Tag: The Church

Digging in Deeper: 1 Corinthians 12:14-18

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“Indeed, the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,’ it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,’ it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Earlier this week we spent a bit of time with Paul’s characterization of the church as the body of Christ in Romans 12. I noted then that in 1 Corinthians 12, he explores this theme in a great deal more depth and detail. I also noted then that we were going to come back to the idea today through the lens of the latest season of Wednesday on Netflix. Well, here we are. I reviewed the first season here. We’re not going to do a full review of the second season today, but there was one scene and a minor theme that jumped out at me as filled to the brim with Gospel implications. Let’s talk about cousin Thing and disembodied parts.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 12:6-8

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“According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

The church is a complicated organization. Yes, I know it should be as simple as it can be. Unnecessary complexity tends to diminish the amount of actual Gospel-advancing work it does. But if a church is accomplishing all the things God has designed it to accomplish, even a small church has a whole lot of moving parts and critical pieces. Now, some churches, by sheer virtue of size are able to do a lot more than others, but God equips all of them to do all the things He has called them to do. Paul here is talking about one of the ways He does that. Let’s join him.

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Morning Musing: Romans 12:4-5

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“Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

The best preachers have illustrations they go back to again and again. This isn’t because they’re boring and unoriginal (they’re the best preachers, not the worst). It’s because the illustrations are so good they’re worth being used over and over. What we encounter here is one of the illustrations to help understand the body of Christ that Paul comes back to more than once. Let’s talk about the body, the church, and what we mean to one another.

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Morning Musing: Romans 12:3

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“For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Christianity has changed the world many times over. One of the ways it has done this is through its revolution and expansion of virtue. The number of characteristics considered to be virtues and encouraged for its followers to adopt into their own lives was greatly expanded by the teachings of Jesus and His first followers. One of the most radical of these changes was the transformation of one attitude into a virtue that had always been considered a vice. Let’s talk about what it was.

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Digging in Deeper: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

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“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Comic books have always been about more than the tales and exploits of super-powered heroes and villains. They have always served as vehicles for exploring and addressing deeper topics and themes. The X-Men comics, for example, have been about tolerance for those who are different. Superhero movies do the same thing. Wandavision (and Dr. Strange 2, which was just a continuation of the Wandavision story) was a study in grief. Captain America 4 was about seeking justice for the oppressed. Iron Man 3 was about dealing with anxiety. The Infinity Saga was about the infinite value of every single life. Marvel’s second-most-recent release follows this same pattern. It’s a story about heroes and villains, yes, but it’s about a whole lot more than that. I finally got to watch Thunderbolts* this week, let’s talk about why it’s so very good.

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