Got Body?

My mom had her share of corny jokes.

One of her favorites was, "Do you want to hear my ghost song?" Then she would sing the first couple lines from the song, "I Ain't Got Nobody." No. Body. Get it. Never mind.

Well, I think in the body of Christ we act too often as if we "ain't got no body." In that, we don't let the body do what it needs to do.

Our little Outreach Saga in the park has been going for about 7-8 weeks now. When we first started, we concentrated on building some relationship and gaining the trust of the people. We shared Jesus when we could, whether through conversation or deeds. The last few weeks we have transitioned to having a little more organized Bible study together.

Now, "organized" has a different meaning for what we've been doing relative to most people. In this case, it means we gather in a circle and start with reading a Bible story or a few verses. Then we have discussion. That part has lasted about 1.5 hours the last two weeks. No agenda or specific sermon to go through. We're opening it up to questions and sharing from our hearts.

The awesome thing about this is that we're seeing our group be the Body of Christ. I'm kind of the leader of our study time, since I have a big mouth and am not afraid to get the ball rolling. The problem is that I don't necessarily have all the answers for the questions we're getting.

Last night several people shared. People from the park have questions but also chime in with thoughts. Others from our original fellowship stepped up with their testimonies and words at the proper times.

I've had some great opportunities to go to a wonderful Bible study program, to teach and use my gifts in the past. This doesn't mean I have it all figured out, or have the right words for every situation. Far from it!

I was so blessed last night to have others willing and able to share and use their gifts and testimony to touch others. I needed them. I couldn't do it myself (not that I would ever want to!).

More and more in our Outreach Saga I'm seeing the wisdom in 1 Corinthians 12-14. Jesus created us as a body for a reason. We need each other. Don't be afraid to use your gifts from God. He gave them to you for a reason - to be shared with others.
---
If anyone has questions about what this whole Outreach Saga is, feel free to let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them. It's an interesting journey so far!
---