"Body Lotion"
Romans 12:3-13 Sept.14/03
LWCF 2nd Anniversary
Aging without Wrinkles
Today as a congregation we celebrate our 2nd birthday. Hurray! Praise the Lord! Who would've dreamed we would have made it this far? But the Lord is good, and His mercy gives us confidence for a bright future when we walk with Him.
Yet aging brings its complications. As we grow older we're keen to gain some of the benefits of aging, such as maturity and wisdom; but we'd rather avoid some of the unpleasant side effects of getting older. One difference that you notice between the face of someone who's two and someone who's 92 is -- wrinkles! A whole branch of the cosmetic industry has sprung up to assist those of us who'll try just about any kind of body lotion that promises to improve our skin condition and discourage those troublesome ridges and folds in our skin. Naturally over time, the smooth soft supple skin of a toddler starts to harden and dry and crease as it becomes less elastic.
There's a parallel here for churches. The New Testament repeatedly uses the metaphor of a body when referring to the church. Too often, like our physical bodies, churches develop "wrinkles" as well -- signs of aging and neglect, subtle cracks in what used to be close fellowship. Writing to the young church at Rome, the apostle Paul offers counsel that can be likened to a prescription for "body lotion" that will help the church's features not to become marked by creases of controversy or callousness. His advice in chapter 12 can be grouped as 6 main ingredients that we might find in any tube of skin cream on our bathroom counter: Moisturizing Oil, Vitamins, Perfume, Precious Minerals, Blocking Agent, and Aloe Vera.
Moisturizing Oil: 100% Pure Love
Something most hand creams or body lotions mention as a common denominator is a moisturizing agent. This helps the skin avoid drying out and becoming tough and hard. One baby oil jar claims it is "specially designed to moisturize dry skin through quick absorption." The label of another tube of hand cream says it "helps to restore moisture leaving the skin noticeably smoother and softer."
The "new command" Jesus gave to His disciples to moisturize and preserve relationships in the church was simply this: "love one another" (1Jn.3:11; Jn.13:34f). So it's not surprising that Paul would write in verses 9-10, "Love must be sincere...Be devoted to one another in brotherly love." The word "sincere" in the Greek is literally "unhypocritical": genuine, without deceit, unlike Judas Iscariot who gave Jesus the "kiss of death". In v.10 the idea is having "tender affection" for each other. This means we really care about one another, we enjoy each other's company and want to get together, want to show kindness to each other. 100% pure love - like a crystal-clear, pure moisturizing oil to serve as the base for our therapeutic body lotion. Now in the church, we're not inherently "lovely" or "lovable": our capacity to love comes from God's prior love for us, demonstrated in Jesus dying for us while we were still sinners (Rom.5:8). "We love, because He first loved us" (1Jn.4:19). Vv 3&6 mention the "grace given" us: our love finds its source in the grace of Christ, expressed sacrificially and historically on the cross as a matter of fact.
A 1998 survey by the Barna Research Group identified the key factors that determine whether or not people who visit a church will return. The top 5 factors in selecting a church were: theological beliefs; how much people care; quality of sermons; friendliness to visitors; and help to the poor and disadvantaged. The average person in a congregation doesn't have a lot of influence on a couple of those factors - the visitor's theological beliefs and the quality of the sermon. But notice that 3 of those top 5 factors in determining whether visitors return have to do with love: how much people care; friendliness to visitors; and help to the poor and disadvantaged.
For each ingredient in the lotion, I've tried to find some examples in the life of LWCF over the past year. For the "moisturizing oil" ingredient of love I'd pick our numerous fellowship times, at which we not only enjoy good food but get to really know one another and express caring on a person-to-person level. Also, [though I don't have a picture for this one] the many casseroles that were delivered - some to Sharon Miller, but many to our own family when Yvonne was recovering from her surgery. Those lovingly prepared meals were a real sign of your affection and caring.
Vitamins: Gifts Differing
A second ingredient in a lotion for Christ's body the church is vitamins. Some skin creams contain vitamins A and E, for example. Vitamins are essential compounds for healthy development; some our bodies can't manufacture on their own, but have to absorb from limited sources, such as Vitamin C. Skin cuts can be helped heal quite dramatically by Vitamin E.
In verses 6-8 of Romans 12, Paul lists 7 gifts available through various members of Christ's body, the church. His point is the uniqueness of each gift, and the fact that we can't each do them all: we rely on other members to perform the functions with which we ourselves are not gifted. He says, "If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." Think of these gifts as vitamins A, B, C, and so on. A healthy body needs all the vitamins; a healthy church needs each member exercising their particular, unique gifts.
We are all different as individuals; this diversity is part of the church's resilience and strength. However this means we have to learn how to get along with people who are not like us. It's been said, "The gates of hell will never prevail against the church...partly because it's so diversified you can't get a handle on it."
