FREE FRIDAY MUSIC REVUE: IF WE ARE THE BODY…

I changed my job earlier this year. Before I resumed, I anticipated a bit of stress in adjusting to the new environment and job responsibilities. I also prayed about it and asked for God’s wisdom, love and patience even as I ventured into unknown waters. I prayed to be an exceptional employee (I remember saying I wanted to be to my boss what Joseph was to Pharaoh) but most importantly, I remember praying specially for wisdom to manage the dynamics of human relations that I would experience there.

If we are the body...:www.calvaryinglewood.org

Thankfully, I remember that few days before I resumed, my pastor was saying something I can’t really remember when he mentioned the words of Jesus “wise as a serpent, gentle as a dove”…immediately, I knew that was the formula I needed to apply. I really wanted to get along with my colleagues but stay out of the politics common in workplaces these days. I really did try to prepare but nothing could have prepared me for the degree of strife, hate, gossip and bad blood that I met there. The first few days were frightening! You practically couldn’t talk to one person who was not trying to report someone else or gossip about someone else. I say people within the same gossip network gossip about co-members behind their backs…it was a zoo! I don’t remember ever seeing this level of negative workplace relationship. The ladies took malice to a whole new level and they guys weren’t so much better.

When I began relating the weird events to Isabella, my housemate, I realised she had someone similar at work herself. The only feature that we had in common is the fact almost 95% of us are Christians. The non-christian at work was one of the most amiable.  If I were a non-christian, none of these people could successfully witness to me. I didn’t want anything they had. I don’t mean to sound self-righteous. Just bear in mind that I relate this story as an observer who was new in the environment and therefore too unqualified to take sides.

Knowing that we couldn’t go far as an organisation with this kind of setup, my major prayer point switched from productivity to peace. Afterall, I had heard that among Jews, the same word for peace, ‘Shalom’ is the same word for prosperity and that with peace comes prosperity.

Unfortunately, after a while, the strife led to a permanent shut-down on our staff general devotion. Another potential church dismembered and certified dead. If we are the body, we should be one as the Son and the Father are one. I am pretty sure the trinity do NOT gossip about one another. It is extremely unthinkable for me to imagine that God the Father was busy snitching on Jesus behind His back while He was away…busy saving the world.

What’s the point of this narrative? The body of Christ needs peace. In relating with one another, we have to show grace, mercy and a little bit of compassion especially in our speech. Rev’d Scott Web came to Lagos this May/June and he talked a lot about love and relationship among Christians, especially in the local church. He narrated 2 sobering stories from his own church. The first was about how they lost a member of the church who was terminally ill at a time that the church was strongly divided and members were bickering. In his opinion (and I agree), all the strife made the church weak and near powerless. The second story was more uplifting, the same situation with a member (cancer to be exact); but this time, they had a strong, loving and united church that stood together in prayer. Gradually, God perfected the sick woman’s healing. Strife really does kill the power of the Church and even Jesus consents that the icon and stamp of Christian community is unity-not strife, malice and quarrelling.

So before y’all get tired of reading about community and Christian fellowship, I think this may be the last post in the series…except of course, I can think of something I left out. The truth is there is a lot to be said on this topic. So much.

There is a song that aptly expresses my thoughts on this song; it is by casting crowns and it is titled ‘If We are the Body’…great song. By the way, with time, you will find out that Casting Crowns is one of my super duper favourite music groups. Here is the text of the song.

If we are the Body- Casting Crowns

It's crowded in a worship today
As she slips in
Trying to fade into the faces
The girls' teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?

And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them
There is a way? There is a way?

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat
And quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances tell him that his chances
Are better out on the road

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching? 

And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them
There is a way?

But Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the body of Christ

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?

And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them
There is a way?

If we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?

And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them
There is a way? As Jesus is the way

From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/c/casting-crowns-lyrics/if-we-are-the-body-lyrics.html

I leave you in God's care.

Miss August.