The Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

New International Version (NIV)

Unity and Diversity in the Body

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

When summer starts to wind down, there’s a time between when school starts and the autumn leaves begin to fall that is one of my favorite times of the year. I was a member of the drumline from junior high through college at SIU Carbondale. I was even on some professional and non-traditional lines while in Decatur.

After college, I was the junior high drumline instructor at Carbondale Middle School, and spent some time as an instructor at Carbondale High School and MacArthur High School in Decatur, Illinois. I had my own drumline as part of the music ministry at gtChurch in Decatur as well.

We are back at it again this year with the middle school in Carbondale. This begins my ninth year as the drumline instructor at the middle school, and I’ve come at things with a different philosophy and a new perspective.

I see the drumline as the body of Christ, learning to be pure (in tempo), clean (in rhythm), and growing together (becoming tighter) as each day passes.

1 Corinthians 12:21-26

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Each part of the line is very different. Each part makes a particular beat that is complex on its own, but becomes more convoluted unless a leader is present. The different polyrhythms can become so pristine, and beautiful music can be made when everything comes together. The snare lacks without the bass drum. The tenors lack without the cymbals. Every part is important and the syncopation works better whenever and the syncopation works better when everyone is together.

It’s very similar to the body of Christ. We grow together, we know that every one of us has our part to do, and we try to work in sync just like the drumline comparison.

In our daily lives, let’s try and find things that compare to the scriptures. They will help reassure us of the importance of God’s word in the world around us, and will show us that through acknowledging these comparisons, we have the ability to see how vital it is that God be the center of our lives while putting him first in everything we do.

1 Corinthians 12:27

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.