Finding Corpus Christy   

by R. Cody Smith                

I knew in my gut that something was wrong, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. All the studies and sermons somehow just didn’t add up to the promised life. Since everyone else seemed to be getting it, I assumed that there must be something wrong with me; after all I was a sinner. One day I overheard some friends talking about Christian living and one of them mentioned the phrase, “Fake it till you can make it.” While it didn’t seem very honest to me I thought, “OK, if that’s how it’s done, I can play too.”

Meanwhile I studied the Bible, went to conferences, and struggled with some inner healing; I kept trying to discover what was keeping me from enjoying the abundant life. I did learn a lot about the Bible, and quite a bit of doctrine, but the more I learned the worse it seemed to get. None of this activity moved me any closer to what I sought, and the yearning deep within my soul would not be silenced. After a while a reoccurring thought began to plague my mind—what if it's not me after all? Could something really be wrong, could something important be missing? Wait! What did I know anyway? I was just a beginner at all this; maybe a rebellious spirit or something was controlling me. “Keep it quiet,” I thought, “this seems to be the only boat afloat, better not rock it.”

This reminded me of that fabled emperor who is duped into buying a very fine suit made of a rare cloth that only the wisest of men could see. He then marched proudly through the middle of town in his new invisible clothes. Not wanting to show themselves as ignorant, none of his subjects says a word. That is except for the only honest person in the crowd, a small child who laughingly screams out, “Hey you guys, the emperor has no clothes!”

I kept hearing about the body of Christ that we all belonged to, but it seemed to be another one of those theological mysteries well beyond my comprehension. There were sermons about gifts and functions and how we all belonged to one another; they usually included were some pretty corny jokes about disconnected body parts. I understood the concept all right, but looking around at the congregation, I just couldn’t visualize how all three hundred of us in that sanctuary were going to become one. It took an act of congress just to get ten people to show up and pull weeds in the parking lot once a year.

All I could see was three hundred fannies warming the pews, and two hundred ears passively enjoying the show (the rest were asleep or not paying attention). There simply seemed to be no connection between the words, and the reality of my own experience. Worst of all I didn’t really know any of these people, how in the world could I become one with them? All we ever said was, “Hi, how are you,” “I’m fine thank you, bless you brother.” If I ever tried to tell anyone how I really felt they suddenly were called away to the bathroom, or remembered that they had left their wife and kids waiting in the car with all the windows rolled up. 

In all fairness I did eventually find some body life, but I had to find it outside the church proper. I didn’t know what it was called then, just that when it happened it satisfied part of the longing in my heart. It was usually spontaneous, based on a need, and often happened in the strangest of places, a parking lot, or even late at night on the phone. In all, it took me nearly fifteen years to work my way through the religious smoke screen to discover what the Body of Christ was always meant to be, and it’s so simple that once obtaining the right perspective it became obvious to me.    

You see, Jesus never meant for His church to be entertainment, nor a series of theological exercises, and furthermore real discipleship cannot be accomplished en-masse by an institutional program. The church by the nature of its mission must be small, and it must be intimate! “For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them” Mt 18:20 (NIV). It seems to me that the Biblical inference of this verse is that having large meetings is not very important; by using the numbers two or three, could Christ have actually been telling us that smaller is actually better?

            In a house church of twelve to fifteen people it is possible to develop an intimate setting where we can celebrate life, help one another to get healed, grow in maturity, and get the support we need to be able to walk out the words of Jesus in our lives. “From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does it’s work” Eph 4:16 (NIV). This is the place where we can finally take off our masks, get real with one another, and become fully known and loved as we really are (warts and all). Certainly, Christianity was meant to be a way to live, and not just another religion.

         Ok, we’re all together in one room, and up to this point we could have been talking about a twelve-step program or some other kind of self-help group therapy. Absolutely not! And this is where we need to understand and agree on why we are here. This is critical and the point often missed by many types of small group meetings. This is the defining difference; this is what can make house churches work. We are the body of Christ. This group in your living room plus nothing added equals the church. 

What joy then, when we come together corporately, not needing to be filled, but to worship together from the abundance of what we have already found.

"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” Mt 16:18 (NIV).

When Christ himself is building His church, and when He is present as the head of His body, the promises of the Bible begin to unfold, and true miracles happen. In His church, it’s He that does all the work (ministry), it is He that sits, holds my hand, and wipes away my tears. It’s God once again putting on a human skin and reaching out to His beloved. This is our opportunity to be re-parented, and re-born into a new family where Christ himself is seated at the head of the table. This is the place where we can finally connect with The Body of Christ.

                                              
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[reader comment #1] 

Good afternoon Cody,
I am so happy for you!!! However I must let you know that you got me into trouble with my wife. When I received your e-mail I couldn't wait to go to your site and check it out. It was just then that she (my wife) called me to come and eat. Too late! I got started reading and couldn't stop. My wife was angry, and it's all your fault, but it was worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed your article (Finding Corpus Christy) and look forward to reading more. I am going to recommend your site to all my friends.
Sean J.

Better than food? Hmm... this is even more than I had hoped for. Ed.

        [reader comment #2] 

Leave a thoughtful comment and even if we disagree I'll add it here. [comment]

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