This Is The Body of Christ

I was humbled by this photo shared by a friend on Facebook. It comes from a former town that we served in and is news about a local pastor who was suddenly diagnosed with an inoperable and incurable brain tumor this week. They've only given him weeks to live.

This shot is taken from the Methodist church. You see in this town the Baptist church is on one corner, the Methodist across the street and the Church of Christ adjoins them all. They share a common parking lot area.

When I was there this pastor was one of three that said "we are all a part of the body of Christ and should act like so".  We were there when the first annual "Ice Cream Social" of all of these churches happened on a Sunday evening in September.  If the forefathers of these churches could have seen this, I'm sure some of them would have fainted, but to me it was the perfect picture.

This was also the parking lot that all the churches gathered in on that August Sunday afternoon when the Church of Christ worship center burned to the ground.  Churches raced in the other end of the building and helped them rescue the office furnishings.  Many, many things have happened in this parking lot--but not because of a man, but because it was a God sized dream.

Joe Bagby has been a faithful servant in Sweetwater for 12 years or more and I hope that he sees this picture soon.  It's just the fruit of his life and his giving to this community, this BODY OF CHRIST, that is beautiful.  Now people, this is church!