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Mosaic Study Guide

Week of 17 January 2010

Teaching: Spiritual Formation and the Body

Texts: Genesis 1.26-31; John 20.24-29, 1Cor. 15.42-49, 1Cor. 6.19,20

Genesis 1.27,31:
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. . . .   God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.

1Cor. 6.19,20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Spiritual Formation and the Body
If we pursue “spiritual formation” and at the same time ignore the fact that we are physical bodies, then we will never be formed in the image of Christ. 

Three Stories about our Bodies
The Creation Story
The Incarnation Story
The Easter Story

Not Animals, Not Angels, But Human
Our bodies are holy places where heaven and earth meet.  We are physical beings.  But we are not animals.  

The other extreme is trying to live as an angel, therefore denying our bodily life, desires, passion and needs, suppressing and repressing affection and intimacy.

Body Loathing and the Biggest Loser
I know that when he looks in the mirror, he hates what he sees.  And I’m certain that this is not God’s desire for him.  It’s hard for him to think of himself as one who is glorifying God in his body. 

L’Arche Community: The Body and Suffering
How does one glorify God in their bodywhen their body is being wasted away by disease?

“L’Arche is not built around the word but around the body.  We are so privileged to be entrusted with the body of another” (Jean Vanier).

God in Haiti
It seems appropriate that the only image left of the church is Christ crucified. 

A Spirituality of Re-Creation
This teaching was going to be more about glorifying God in our bodies, loving our bodies, giving care to our bodies, and less about the suffering of our bodies.  But the events of this week shaped my teaching in a different direction. 

Next Week we Begin a New Series

Christians Behaving Badly

Teaching One: Christians Are Intolerant
Teaching Two: Christians Are Too Political
Teaching Three: Christians Hate Gay People
Teaching Four: When Christians Follow Jesus

De-churched people have had some really bad encounters with Christians behaving badly.  In this new teaching series our Mosaic community will listen to what de-churched people have to say about Christians with a humble heart and a teachable spirit.