The Body of Christ

It's Monday and a beautiful day where I am. This week our prayer is that you will be reminded of the power of your voice within the body of Christ.

Sparkfly interviewed Mandy McMichael about her life and work on this earth. Mandy is a first year Ph.D. student in Religion at Duke University, majoring in American Religious History. Sparkfly thinks she represents the body of Christ in amazing ways. (for a complete view of Mandy's profile see comments from Lori's blog post on September 11) (click here to view one of Mandy's sermons)

Sparkfly: What does it mean to be the Body of Christ in our world today?
Mandy: Being a Christian isn't easy. Following Jesus is something that is radical and therefore controversial. We are called upon to do things that seem backwards. God commands us to be the voice of the oppressed instead of participating in their exploitation. God encourages us to give away our money instead of getting caught up in consumerism. God instructs us to pray for our enemies instead of killing them. It’s hard work! And, because it’s hard work, we need the support of one another. We receive strength for the journey during worship and fellowship with other believers. We can’t do it alone, but as the body of Christ, it is possible to stand strong.

Sparkfly: As part of the body of Christ, in ten years, what do you want your one voice to be saying?
Mandy: I know it sounds cliche, but I want my voice to say, in the immortal words of Whitney Houston, "I believe the children are the future. Teach them well, and let them lead the way.” In all seriousness though, our children are the future. And I’m not just talking about our biological children, but all of the children in our extended care networks, our neighborhoods, our churches, etc. We need to spend time with them. We need to teach them, but we also need to listen to them, to laugh with them, and to play with them. We need to model for them egalitarianism, anti-racism, anti-classism, anti-consumerism, and anti-patriarchy. In other words, we need to show them how to be Christians in addition to telling them.

Sparkfly: If you were going to be on Oprah what would you talk about?
Mandy: This is a tough one for me. If it was right now, I think I would want to talk about the current situation in Sudan. I would want to raise awareness not only about the Darfur region, but all of Sudan. I would want to bring a couple of my Sudanese friends on the show with me to tell their stories. They are incredible and they need to be heard. The Sudanese and their suffering has been virtually ignored by the rest of the world. We need to let them hold us accountable for our silence.

Sparkfly:One voice equals . . .
Mandy: Community