn to each other. We turn to God. We turn to the Church, the body of Christ. That's why this passage is so important. It speaks of the unity of the body Christ. That unity comes through having one spirit, one heart and one purpose.

I. ONE SPIRIT:

A. Paul understands the need for unity in the Church. And he compares the Church to the body and refers to us as the Body of Christ. As the Body of Christ, he reminds us that we are all born of One Spirit. We've all received the same baptism from the same Lord and consequently are filled with the same spirit, God's Holy Spirit, the presence of the Risen Christ.

It's the Holy Spirit that inspires us and moves us closer to God. But it's also the Holy Spirit that holds us together in the hard times of struggle and the hard times of tragedy and trial. Paul is right: "When one part of the body suffers, we all suffer." The Holy Spirit encourages us and strengthens us as we reach out to encourage and strengthen each other.

B. You might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why geese fly in that V formation as they head south for the winter. As each bird flaps its own wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. (Christians who share a common direction and a sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.)

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. (It's good for us to stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are going.)

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. (It pays to take turns doing hard jobs -- whether it's people in the church or geese flying south.)

The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. (I can't tell you how much it meant to Steve and I to have so many of you call during this past week just to say you were praying for us. You were honking your encouragement.)

Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gun shot and falls out, two geese fall out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with that goose until it is either able to fly, or until it's dead, and then they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their original group.

That's what we're called to do. Sometimes we don't do it very well. But most of the time we do. Because of the presence of God's Holy Spirit and the unity of the body we are able to minister to one another. As a consequence we are all honored. But most important of all: God is glorified

II. ONE HEART:

A. God is glorified because there is one Spirit and one Heart. That heart is the heart of Christ.

I think I may have told this story before but it's worth repeating. A few years ago during the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally challenged, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the sound of the starting gun they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with the relish to run the race, to the finish and win.

All, that is, except one boy who stumbled. He tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and paused. Then they all turned around and went back. Every one of them. One girl with Down's syndrome bent down and kissed the boy and said, "This will make it better." Then all nine of them linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for 10 solid minutes. (1)

Why? Because they all had the same heart. And they knew that the goal was to win, but that the greater goal was to cross the finish and it was better to do it together, than to leave one behind, hurt and crying and alone.

Having the same heart, one heart in Christ. One heart because of Christ allows us to rejoice together when any one of us is honored. And it allows us to reach out in love and compassion when any one of us suffers.

B. Having one heart brings unity, too. Some time back THE JOYFUL NOISELETTER carried a story about a group of students who developed a tactic for dealing with the controversial 1992 Supreme Court ban on prayers at public school graduation ceremonies. They didn't like the ruling or the fact that their school had changed its policy.

After all the diplomas had been passed out at the May 28 commencement at River Valley High School in Three Oaks, MI, an unidentified graduate deliberately sneezed loudly. And in unison, all 95 graduates exclaimed: "God bless you!" That's unity. Unity of having one heart and one Spirit: the heart and spirit of Christ

III. ONE PURPOSE:

A. When we have the heart and spirit of Christ, then we have one purpose. And that one purpose is to serve and glorify God. We become a community of faith. We become a team.

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. And if we were to translate 1 Corinthians 12:12-26: into a Super Bowl version, it would read something like this: "For the team is one and has many players, and all the players of the team, though many, are one team ... Indeed, the team does not consist of one player, but of many. If the defensive end would say, 'Because I am not the quarterback, I do not belong to the team,' that would not make him any less a part of the team. And if the right tackle would say, 'Because I am not a wide receiver, I do not belong to the team,' that would not make him any less a part of the team. If the whole team were tackles, where would the running backs be? If the whole team were running backs, where would the kickers be? And if the whole team were kickers, where would the cornerbacks be? But as it is, the coach has arranged the players of the team, each one of them, as he chose. If all were quarterbacks, where would the team be? As it is, there are many players, yet one team. The quarterback cannot say to the tackle, 'I don't need you.' Nor can the defensive ends say to the running backs, 'We don't need you.' On the contrary ... if one player suffers, the team suffers together with him; if one player is honored, the team rejoices with him." (3)

Each Super Bowl team has one thing in common. They are there to play and win. That is their purpose. If the members of the team forget and each try to be the only one getting the attention, they will fail miserably. Their purpose is to play football.

B. We too, are a team. We are a community of faith. Our purpose is to serve and glorify God. When we do that, when we reach out to one another in support and prayer; when our hearts and spirits combine in purpose we create a wonderful harmony of faith.

The "Atlantic Monthly" (11/94) told about superstar tenors Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti performing together in Los Angeles. A reporter tried to press the issue of competitiveness between the three men. But Placido Domingo pretty much stopped him in his tracks when he said: "You have to put all of your concentration into opening your heart to the music. You can't be rivals when you're together making music."

That's also true in the church. When we are making the music of faith, when we put all of our concentration into having one heart that is open to the one Spirit, then we are that team, that community of faith that reaches out to each other and to others and glorifies God.

And that's our purpose. To Glorify God. In an old Christian Reader a grandmother tells how in the middle of the soloist's number at church, her grandson tugged on her sleeve and whispered, "She can't sing very well, can she?"

Knowing the woman had a deep love for God, the grandmother said, "She sings from her heart. That's what makes it good." The grandson nodded thoughtfully.

Several days later as boy and his grandmother were singing along with the car radio, he stopped and said, "Nana, you sing from your heart, don't you?" (4)

We may not all be able to sing like Luciano Pavarotti, be we can sing. All that matters is that we sing from the heart, and that we sing to glorify God.

CONCLUSION:

Sometimes life throws us curves. Sometimes we get at odds with each other. Sometimes we fall out of formation or we get tired of being the lead goose. But when we dedicate ourselves to God and belong to a community of faith, we can help each other hold on, we can support and strengthen one another, we can rejoice with each other. Because through our faith in Christ we are able to have one spirit, one heart, one purpose.

This is the Word of the Lord for this day.

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1. A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup For the Soul, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hanson, (1996, Health Communications, Inc, Deerfield Beach, FL) p. 70.

2. THE JOYFUL NOISELETTER, Aug/Sept. 1993, p. 2.

3. HOMILETICS, (1997, Communication Resources, Inc., Canton, OH) p. 36.

4. Barbara McKeever, Urbana, Ohio; CHRISTIAN READER (1996 Christianity Today, Inc July/August 1996, Vol. 34, No. 4) Page 33