This Saturday is Halloween. According to Wikipedia, Halloween is also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve, is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. Here in America, I think Webster’s definition is more appropriate; the night of October 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day, commonly celebrated by children who dress in costume and go door-to-door asking for candy. Melinda and I have never really celebrated Halloween, beyond a few Trunk-or-Treats at local churches when the kids were younger.
Why all the background on Halloween then? Well, as I was driving the other day I saw a fake arm hanging out of someone’s car trunk. I am guessing this was their idea of a Halloween decoration, but it got me thinking about 1 Corinthians 12. I would guess that in my many years of going in and out of churches that I heard 1 Corinthians 12 discussed or preached, but it was not until I took a class at Lakeview Baptist Church called Experiencing God that the message resonated with me. For much of my life, church had always been about what church could do for me or my family, not what God wanted me or my family to do for the church. If you have never read or taken a class on Experiencing God I highly recommend it. It changed so much for me. Especially, reading Isaiah 55:8, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. This verse is how I deal with the day to day of Melinda’s Cancer. It helps to remind me that no matter what is happening God is in control and gives me faith that He will use it for His glory.
As Paul eloquently puts it we all have been given gifts by the Spirit. We should use these gifts to assist others especially in the church body of believers. I would guess that if you have been attending church for any significant amount of time you or someone close to you has been hurt or offended by someone in the church. A pastor once told Melinda to just get over it when we were dealing with our son’s knee injury. Needless to say, she did not get over it and we never went back to that church. I have heard stories from people that refuse to go to any church today, because of attacks, perceived or real, that they suffered from a part of the body (aka: a member of the church).
Those attacks are usually from the tongue. I think James says it best …”And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” I often wonder if these members are filled with the Spirit or as Paul said in Philippians, “For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.” After all, Judas walked with Jesus, but was he with Jesus? I would imagine there are Judas’s worshiping among the body today. After all, I believe I was one until the Holy Spirit set me straight.
In my mind, I muse over 1 Corinthians 12. I wonder if things would be different if Paul would have come right out and addressed what to do if a part of the body becomes diseased. For example, if a diabetic gets gangrene in their foot many times the only cure is to remove the foot before it infests the leg and then the rest of the body. I often wonder how should the church best address Judas. If a foot is rotten and stinking up the entire body, should it be removed after all attempts to heal it are exhausted? I don’t know the answer and believe this has to be a stressor for many church leaders that could use our prayers.
I think Paul may address the issue a little in his letter to the Corinthians. He chastised the Corinthians for allowing a man that was with his father’s wife to be a part of the body. He did not really address the sin the two were committing as much as he did the church body for allowing such people to stay among them. If only people were not sinners, but at last that is not the case; “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God“. Should churches take a stand against those members that openly sin? Are these open sinners causing the turmoil in the body of the church today? Again I do not know the answer. I personally believe the church should be open to all but the body should be reserved for those that follow Christ? I believe this story might give an example of what I believe.
I speculate that parts of the body are also on my mind as I slowly watch the brain cancer consume Melinda’s mind. It is resulting in her losing mobility and it appears as if her body is deteriorating rapidly. Melinda can no longer move parts of her body. She has basically lost all control of her right leg and arm. It is entirely up to Physical Therapy (PT), her mom, Megan, or me to physically move them throughout the day. Last week this lack of mobility resulted in a visit to the emergency room. The lack of circulation in her right leg resulted in a blood clot. We are very fortunate that PT saw it and recommended she be taken to the ER. As always, we can not say enough THANK YOUs to Dr. Martindale and the staff at Providence ER.
Melinda is now on ELIQUIS to help with the blood clot. She also started Temador this week along with another dose of Avastin. The chemo is wearing her body out. She does not have much strength left in her left side to assist us when she needs to get up and go to the bathroom or move to another spot in the house. As a side track to all this that shows God is in Control from the beginning to the end, I think about how many comments Melinda or I have gotten over the course of our marriage about our size differences. Well, I now know that God knew what he was doing when he sent Melinda to me. He knew that one day she would need someone with the size and strength to physically pick her up when she could not do it on her own. I am worried that her parents are no longer going to be able to care for her as they do not have the strength to pick her up. It does stress me greatly thinking about having to move Melinda into some type of assisted living. Those places are bad enough during normal times but with COVID…? She has another MRI and oncology visit scheduled for mid-November. I am praying that we see some improvements and that some strength and control return to her body and mind.
No matter what is going on in your life, just know that in Jesus this life is only temporary and eternity awaits. Please remember that people are people and as such the ones in churches can hurt you just as bad as those on the streets; maybe those in the church are worse because one would not expect such actions from them as one would from those on the street. There may be people in the church that just rub you the wrong way or maybe you rub them the wrong way. I am an odd duck and have that perception of some of the people I go to church with, but here is the conundrum. I must remember that Christ is the head of the body Just because I do not like my feet they are a part of the body the LORD gave me. He knows that I need those feet to move my body where it needs to go. I should cherish those feet as …”he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.
There most likely are people in the church each Sunday that are not saved and are not a part of Christ’s body. Regardless, we should love them and pray for them. Do not give up on the church because a sinful person hurt you. Instead, if you believe in what Jesus did for you, then we should all, …be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
LORD JESUS,
You remind us that tomorrow is not guaranteed. I pray that those that do not know you will open their hearts before it is too late. I know it is not easy to love those that do us or others harm. I plead with you LORD to help all those that have been hurt by someone in the church to open their heart and offer them forgiveness. LORD help those that have been hurt by the church to return with an open and loving heart. The body needs its parts to be together. Jesus continue to be the head and guide the body in YOUR word. We long for YOUR return as a bride awaits her groom. Please protect us in these times of uncertainty. Please be with those fighting cancer and other diseases. Thank you for all that you do for us.
AMEN.
