The Major League Baseball season ended last night (as I write this), with the baseball team from Atlanta winning the World Series for the first time since 1995. Outfielder Jorge Soler was named Most Valuable Player; he hit three home runs in the six games. But he did not bring about the four wins all by himself—in fact, he didn’t even have a hit in one of the games. In four of the six games he didn’t play in the field at all, and of course he threw none of the 844 pitches to the Houston batters—that was thirteen other guys for Atlanta. Yes, Jorge Soler played an important role in Atlanta winning the World Series. But clearly he didn’t do it by himself. And he couldn’t do it by himself—the game of baseball involves more than one player doing what needs to be done. It is impossible to win a baseball game if only one player is playing. Actually, it’s impossible to even play a baseball game is only one player is playing.

Similarly, the church involves more than one person doing what needs to be done. Paul writes to the marvelously diverse church in Corinth about that. He uses the analogy of the church as a body, and that the body has many parts, and needs all of the parts to effectively do what a body does. “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. . . . Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. . . . Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:12, 14, 27-30). Obviously the collective answer to that concluding series of seven questions is “No”. The church is not filled with everybody who can do everything. As with baseball, some are infielders and some are pitchers. If there is not catcher, then who catches the pitches thrown by the pitcher? We all need to play our role—the role we were given gifts to play well.

In baseball, each player makes individual contributions, but the team wins. So with the church, as Paul also writes in this passage: “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26) We understand how this works with our bodies—if you sprain your right ankle, your left leg has to take on more, and then it starts hurting. The body is interconnected, and Paul reminds us that so is the church. And when we are a part of the church, we are to play our part; we are to do what we are called by God to do.

As Jesus is ascending to heaven, leaving the work that he did to the disciples to do, Jesus tells them what they are to do: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.’ (Matthew 28:19-20a) THIS is what the church is to do; this is what we are to be about as those who are a part of the body of Christ. This is what our membership vows of “service” are about. And we are not left to ourselves to do this—first, we have each other, the rest of the team, the rest of the “body”. And we have the promise Jesus gave to the disciples that day: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:19-20a)

NEW TESTAMENT 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 12-14, 26-31a

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. . . .

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. . . . 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But strive for the greater gifts.

GOSPEL Matthew 28:16-20

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’