12 Months to a Fit (Church) Body: 9

Each part of the body has a unique form and function.  The pinky toe keeps us from falling over sideways while we walk.  The rib cage protects the lungs and heart. The spinal cord organizes neural transmissions and is in charge of reflexes.  The pancreas creates digestive enzymes.  
Not all get the same glory as the pumping heart or flexing biceps, but all get the glory of heaven when they work together to make a healthy human that is able to walk the earth and claim the Kingdom of God in words and in action.  
You were each given a talent, skill, or purpose that is unique to you and your role in church.  You can’t fulfill it on your own without the body - what’s the skin without the rest of it?! What’s the heart without the veins? What’s a preacher without a congregation?  What’s a Sunday school teacher without a class? What’s a team of cooks without a crowd to eat it? We were given these talents, skills, and purposes to work together in the same way a body works together to do the will of God.
Peter writes “Each of you has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks the Word of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 4: 10-11)
And that means that our body needs you.  How? Well, what are the gifts God has given you?  Can everyone preach? Can everyone teach or cook? Not everyone can do the big things we always think about when imagining roles in church.  We need pinky toes who make sure we don’t get unbalanced in the expression of our service. We need pancreata, who might not teach lessons but attend them and make the information more easily digestable.  
We need connective tissue, what holds us all together.  The ones who call others or visit them outside the Sunday/Wednesday paradigm.  The people who make sure guests are asked their names and made feel welcome. The ones whose skill is knowing a few things about every person or who makes sure no one is eating alone at a meal.  We need people who are talented at inviting others to visit, or are representatives of Christ at community gatherings or functions.  
And we need you healthy so you can function in such a manner.  We get healthy by gathering at the Lord’s Table and taking His body and His blood as a replacement for our own, by sharing that life blood with each other, by cleansing our sins and accepting His grace, and by loving each other as He loves us.  
If there is anything we can do to help you become healthy so you can be a productive part of this body, or if you’re having trouble discerning what your skill or talent is, or if you know what it is and you’re ready to be plugged in - please don’t hesitate to connect with us.  See you at the water fountain.