As an example of the diverse ways in which people use their gifts in our fellowship, take the leaders, helpers, and participants in the Junior Girls group [shown in this picture displaying artistically designed and unique shirts]. This is a valuable ministry which takes time, thought, planning, patience, and energy. Another example would be the Praise Band: a whole group of individuals sharing their musical talents to lead us in worship each week. Or our Sunday School teachers, another very essential service. Whatever our gift is, let's exercise it according to our measure of faith; the small part we can play is an essential vitamin.
Perfume
Third, how many stinky body lotions do you suppose there are on the market? I have yet to discover one. Most manufacturers, if their product has any smell at all, take pains to ensure it's a pleasant aroma.
For a church's health and life and effectiveness to be preserved, it has to have a strong spiritual component. That's what makes us a church, not a social or service club - we're centred on God and make time in our lives for disciplines relating to the supernatural. The body is dead without the Head, Jesus (Eph.5:23; Col.2:19). In vv 11-12 Paul counsels, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be...faithful in prayer." The Greek for "lacking in zeal" has to do with being slow or poky. "Spiritual fervour" is about being enthusiastic, not indifferent. This is not a "take it or leave it" issue! Prayer is to be continual, ongoing, sprinkling your conscious moments.
Examples of this in our church life would be the Wednesday night Prayer Meetings, as well as Women Prayer Warriors and MAG Wheels. Small groups are designed to explore and incorporate spiritual elements into our personal lives. Some sense a particular call from God to serve in a specific way overseas, such as Emily zealously being a missionary to Lebanon for 6 months. Such individuals spur the rest of us on to find an avenue for missions in our own contexts.
How does your "spiritual fervour" compare with that of a dog? Are you less "poky" than a puppy when it comes to prayer and worship habits? Missionary James King tells the true story of an African woman who attended every service in one of his churches accompanied by an old, mongrel dog. The dog would enter with the lady and sit beside her during the service. She always sat on an outside seat beside the aisle. At the conclusion of the service, when the invitation was given, the woman would always come and kneel at the altar for prayer, and the dog would faithfully take his place beside her. The woman's husband was a cruel man who deeply resented her devotion to Christ, and one day he beat her so severely that she died, and he denied her a Christian funeral.
After the woman's death and burial, only the man and dog were left. But he noticed that the dog disappeared on Wednesday evening about 7:00 and didn't reappear for two hours. Every Sunday morning the dog likewise disappeared for a couple of hours. One Sunday the man's curiosity was so aroused that he decided to follow and see where the dog went. Hurrying to keep up, the man followed the dog to the little church and watched as the dog took his seat on the aisle while the service went on. At the close of the service, the dog went to the altar and took his place where the wife had prayed. The man was so touched in his spirit that he, too, went forward and gave his life to Christ. Now the dog comes to church with a new master!
So in our body lotion we need the "aroma of Christ" to be our perfume (2Cor.2:14f). Serve the Lord with fervour, sharpen your prayer life. Don't be outdone by the commitment level of a dog!
Precious Minerals -- Dead Sea Salt
It seems that body lotion manufacturers package their product with something unique and precious or different. One tube I found contains "natural mineral salt" from the Dead Sea! Just think, precious ingredients transported halfway around the earth from the lowest spot on the planet right to my home! Must be worth the trouble though, as the product promises to "renew cells" and "give the skin a natural glow".
In our life as a Christian faith community, we are called to honour each other as very special, precious, irreplaceable. In v.10 Paul commands, "Honour one another above yourselves." This can mean "esteem each other more highly than yourself" or "lead the way (set the example) in showing respect". Give the other person preference. V.3 is similar, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought..." Don't be a stuffed shirt, but have a little humility, some vulnerability. "Dead Sea" salt reminds us the power of the cross helps us crucify our selfish desires in order to serve Christ and others. Bury your pride, count the other person special. This would go such a long way toward resolving conflict, at church and at home!
Examples of this in our congregation's second year would be the showers honouring our 4 brides this past summer. The young ladies were made to feel very special by all the preparation and mementos that went into the showers. Or when we had a potbless in honour of Matthew Courtney going off to work at L'Arche in Sydney Australia: it's good to celebrate the obedience of others to God's call in particular areas. Let somebody else occupy the pedestal; then we're left with a more realistic, honest, and humble appraisal of ourselves.
The story is told of a Chinese prince who died and was given a glimpse of both heaven and hell. First, he was escorted to hell, where he found tables laden with various foods and delicacies, but the people were sitting there angry and frustrated, quarreling with each other. They weren't permitted to pick up the food with their fingers, and they couldn't feed themselves because the chopsticks they were given were 10 feet long.
Then the prince was taken to heaven. Again he found a beautiful banquet, and again only ten-foot chopsticks. But here the people were happy and content, for they sat on opposite sides of the tables, each one feeding the person across from him.
