As you read in my last blog post, last weekend was the Northern Illinois Synod Assembly at Augustana College in Rock Island. The theme for the event was “Be the Body.” In St. Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, he says as the Church we are all one body. He continues by describing how each part of our human body has a function. Comically, he uses the example, “What if the whole body were an eye? Where then would the sense of hearing be? Or if the whole body were an ear? Where would the sense of smell be?” Each part has its own very special function. And without a specific part, the body just doesn’t work right.

It's the same with the body of Christ… the Church. If we all were pastors, who would hand out the bulletins? If we all were ushers… who would sign the paychecks? And it goes even further than that. Some of us are organizers and planners. Others of us are workers and doers. But everyone belongs to the body.

Let’s take an average week at church. Can you guess how many volunteers it takes to keep the church running smoothly? Fourteen per week!!! We need an usher/greeter, reader, acolyte, two communion assistants, communion set up, two tech team members, WOW teacher, two offering counters, two check signers, and a micro pantry custodian. And that doesn’t even count the many other things like serving on church council, property team, stewardship team, in reach/outreach team, and worship/music team that meet monthly. Then there are the people who come to help with funerals and other events we might be having. The people from the property team are at the building at least once a week to meet a worker, fix something, or get something we need at the building. That’s a lot of body parts!

We ARE the body of Christ. Every… single… one… of… us. We ARE all needed for the body to function effectively.

See you Sunday!