God's Glory in the Body

I was scheduled to lead the Prayers of the People this morning, which I did.  However, as is the case at times when you serve as a Eucharistic Minister at the 11:15, you are drafted to read a lesson... or two!  Luckily, I was only asked to read the second lesson which was from 1 Corinthians.  And, as I discovered, it was an example of God's choreography putting together an interesting dance.  Put aside all of Paul's prelude to his complaint about fornication, he gets to a point that I was thinking about on the way to church this morning.

[Or] do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?  For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. --1 Cor. 6:12-20

I note, this statement of Paul's comes after the verses so oft quoted at me (yes, at me) about who will inherit the kingdom of God.  It's usually a biblical literalist-type who likes to latch on to Paul's laundry list of the "unwelcome" so they can tell me and the others like me why we're not worthy.   Of course, one of the other readings today was Psalm 139, which negates all the noise of the literalists with the overwhelming message that "God made me, loves me, and I can't get away from that Love no matter what I do."   So much for being unwelcomed!

The body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you.  And I say, "Amen and amen!" to that statement.  This is why taking care of the body and loving the body is important and--yes--holy.  This is what I try to communicate with my clients every day.  Massage therapy is much more than just "bodywork."  It is soul work.  It is the maintenance of the temple that houses the spirit within.   So, when I hear Paul say, "Glorify God in your body," I hear him saying, "Get a massage!"   Take care of yourself, and don't abuse this body that you have.  Because proper care of your body is also a way of being a steward of what God has given to you.  It's not just your money.  It's not just how you treat the others sharing this planet with you (people, plants and animals).  Are you eating foods that can then be generated into energy for the cells of your muscles, or are you eating empty calories off the fast food menu all the time?  


If we treat the body well, the spirit within will thrive.   Get a massage.   Drink a smoothie.  Feel better in your skin, bones and muscles... and your spirit will be lighter.