The Heart of the Matter

As seen in the HEARTbeat and Village Voice

The Heart of the Matter

            I don’t think anyone would argue with me that the heart is the most important part of our body.  However, some might say the brain is the top part of the body (pun intended).  I would say without the heart, the brain could not function.  This is true with all the other parts of the body.  Without the heart, the body completely stops.

            In a past position, I had a few investigative individuals who were Registered Nurses or Licensed Practical Nurses.  Being an investigator into civil or criminal matters took a special kind of nurse, one with a sense of humor.  In my early months, I would inquire to the nurse, “Why did they die?”  The retort would be, “Their heart stopped.”  After a while I caught on and would ask, “What was the condition that led to their death?”  “Now you’re asking the right question, boss,” would be their answer.  Many things can be wrong with the body.  But when it turns severe, the condition has an effect on the heart.

            This thought pattern extends into other aspects of our life, but none more accurate than our spiritual life, specifically the church.  I would argue, as I did above, the heart is the most important part of the body – the church body.  And to answer the question on your mind, which is, “What is the heart of the church?”  I would say unequivocally, the heart is our worship.

            When we go to church, we worship in many different ways.  I’m not talking about raising hands, clapping, or being quietly reverent.  What pleases God the most is the strong relationship we have with Him.  We worship our Heavenly Father in many ways.  When we come together, we bless each other, we laugh together, and we show concern with one another.  That is a form of worship to God whereby we are taking care of one another.  Naturally our singing is a form of worship by praising Him.  And when we give of our time and talents, we are once again worshipping Him.  You see, everything which can be termed as worship, we will do in Heaven (except the tithing part).  We experience Heaven on earth when we worship fully.

            But let something be wrong with the body of the church, and the “heart” begins to suffer.  It can be a multitude of things such as disagreements between members, or someone is upset because the pastor said something from the pulpit that hit a nerve.  Regardless of the ailment, it will eventually affect the “heart” of the church – our worship.

            We need to keep the body (of the church) in good health by taking care of it, essentially by keeping our relationships healthy and strong.  When the body is strong, the heart can function as it’s supposed to.  The “heart,” our worship, needs to be strong.  And when it’s strong, the rest of the body will also be strong.

            How is the “heart” of your church?  I pray is it strong enough to withstand what this world is throwing at the body of Christ!