Honour the other person; don't think so much of yourself, but give them preference.
Blocking Agent
If you're going out in the sunshine on a hot summer's day, the finest lotion in the world isn't much good without a blocking agent, some compound that will screen you from destructive ultraviolet rays. A little sun is good for making Vitamin D, but too much sun puts one at the risk of developing skin cancer. One SPF30 "Sport Ultra Block Lotion" I looked at contains 3 impressive-sounding chemical protectants: Octyl methoxycinnamate, Octyl salicylate, and Benzophenone-3 (wow! how do they ever come up with this stuff?).
Similarly, in the spiritual realm, our body lotion needs to be able to block out evil's destructive influence. V.9b, Paul says, "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." "Hate" is a strong word; but the apostle commands us to "hate" evil. Literally dislike, abhor, have a horror of. Unfortunately the more our culture and media expose us to evil, the more we're at danger of becoming numbed, desensitized, losing the shock and horror of evil's degrading and destructive practices. We may box it, package it in little discs or tapes, print it in glossy magazines, commercialize it and regulate it, trade it on a stock exchange or hide it in a sweat shop, even (we're at the point now) legislate it -- we can try to present it as "respectable" and "acceptable" in all these ways -- but in God's books, it's still evil. We're to hate it - don't hate the people, Jesus never does that - but hate the evil. Paul adds, "Cling to what is good" - like glue. Cleave to the good, don't let it slip away or be forgotten. Keep holding it up as God's standard. But block the evil influences before they create damage.
What are some examples here? Several in our congregation underwent believer's baptism as an outward sign that they were deliberately choosing and professing Jesus as Lord over against the ways of the world. Baptism is fundamentally turning away from evil, turning toward God, repenting and seeking His washing and cleansing through Jesus' blood from the wrong in our lives, asking for the goodness of the Holy Spirit to transform our beings. Two years ago this church began partly in reaction to ecclesiastical "tolerance" and even endorsement of unbiblical morals. Yet it's not enough to hate the evil, lest we become a congregation known as "anti-this" or "anti-that"; God's Word challenges us to cling to the good, promote what is wholesome, to be more "pro" than "anti". Pro-youth, as evidenced by support for Youth For Christ; pro-community, as in providing wholesome entertainment through the Faith In Song concert, and the upcoming Dale Lang anti-bullying pro-forgiveness-and-respect outreach.
Aloe Vera for Healing and 'Give'
Last, let's include a little Aloe Vera in our body lotion formula. Many of us may at some point in our life have broken off the tip of a leaf of this medicinal plant and squeezed out a bit of its gel to help heal cuts or burns. It can be found included in commercial skin creams (even my MotoMaster Hand Cleaner!). As Jesus' body was broken open on the cross for the healing of our souls, aloe vera can be taken as a symbol of God's grace pouring into and through our lives to benefit others.
Paul commands in v.13, "Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." The word for "share" in the original text means to have something in common, to be made a partner - "making the needs of fellow saints your own and helping them". Remember Acts 4(32) records of the early Christians, "No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." Earlier in v.5 Paul says, "Each member belongs to all the others." So one person's stress becomes an opportunity for the whole group to help.
In this organization called a church, we are more than associates. We're full partners. In this one body we share a common Head, Christ; we partake of one loaf; we're sharers together in the promise that is in Christ Jesus; and we were baptized into one Spirit (Col.2:9; Eph.5:23; 1Cor.10:17; Eph.3:6, 4:4). So spiritually speaking, we're inseparably joined - that's why we're called "members" of Christ's body. Ever tried dislocating your shoulder? So another's need can have that "tug" on my resources.
Wrinkles come when the skin loses its elasticity, its stretchiness or "give". Old skin is hard and tough - we call a stingy person a "skinflint"! Jesus' crucifixion caring, pouring out into our lives like a bleeding aloe vera, heals and opens us to share His caring in turn with the needy. To open our homes and practice hospitality. The ministry of the after-church casserole or BBQ, or the mid-week coffee cup.
This past year locally, Aloe Vera ointment could be represented by all the sacrifice that went into the preparation of the YFC Drop-in Centre (in the face of all the obstacles); sharing of people's time in order to volunteer at the centre, both before and after opening. Or the time an anonymous donor supplied pizza as a way of saying "we appreciate you!" to the Praise Band. Or the time and materials set aside by the women who prepared Care Packages for college kids away from home. Where there was a need, you shared - and God blessed: both the receiver in the material supply, and you the giver in your spirit.
So, that's it --you've been told the secret formula for the best body lotion there could be! Our church's fellowship can be protected from cracks, warts, wrinkles and blemishes, even if we are a year older. Especially don't forget the moisturizing oil and perfume. Now, go spread it around -- rub each other the right way! Let's pray.