The Body. Today we have the technology to keep a hand alive hooked up to machines for a long period of time. The body that gives up that hand is less than it could be but that hand is functionally useless and barely alive. When we try to exist as a follower of Christ, part of the Body, without being strongly connected to that Body we are like a hand cut off, sustained artificially. Technically alive yet barely functional. The Body is certainly less without us and missing opportunities to be effective but we are next to useless.
There are some people that have called the Bridge their home church, their Body, that do not attend anymore. Some have found other local Bodies to be a part of, but some are cutoff and can't find a place that is right for them. If you are one of those I challenge you to look at why you struggle with coming home. Did another part of the Body offend you? Is the music not exactly how you want it? Did the pastor say something that bothered you? Did something happen that made you decide you would not be a part of the Body anymore? How is that working out for you being a hand with no Body?
As I get older more and more of my body parts disagree with me and do not function as they should, but none of them have left me (except my appendix and he died). The Body, the family of God, has people in it so we will never be perfect and will say and do things that will hurt or offend at times and if you stay plugged in long enough you will hurt or offend someone else eventually. That is no reason to stay cutoff and unplugged. The Bridge, this local Body of Christ, is less without you and I contend you are completely missing out on the role God has planned for you if you keep yourself cutoff and unplugged.
If you have called the Bridge your home church but have not been here and plugged in for some time - if you have tried other churches and can't find a place that feels right - have been cutoff from any Body living an artificial life - then I challenge you, encourage you, to come back home and rejoin this Body that needs you. You need us as well and together we can be so much more! Let's make a difference to our community together!
