Kinda Weird and Wonderful

Got four minutes?

Then, read on.

Well, it's Monday, and not as warm as yesterday. But Spring's all over the place. It's that time of year when good surprises keep happening. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "The earth laughs in flowers." So does my Perch. It's laughing inside. Like I wrote before, my Grand Lily sent a bouquet of Lillies for Mother's Day. New buds unfurl daily. I told her today that if "earth laughs in flowers," my living room is comedy central, showing off bodacious blooms.

But that's not what's weird and wonderful. I am. And so are you. So what brought this on? It was a rude, or rather nude awakening this morning. I took one look at my body and instead of seeing winkles, spots, sags and such I saw an amazing creation. And I said to this soon to be eighty-six year old being, made up of bones, tissue, muscles, tendons, blood, organs, brains(Yes, I have one!), nerves and more, "Thank you for your service."

Suddenly, I was so astonished and grateful for this body and all its parts. Like a Monday miracle! While it's slower, it still stands, sits, walks(Iknee replacement), swims, laughs and learns. This body still sees,(cataract surgery, reading glasses) hears,( hearing aids), feels, smells, tastes and knows stuff. So, I meant it, when I said, "Thank you for your service." Which, come to think of it, is a kind of prayer to God, who "saw me being formed" in my Mama's womb. (Psalm 139:13)) And surprisingly, God didn't say, "Well, she's finished!" God never formed me, took one look, then fled the scene.

So what gives me confidence God's still around and even dwells within me and you, as Christ followers? Well, our book group at Christ Church is reading N.T.Wright's, The Vision of Ephesians. God's Holy Spirit dwells in us. We are God's living temples. And we make up The Church. So, N.T. Wright challenges us to be The Church. We are to "pray and work...have courage and wisdom to display to the world..." But, what are we to display? We, the Living Church, are to show the world," the boundary-breaking communal life of what loving one another looks like." We are to show a stunned, skeptical and starving world, " the astonishing richness of God's grace."

So, I'm talking about two amazing bodies. Ours and The Church. You and I are fearfully and wonderfully made, like Psalm 139:14 reminds us. (Rec reading: Fearfully and Wonderfully made by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey) And so is The Church. As for our bodies,"I praise you(God) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."(NIV) In the New Living Translation we read, "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--how well I know it."

Well, as I've written before, we live in a time when young people, especially, are getting body shamed by social media, peers, ads that idealize perfection and thinness. It's evil and harmful. About the opposite of this is my Mama's voice saying, "just be sure you and your clothes are neat and clean." Well, Norwegians are good at neat and clean. But, growing up, I needed a a few more specifics. Reminds me of one of the humorous tips that circulated during the pandemic. I've shared it before. "They told me all I needed to go to the grocery story was a mask and gloves. They lied. Everyone else had on clothes."

Oh well, some time today, read Psalm 139. And the next time you take a look at yourself in the mirror, smile. You're fearfully and wonderfully made. God loves you, me and them. Like David writes in Psalm139:1, "...You know me." And that truth never sent God saying, "I'm outta here." Nor has Jesus taken leave of The Church.

So, even though we, and The Church, are messed up. Take another look in the mirror. See fearfully and wonderfully made. And take another look at The Church and each other. We're temples under construction. Each a unique work of art, where Christ chooses to make His home. Bodacious beauty abounds.

So give Church, yourself and others another chance It helps to wear glasses tinted by Grace. Now, dare to breathe, blossom, bless God and others on this weird and wonderful day in May.

Can't hurt.

Could just make for a Monday miracle or two.