A WORD FOR TODAY, November 20, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, November 20, 2025
“For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot would say, ‘Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,’ it is not therefore not part of the body. If the ear would say, ‘Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,’ it’s not therefore not part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now they are many members, but one body. The eye can’t tell the hand, ‘I have no need for you,’ or again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need for you.’ No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant modesty, while our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part, that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, WEB
The human body is an amazing thing. It is imperfect and each body will fail one day, but it adjusts remarkably to various circumstances. Take, for instance, a person paralyzed from the waist down. Their upper bodies grow much stronger, adapting to the loss of legs by giving them the strength to move their bodies with their arms. The hearing of blind people becomes more sensitive. People who have lost the use of their arms able to use their feet as if they were hands. Many find a way to get around a disability.
The same can be said of a congregation of faithful people. Paul wrote that each part of the body is necessary for the body to be whole. This is true. It is certainly much easier if we can use our arms and our legs, our eyes and our ears. We adapt to the circumstances as much as possible. Medical science has made it possible to do incredible things with bodies that are disabled in some way, but it will always be better for the body to be whole.
We might think we can live without the person in our congregation who is focused on only the administrative things. Church is about worship and prayer, right? Why worry about how much paper we use for the bulletins? What about that woman who does nothing but pray? Shouldn’t she come out for the clean-up days to help scrub the bathrooms and rake the leaves? After all, we all pray. Shouldn’t every member share in all the work?
There are times when we have to adapt. What happens when the person who is terrific at organizing potluck dinners has to move out of town? We have to find a way to continue holding those dinners even though a part of our body is missing. Unfortunately, those holes are usually filled with people who are already doing everything around the church. It is easier to allow them to take on the project than to search for new people who are gifted to do those tasks for the sake of the Church. In other words, we look at the parts of the body not as individual with unique purpose, but bodies that can be put wherever they are needed. However, God has created the Church as a perfect machine, with every part specially created for a purpose. We may think we don’t need an eye, but God has appointed someone to be the eye. We have to help each believer discover their gifts and find their purpose to fill all the parts of the Church as God intends it to be.
We can survive by filling the holes. There are tasks that just about anyone can accomplish around the church. It doesn’t take someone special to print the bulletin, light the candles, clean up the sanctuary after worship. Or does it? Yes, printing the bulletin means pushing the right buttons on the copier, but it also takes someone with patience and a sharp eye to ensure that the bulletins are accurate and easy to follow. It is important to light the candles with an air of solemnity and worship. Cleaning the sanctuary after worship takes a sharp eye, so that the old bulletins are removed and the books are returned to the right place, available for the next service. These might seem like unimportant tasks, tasks that anyone can accomplish. But God has ordained someone to do these tasks, and every task. Can we help them find their place in our fellowship? They are important for the body to be whole.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org.