Body Theology

Good morning

I am Paula Gooder and as well as being a writer and lecturer in the New Testament, I am Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

This morning’s Sunday Worship celebrates bodies. I have returned to the place where I grew up, my home city of Greater Manchester, to meet and talk with some amazing women in Salford about bodies, why they matter and how treasuring our bodies is important in our journey as Christians.

Our first piece of music is a setting of Psalm 139 by Bernadette Farrell, sung by St Martin’s Voices. ‘O God you search me and you know me,’ reflects on God’s knowledge of us in everything we say and do and giving thanks that God formed every part of our bodies, knitting us together in our mother’s wombs.

HYMN - O God you search me (Bernadette Farrell) - St Martin’s Voices 

Prayer

We praise you, O God, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made - our bodies are crafted in your image, known and loved by you before we knew ourselves. May we learn to love ourselves as you love us. Amen.

I first became interested in Paul’s attitude to the body when my two girls, who are now grown women, were little. It felt as though we were being bombarded with messages about ‘the body beautiful and what it should look like. I wanted to shield my girls from all of these messages so began to wonder what the Chirstian tradition might have to say to help me. For the most part I found a ringing silence on the subject but my own studies in the writings of Paul suggested that there was a lot to say.

While Paul was often negative when he used the word flesh, when he used ‘body’ he was, most of the time, very positive. In Romans he says that we should present our bodies to God which are holy and pleasing; he talks extensively in 1 Corinthians about the resurrection bodies we will have and the most important image he uses to describe the church is the body of Christ.

Paul, I discovered, was very positive about bodies… So I set out on a mission to ask what it would look like if the church was too. For this service, I have come to the life centre in Salford to talk to some young women about their attitudes to their bodies and why bodies are important to them in their faith.

Our next piece of music is a Hymn written by Ally Barrett, which reminds us of Christ’s body in the Eucharist, recorded for us by St Martin’s Voices…

HYMN - This is your body, for your people giv’n - Ally Barratt – St Martin’s Voices

This is your body, for your people giv’n,

We break the bread, and voice the sacred song;

Food of the angels, taste of highest heav’n,

crumbs dropped for all who fear we don’t belong:

We are your body, help us dare to share

all that we have, and offer all we are.

This is your blood, the pain that makes us whole

With love was pressed from Christ’s live-giving vine,

The smallest sip can warm the coldest soul,

And fill the human heart with fire divine:

We are your body, help us yearn to share

all that we have, and offer all we are.

We are your body, fed with heavenly food,

Washed through the blood that flows with heavenly love,

And then you send us, by that love renewed,

to find that earth is full of heav’n above.

We are your body, in your grace we share

all that we have, and offer all we are.

Tune: Finlandia

Hymns – reverendally.org

LifeCentre Salford

Discussion with young women about body image and what Jesus would have to say about bodies

30 secs Set up reading…

Paul is really positive about bodies - the big metaphor for the body about how we relate together 

Reading 1 Corinthians 12 12-27

Unity and Diversity in the Body

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 

2 min discussion

I left my conversation with those incredible young women feeling immensely encouraged. If their positivity about their own bodies.

Here’s setting of Theresa of Avila’s beautiful prayer ‘Christ has no body now but yours’ reminding us that our bodies are a vital way in which we make Christ known in the world.

MUSIC ‘Christ has no body now but yours’ – Daily Service Singers

Jayne Manfredi discussion

I’m now with Jayne Manfredi - Anglican deacon and broadcaster. Like me Jayne has daughters and like me she is passionate about bodies and the church

MUSIC - Breathe on me breath of God (Ronald Foot) - St Martin’s Voices

Prayers

Breathe on us breath of God, fill us with life anew, you made us in your image and called each one of us by name. We praise you because we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Help us to honour our bodies and never to despise what you have made and called good.

We thank you for the Body of Christ, your hands and feet and eyes in the world today. Help us to remember that every part of the body is valued and precious, that none of us can say we are not needed nor that anyone other part of Christ’s body is unwanted.

We pray for all those who struggle to love their bodies and for those whose bodies bear the marks of trauma. May they experience a healing that is gentle and understanding, may they find communities where they can belong and feel safe.

We bring before you all who live with illness, chronic pain or bodily decline. Grant them endurance and grace. And in the midst of suffering, help them to know themselves still known and beloved by you.

We hold before you those who are dying, whose bodily existence in this life is coming an end. May they know your presence with them and may those who love them be enfolded in your tender embrace. And may we, who will one day follow them on this journey, learn to hold our bodies lightly and our lives with gratitude.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name;

thy kingdom come;

thy will be done;

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation;

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

the power and the glory,

for ever and ever.

Amen.

Closing

Our bodies created by God; Christ’s body that we receive in the Eucharist; the Body of Christ that together we are in the world all remind us that of the importance of bodies in our journey of faith. I’ve come away from my conversations inspired to keep the conversation going about bodies and faith. 

Bodies really do matter. Glory to God who brought the universe to birth, bodies and all.

HYMN - Glory to God, the mother of creation - Ally Barratt - St Martin’s Voices (Londonderry air)

Glory to God, the mother of creation,

in love you brought the universe to birth,

then gave your life to purchase the salvation

of all the sons and daughters of the earth.

Glory to you, for love that’s shown through history:

the warp and weft that patterns time and space.

By grace you’re known, yet known to be a mystery,

and we can touch eternity in your embrace.

Glory to you for calling us to service,

shepherds and stewards, messengers and priests,

we give ourselves in gratitude and gladness

as guests and hosts at your thanksgiving feast.

Our hearts exult in loving affirmation,

We sing with joy, your greatness we proclaim.

Your praise resounds in every generation,

Our souls with Mary magnify your holy name.

We are united, in Christ’s body dwelling,

one in the Spirit: wind and fire and dove;

one in the grace and hope of every calling,

to lift the ways of earth to heav’n above.

Through all our lives your power is ever flowing,

To show your work of love is underway;

Stir up your gift in us, your grace bestowing,

so we may speak and live your Word afresh today.

This was written for the service in York Minster on 17th May 2014, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of women priests in the Church of England.

Tune: Londonderry Air.

Hymns – reverendally.org