Its 4:30 a.m. on Monday morning and my ears alert me to the clock going off like a tornado siren startling me awake. For a moment my brain is confused. My eyes say, “It’s still dark, we’re going to back to sleep.” My feet ache loudly agreeing with my eyes. My arm, still asleep, begins to tingle to life as it moves my hand with tenacity to hit the snooze to the internal thanks and praise of almost every other member. They all want to go back to sleep. However, a still small voice from deep within my heart says, “It’s time to prepare for the morning workout.” My lungs, together with my mouth and nostrils, sigh and with deep reluctance whisper out, “OK, we are getting up.” It’s early. It’s dark. It’s raining and cold. My body rolls out of bed and I am up. But then my body screams at my mind, “Hold on. Why are we doing this again?” My mind, coming into full leadership and authority reminds my body of its vision, its purpose with this torture it’s facing and the soreness and pain that will come. The mind says with all the calmness and confidence it can muster, “The ever looming holiday season is upon us and we need to be physically prepared for the beating we are about to take eating all those pies.” We move!
As a body, my mind is learning to be in control and to listen to the many parts, yet still lead. Its tough work and sometimes my mind gets beat out by my tongue’s desire for sweets, or my body’s craving for rest. However my mind has a powerful weapon, mission and vision. It’s through those ideas, those purposes, which are greater than the body, that my mind is able to encourage and motivate the body through life. I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind.
The apostle Paul wrote that being a part of the Church of Christ is being a part of the Body of Christ. First Corinthians 12:12-31 makes the metaphor that a body, though one, is made up of many parts. Feet, hands, eyes, ears, etc. all working together to fulfill the goals of the head. Paul, with a singular mission in mind argues to a somewhat dysfunctional body that from time to time different parts don’t feel as included as others and don’t feel as respected as others. He even goes as far to argue that some parts, at times, might wish to change names and jobs. And He calls to them to unity for the mission’s sake. As their perceived leader, he calls them to suffer, to persevere, to run the race and to use their given structure and purpose to enable the body to accomplish that mission. Sometimes the mission is easy, like eating pie. But there are other times the mission is hard and specifically hard on certain parts. But together Paul calls this body, the church, to renew their mind, to rethink their organization and ultimately to strive forward towards a goal.
Singing Oaks is a body. We are one, but we are made up of many parts. Our goal is not to grow by adding fat – more people to our folds who just consume resources with the promise that one day they can be used. Our goal is to build muscle. To connect and grow each member who will develop a purpose and recognize their gifts and serve. Because when we are all working together towards a vision we are unstoppable and can accomplish many things. Our goal is not to make every part feel good all the time or always excited about the endeavor that is coming. Our goal is to accomplish a mission, though at times members may suffer. However, through the suffering of a few, all will experience joy at attaining the goal and in turn rejoice, lifting up the parts who suffered through the task. When we have clear vision from our leaders about where we are going and why we are suffering, our members will suffer and endure through the tough workouts of life and struggle towards the goal. We will grow stronger in the spirit and become more capable of handling even bigger tasks that God prepares for us. In this way we are united. We are one. We are the body of Christ. Let’s renew our minds, and then we will be ready to eat some pie.
