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"Problems With Our Bodies" Sermon preached by John C. Hall on January 7, 2007 Text - Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Baptism is a thing of the body, and the whole Christian story, the story of God becoming flesh, is a comment on our bodies. If God assumed bodily form, it must mean that our bodies are important. God values our bodies. Jesus’ ministry involved healing bodily ailments: paralysis, leprosy, blindness, deafness, and problems of the nervous system. Very often, this healing involved Jesus touching people’s bodies, other times people came to Jesus to touch his body. He fed the hungry. He talked about the need for rest, shelter, and clothing. This emphasis on the body shows up in the church’s sacramental life, the Lord’s Supper and Baptism. We involve our bodies in our spiritual life. Through the sacraments, we say, God touches us in a physical way. On our trip to Israel with the synagogue last February, Sharon Kupiec wanted to reaffirm her baptism in the Jordan River. The Jordan River runs south from the Sea of Galilee. Much of Jesus’ ministry took place in the area around that lake. It was very exciting just to be in that place, even without actually going into the river. Our little bus came to a part of the Jordan River where there was a pavilion where Christian pilgrims go for baptism. The river is about 50 feet wide, and there are a lot of big trees growing up by the river. I seem to think they were Eucalyptus trees, but I could be wrong about that. It’s quite lush. For a few dollars, you get a white robes to put on over your bathing suit. You want to have a bathing suit on too because these are very thin robes, and when they’re wet they don’t give much coverage. We had a renewal of baptism vows ceremony on shore, and then Sharon and I waded into the water and it was very cold, believe me. When we were more than waist deep, I lowered her into the water until she was submerged, and then brought her up. Then I went under the water. It may sound kind of hokey, but let me tell you, that experience left a very vivid and powerful memory — especially that cold water. The story of Jesus’ baptism will never be quite the same for any of us who were there that day. The Christian story takes our bodies seriously. But this positive regard for our bodies is in the Bible precisely because our bodies also present problems. Jesus healed because our bodies get sick. He gave people food because our bodies get hungry. He preached about the resurrection and eternal life because our bodies wear out and die. There wouldn’t be the need to affirm our bodies if our bodies didn’t present these problems. In our joys and concerns time of this service, most of what we talk about has to do with illness. Our bodies are the basis for life. We have energy, we go places and do things and enjoy them because we have bodies. The human body is a miraculous piece of equipment. The more you learn about how it works and regulates itself the more miraculous it seems. Our bodies are also a source of pain, and conflict, and embarrassment, and anxiety. Life is filled with conflicts about our bodies. We have to eat enough food, but we can eat too much food. Our sexuality is a source of pleasure and bonding. But it’s also problematic, and it’s like dynamite. It can explode in our faces and do a lot of damage. I’m often struck by what we, as a culture, put teenagers through. In all the media, the message is look sexy. Dress sexy. Act sexy. Be sexually sophisticated. But for heaven’s sake, don’t have sex. It can ruin your life, and even kill you. When you go through the checkout line, you probably notice the magazines on display. Notice all the articles listed on the covers: how to have the perfect body. Lose 20 lbs. Have a flat tummy. And then, on the same cover, ten sinfully delicious dessert recipes; New York’s best restaurants; appetizers to die for. We’re never completely comfortable with our own bodies. There’s always an underlying hunger, or restlessness, or anxiety. This is why drugs are so seductive and why addiction is so common. They give at least temporary relief from that discomfort in our bodies — a temporary sense of well-being. Managing our bodies, managing their conflicting demands, is not easy. I exercise a fair amount. I walk and ride my bike because I like being outside. From time to time, as I’ve gotten older, I use more ice and ibuprofen to manage pain and inflammation. Yesterday we had an exhilarating hike, 5.7 miles, along the trap rock ridge overlooking Wallingford and Meriden. Getting people together for physical exercise is a great ministry of the church. Taking care of our bodies is part of our spiritual life. But I’ll make a confession here. What really motivates me to get out and exercise isn’t just, or even mainly, the love of exercise itself or even loving the outdoors, seeing wildlife, and feeling the wind on my face, as much as I do enjoy all of that. Deep down, what really gets me our exercising is that it medicates that bodily anxiety I’m talking about. It makes me feel better inside my own skin. You go out. You stress your body for an hour or so, and the body starts releasing certain chemicals and hormones that stimulate the pleasure center in the brain. They have a painkilling and tranquilizing effect. After a vigorous hike or a bike ride, I feel at peace in my body for several hours. But even with an exercise program, we can’t escape that anxiety we all feel in our bodies, and we can’t avoid problems with our bodies. So the Christian story is that Jesus entered into human life with all its anxieties and vulnerability. That’s part of what his baptism means. God is with us in bodies, and in our problems with our bodies. Jesus’ own body was vulnerable. But the story doesn’t end with his baptism. Jesus’ living and dying and being raised from the dead and ascending into heaven — this all says that we, like him, will finally be freed from all the problems with our bodies. But for now, or in the meantime before the Day of the Lord, we won’t have perfect bodies, and we will have problems with our bodies. They don’t always work or feel the way we’d like them to work and feel. This doesn’t mean something is wrong with our life, or wrong with us. It doesn’t mean we’re unworthy of God’s love. It’s just the way it is. Love your body. Your body, after all, is part of Christ’s body. This is what our communion with Christ in our baptism and in the Eucharist means. Take care of your body. No matter how sick you are or how bad you feel, your body is beautiful and amazing part of God’s creation. And even the problems that we have with our bodies take us deeper into the mystery of who God is and how God works.
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| First Church of Christ, Congregational United Church of Christ 190 Court Street Middletown, CT 860-346-6657 |
Sunday Worship at 10 a.m. Child Care Provided An "Open & Affirming Church" Directions to First Church |
