SHARING SPIRITUAL NERVE ENDINGS
by Brian Jones

In his book Courageous Leadership, Bill Hybels shares a powerful story about the way people in a healthy-functioning church rally around each other in times of pain. I had just finished presenting my weekend message at Willow and I was . . . talking to people. A young married couple approached me, placed a blanketed bundle in my arms, and asked me to pray for their baby.

As I asked what the baby's name was, the mother pulled back the blanket that had covered the infant's face. I felt my knees begin to buckle. I thought I was going to faint. Had the father not steadied me I may well have keeled over. In my arms was the most horribly deformed baby I had ever seen. The whole center of her tiny face was caved in. How she kept breathing I will never know.

All I could say was, "Oh my . . . oh my . . . oh my."

"Her name is Emily," said the mother. "We've been told she has about six weeks to live," added the father. "We would like you to pray that before she dies she will know and feel our love." Barely able to mouth the words, I whispered, "Let's pray." Together we prayed for Emily. Oh, did we pray. As I handed her back to her parents I asked, "Is there anything we can do for you, any way that we as a church can serve you during this time?"

  The father responded with words that still amaze me. He said, "Bill, we're okay. Really we are. We've been in a loving small group for years. Our group members knew that this pregnancy had complications. They were at our house the night we learned the news, and they were at our hospital when Emily was delivered. They helped us absorb the reality of the whole thing. They even cleaned our house and fixed our meals when we brought her home. They pray for us constantly and call us several times every day. They are even helping us plan Emily's funeral." Just then three other couples stepped forward and surrounded Emily and her parents. "We always attend church together as a group," said one of the group members.

It was a picture I will carry to the grave, a tight-knit huddle of loving brothers and sisters doing their best to soften one of the cruelest blows life can throw. After a group prayer, they all walked up the side aisle toward our lobby. Where, I wondered as they left, would that family be, where would they go, how would they handle this heartbreak, without the church?(p. 22-23) Tucked in the middle of a discussion about the nature of the church, the apostle Paul compared the church to a human body: "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it" (1 Corinthians 12:26). 

Paul clearly points out that when we as followers of Jesus become spiritually intimate with one another, it is as if our souls grow together and we begin to share spiritual nerve endings. If something happens to you, I can't help but by affected it. We are connected soul to soul. In the same way a twisted ankle affects every other part of a human body, the hurt a church member feels touches everyone else in that community. In a healthy-functioning community of Jesus followers, people are deeply connected to one another, and when something happens, good or bad, the instinctive response is to rally around one another.

Does this happen in your church?

Copyright ©2009 Brian Jones

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This story touches so many angles from our relationship with each other, to why we pray even when sometimes those prayers are not answered.

  Many wonder why God doesn't intervene in such circumstances, I pray that the eyes of their hearts be opened to see that in this case, God did intervene, through his prefered method, by using people in great times of need to be there for their neighbor, to bear their burdens and to be their strength when they are weak and to serve those around them.

Yeah, thats the way its indeed supposed to be.

All thanks to the perfect Jesus for creating a deformed baby. . How wonderful. Amen.

Tudór:

Yeah, thats the way its indeed supposed to be.

All thanks to the perfect Jesus for creating a deformed baby. . How wonderful. Amen.

As usual, you miss the point entirely.

My sister, i'm only giving glory and honour to our saviour jesus christ for a job well done.

@Jesoul
Thanx for sharing this, it really touched my heart. If only our churches could be more like this then they would have more meaning and be serving the purpose for which they were intended. Unfortunately today in most churches the reverse is the case.

KunleOshob:

@Jesoul
Thanx for sharing this, it really touched my heart. If only our churches could be more like this then they would have more meaning and be serving the purpose for which they were intended. Unfortunately today in most churches the reverse is the case.

You're welcome Kunle. It also touched my heart and served as a truly excellent example on how we should love and care for each other.

May God help us professing christians to live out what we preach.

So touching and even more touching is the fact that they were not miracle seekers but people contended with the love of God . . . . .I am deeply touched but cannot imagine this happening in todays churches.

JeSoul:

As usual, you miss the point entirely.

were u expecting Tudor to get the message?

noetic15:

So touching and even more touching is the fact that they were not miracle seekers but people contended with the love of God . . . . .I am deeply touched but cannot imagine this happening in todays churches.

  Infact I cannot stress enough how important this point you made is. That is a huge angle to the story that I was hoping people would pick up on. They didn't go about crying and blaming God for giving them a deformed baby, or run from church to church seeking miracles, they were simply content. How incredible is that?

  It is happening, its just not happening enough or being broadcast enough for people to see and hear and learn.

were u expecting Tudor to get the message?

I wasn't . . . . but you know one can always hope 

My goodness. See as this people dey do me like i no get sense at all.

Okay. I get the point ENTIRELY. . . .happy now?

Tudór:

My goodness. See as this people dey do me like i no get sense at all.

Okay. I get the point ENTIRELY. . . .happy now?

Far from it Tudor. Infact I know you're very smart. It's just that you allow your intense aversion for religion and christianity to prevent you from being objective on religious issues.

JeSoul:

Far from it Tudor. Infact I know you're very smart. It's just that you allow your intense aversion for religion and christianity to prevent you from being objective on religious issues.

GBAM!!!

P.S his staunch disgust for oyedepo makes him despise anything xtian.

JeSoul, thanks for sharing this, it's lovely

And thanks for the other time. For 2010, I pray you receive such a blessing that you won't be able to contain it: people will flock to you from far and near to scoop some of the overflow. Amen and Amen!!!

ancel:

JeSoul, thanks for sharing this, it's lovely

And thanks for the other time. For 2010, I pray you receive such a blessing that you won't be able to contain it: people will flock to you from far and near to scoop some of the overflow. Amen and Amen!!!

See blessings on me? Thank you oh my brother! amen and amen. And I pray for you also that God will increase your wisdom and understanding, causing you to be an instrument of His grace here on earth. Amen and amen!

Many blessings. . . haaaaaaaaaappy new year!

Have a splendid and Happy New year everyone!