Sermon Text: Romans 12.4-8,10 Title: "For Whom Are You Thankful?"

Preached: November 22, 1998

Arnie had problems the day his feet went on strike. They had decided that they had carried the rest of him around long enough. They didn't get the circulation his hands got, or the attention his face got; too often when they were really, really tired, they still had to trudge around in those smelly old sneakers, getting all the other members from point "a" to point "b." So Arnie's feet, tired of it all, went on strike.

As day broke, the rest of Arnie didn't realize that his feet were on strike, but when his legs pulled them from beneath the covers and slid them to the floor, the rest of Arnie quickly discovered there was a problem -- and just as quickly discovered the floor. After deciding that it might be past time to vacuum under the bed, Arnie's arms and knees got him back to the bedside. Gingerly he tried a second time to stand. Yep. Sure enough, there was a problem. The feet were simply not working today.

When the other members of Arnie's body figured out that the feet were on strike, they were not pleased. The eyes complained that all day long they had too look at things, usually not very appealing things too. They had to look at paperwork, at television advertisements, and, they said vindictively, they even had to look at that big old nose in the mirror everyday. The nose responded, if the eyes would only look at the back of the refrigerator every once in a while, he would not have to smell the vast variety of pastel colored molds growing on just about everything.

The brain tried to mediate, but by now the ears had decided to go on vacation, and no one could hear anything. The stomach made a brave, and loudly growling plea for at least momentary unity; but, it was, of course, a different internal organ which finally convinced the body to come together long enough to convene, quickly and solemnly, in a different location; the feet conceded a short walk to a new, more royal seat -- necessity is the mother of intervention.

Seated, once more together, and somewhat relieved, the many parts made commitments and accommodations with one another, with many hearty promises to not take the feet for granted any more; a wholistic peace was experienced again.

When Paul wrote Romans, he was about to begin a journey. He was heading to Jerusalem, to let the rest of the church know how successful he had been at starting new churches. His intention was to check in briefly and then head for Rome. We get the idea that there were several, if not very, very many, house churches in Rome. Paul writes the letter to them as an introduction, meaning for the letter to be read out loud several times, in several locations.

He includes some interesting materials. For instance, the first part of the letter is like a trial sermon on his most controversial belief -- this thing he calls "grace." Romans also contains a rather large section on how members of the church ought to live. Remember: in his preaching and letters Paul was urging Christ-believers not to adhere too strictly to the Old Testament laws; so he includes these sections toward the end of his letters, sort of as guidelines to replace the laws he placed as secondary. For the sake of our understanding, let's call these parts of his letters "urging sections," because they begin with Paul saying, "I urge you to..."

This morning we read the beginning of his "urging" section from Romans, his largest "urging" section in the letters we have.

The part of this passage I wish to talk about this morning probably sounds familiar. Paul says this about the Church "As in one body we have many parts... so we who are many are part of one another." One reason it's familiar is that Paul's said it before. When the Corinthian house churches were arguing about spiritual gifts, Paul sent them his image of Christians as different parts of the same body: eyes, ears, nose, and, well, maybe even Arnie's feet. So, we know that church arguments were around from the beginning; and we know that the preferred method for overcoming them is to relate like different parts of the same body. {I guess, if we've lived as members of a church for a while, we sort of knew that already.}

But as Paul dusts off his body image for the church, he's not demonstrating any knowledge of specific squabbles issues in the Roman churches. Later on he talks about some specifics; but here {read, for instance, chapters 12 and 13} he's talking in generalities. I believe that, after travelling around, seeing churches begin to really grow and minister, Paul has begun to see how important it is for Christians to work together in different ways toward a common goal. The image he first used as a conflict management tool has become governing principle for the Church. "As in one body we have many parts... so we who are many are part of one another."

Which brings me back to why the passage sounds familiar. It did not die with the early Pauline churches. We have continued to use this image of the Church, a body with differing parts, throughout the ages, usually during conflicts. I wonder what might happen if the church listened -- really listened -- to this passage when there were no conflicts going on. What would happen if we grasped a large vision, a really big goal, like Paul's vision for the Church? What would happen if we then figured out what everyone was good at: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, generosity, leadership, compassion, whatever? What would happen if we took the stuff we're good at and all did it to work for the really big goal? What if we did it all without having to have a big church fight first? Probably miracles.

So let's ponder a miracle. What would it take to build a body of Christ? As a preacher, urged by tradition, I suppose I ought to come up with three things, but let's just do two this morning. Number 1: In the lesson, verses 4-8 contain a NON-exhaustive list of how people function in the church. It's a list of possibilities. Paul calls for everyone to do the stuff that they're really go at. If you can teach, then, by golly, teach. If you are good at hospitality, open your arms with enthusiasm. If you can administer, then get our labor lined up appropriately. If you can decorate, get out here on December fourth to get us all ready for Christmas. But begin by some self-evaluation and decide what you do best -- if you're not sure, talk to me: we'll figure it out.

Number 2 may be even more important. {Read verses 9-13}. If we're going to ask each other to work hard for the mission of Christ in this place, we need to commit to more than just hard work. We need to commit to treating each other fairly and appropriately. Let love be genuine... love one another with mutual affection... outdo one another in showing honor...

We are approaching thanksgiving. It is a time of year when we get together with family and friends. We eat a big meal and laugh and cry and remember. Some folks watch the Cowboys' game. But we always try to take some time to remember the things for which we're truly thankful. It would be really helpful, then, for us to think that way about our own family right here -- the family in this sanctuary. "Outdo one another in showing honor..."

We all ought to be thankful to God for our body parts which are still functioning. In the same way, everyone who is a part of the body of First Baptist ought to be thankful for the body parts which function here. Thank God for all the leadership which has been demonstrated in so many different ways over the past decades, through the past generations; and thank God for everything that can still be done by so many people even now.

Forgive me for talking about my last congregation here, but I have promised folks I would say this in a sermon. Tremont Terrace was growing wildly when we left -- almost on its own. But the pace of its growth would have doubled if we could have borrowed just ten select people from First Baptist Church of Oakland. For our body at OFBC to work well, it will take some outdoing each other in showing honor, and some living in harmony with all. It will take some thanksgiving on an on-going and regular basis.

I have two suggestions, my own "urging" section. Number one: find a way to post Romans 12.9-18 somewhere prominent in your life -- on your desktop, behind a refrigerator magnet, taped to your remote control, somewhere. And read it. And then, a second suggestion: make a list of everyone who has done something around here that you haven't thanked lately -- especially if it's not someone to whom you have not "outdone in showing honor." And then, not out of obligation, but out of "mutual affection," thank him or her. Just a brief, thank you for putting out the flowers every week, or whatever. And then, with every part working together, perhaps our body will be successful in walking the path God has laid out for us. Carried by the feet, guided by the eyes, tasting every good thing and smelling every sweet flower, and hearing the word of God with our ears and with our hearts...until we get to where we're going, together, a whole body in a world of promise.