Why The Body Matters

I have continued to be amazed over the past few months as I have had the privilege of working with Christian leaders – and hearing from them how our work together has contributed to them personally and in their ministries to others.

At a women’s retreat for a black urban church from Rochester, NY, the leader told me “you were here for me this weekend,” finding herself “excited and grounded” instead of “exhausted” by the close of the retreat. She “got” the connection between our spirits and our bodies, and led the women in an impromptu, Spirit-infused closing exercise in which she encouraged participants to embody in a posture what they had learned over the weekend, and also to release to God burdens they were carrying by symbolically throwing stones into the lake – and women were set free!

Another pastor called me to share with me his extremely full ministry schedule over the past few weeks – but how different he was than he had been six months ago, because he was learning to attend to and care for his body in the midst of the fullness of ministry. And so he was not overcome by the work of ministry in ways that he would have been previously. He was also excited that his congregation was learning to honor the body, following his example, in very organic ways – caring for the physical needs of over 2,000 people waiting in line for a massive funeral his church was hosting. He witnessed the love of Jesus literally embodied by his congregation on behalf of hurting people.

What I am witnessing is that over and over, as I have the privilege of working with Christian leaders one-on one for a relatively short time, is the way they are able to quickly integrate the gifts of the body for supporting their personal ministries and the ministries being carried out by the people they lead. As I “sow seeds,”  leaders are quickly contextualizing embodiment and spirituality principles and sharing it in contexts that I may never see, but that are exactly the places where Jesus would be. Daycare centers. Young, unwed, pregnant women’s support groups. Deliverance ministries. Funerals. College classrooms. The list – and the diversity of settings – is endless! Praise be to God for blessing his people as we are learning to appreciate our God given physical capacities to support our becoming more like Jesus.