Daily Devotion for November 24, 2006 from Lutheran Church Charities

Daily Devotion Lutheran Church Charities November 24, 2006 Church Is Not Nice   Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27   Ever get the idea that church doesn't matter much?   "I go to church," you say. "That's nice" is the answer. Nice, as if you confessed a passion for rhododendrons or let on you spent Sundays breeding Irish setters.   Not "nice", says the apostle Paul: You are the body of Christ!   Church is very different from cutting flowers or breeding dogs. You are nothing less than the body of Christ. Bodies sometimes ache and get sore, but we still need them!  The body’s pains are all pains that we must work through, walk through, get through – but must come through to be what Christ wants us to be.   There is a wonderful poem by Teresa of Avila:   Christ has no body now on earth but yours; yours are the only hands with which he can do his work, yours are the only feet with which he can go about the world, yours are the only eyes through which his compassion can shine forth upon a troubled world.   Christ has no body now on earth but yours.   Prayer Gracious God: Help us this day to get our hands dirty and muscles sore. Give us aching feet and bloodshot eyes. Let us end our waking hours this day with just one more thing -- the knowledge that all this has been for your work in the world. Amen. The above devotions are written by Tim Hetzner, President of Lutheran Church Charities and author of Word Among Us Bible Studies. For permission to use these devotions please email Tim at his address below. Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Then sign up using the "Join Our Mailing List" form in the right side bar . . .or Click Here Tim Hetzner - President Lutheran Church Charities 333 W. Lake Street Addison, Illinois 60101 (866) 455-6466 At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom Quick Links... Devotion Archive This Week's "Making A Difference" Newsletter More About Us and What We Do Word Among Us Want to learn more about the Bible? Take one of our internet or local Bible Studies exploring the Mind, Method, Manner and Ministry of Jesus. Taught by Tim Hetzner. Class sites are across the USA. Click Here for more information. Join our mailing list! Tim Hetzner devotion@lutheranchurchcharities.org Office Phone: 866-455-6466 (Toll Free) Website: http://LCC.LutheranChurchCharities.org