The Body of Christ in Hemel Hempstead – a reading from 1 Corinthians 12
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if St Georges should say, “Because I am not St Mary’s and St Joseph’s, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were St Mary’s and St Joseph’s, where would St John’s be? If the whole body were Adeyfield Free, where would New Horizons be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
St Paul’s cannot say to Hemel Hempstead Community Church, “I don’t need you!” And Hemel Hempstead Community Church cannot say to Belmont Road, “I don’t need you!” God has put the body together so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Prayer
As well as being united in God’s Word, we are also united in our need to pray for it is only in God’s strength that anything of lasting value will be achieved.
If you would like to receive a regular prayer update in order to pray for Across Hemel 2012 then please email angela.such@sky.com
About Us
Across Hemel is a network of churches from Across Hemel Hempstead whose purpose is to show and share the love of God in Christ Jesus by word and deed.