It was an ordinary call that I received in my job as a receptionist many years ago. The caller asked to speak to Bill, our head of building maintenance. However, because his job took him to many places, Bill was rarely in his office. This meant I usually had to take a message since cell phones didn’t yet exist. The man gave me his name and number, then had another request: “When you get Bill to call back, tell him in parts.”
After hanging up, I had to smile. I knew the caller was from a car dealership and that he worked in the parts department. However, my wacky sense of humor had another meaning: the guy’s body parts were separated, and he’d better get himself together.
Silly, of course, but that’s the image Paul used when he said that just as the human body has many parts, so does the church—Christ’s body. And in the church, those parts are made up of individual believers, each with their own gifts and graces, who unite to serve Him.
Sadly, I occasionally find that I’m not the best part and fall short of what God desires. This situation could be due to many reasons. Perhaps I’m not growing spiritually and, by extension, failing to serve Him.
Like the caller, I’m in parts and need to get myself together by returning to where I should be. Perhaps you do too.
Anne Adams is a retired church staffer living in Athens, Texas, where she writes a historical column for the local newspaper. Her book Brittany, Child of Joy, tells about her mentally disabled daughter and was published in 1986 by Broadman. She has taught junior college history and has published in Christian and secular publications for forty years.