[244]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BEING A PART OF THE BODY
I would call this an unusual but interesting poem. The message is an important one though because so much is involved – harmony, nurture, compassion, serving one another, building up the Body of Christ.
The poem came to me with the first line – “You may be a tongue, or even a lung.” Then I wanted to keep that rhyme form, and I took it from there.
The structure of this poem is that each second line has an internal rhyme starting with the first line, and the alternate lines do not rhyme. That is easy to see.
The stanzas are of irregular length and each stanza broadly covers a theme.
The Body of Christ is composed of members redeemed by His love and grace. As members of the Body, we are members one of the other and that demands we care for one another because Christ loves the Body. Those who are selfish and care only for themselves while saying they are Christians, well, their claim can be disputed.
One line in this poem gives me some uncertainty. This is the line –
“But just you and I, for Christians can see,” ME??
To create the proper rhyme it would be “But just you and me, for Christians can see,” but I don’t see that as the proper grammatical structure. [[But just you and I (would succour)]]. I might recast those few lines in the future.
I hope you love this poem, but please take great notice of its message. We all need this reminder.
WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE BODY –
{{1 Corinthians 12:27 “NOW YOU ARE CHRIST’S BODY, AND INDIVIDUALLY MEMBERS OF IT.”}}
THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS BAPTISED ALL BELIEVERS INTO ONE BODY –
{{1 Corinthians 12:12-14 “Even as THE BODY IS ONE AND YET HAS MANY MEMBERS, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ, for by one Spirit we were ALL BAPTISED INTO ONE BODY, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit, for the body is not one member, but many.”}}
PARTS OF THE BODY BUILD EACH OTHER PART –
{{Ephesians 4:16 “from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”}}
YOUR GIFTS ARE TO BUILD THE BODY –
{{Romans 12:3-6 “Through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith, for just as we have many members in one body and ALL THE MEMBERS DO NOT HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION, so we who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ ACCORDING TO THE GRACE GIVEN TO US, LET EACH EXERCISE THEM accordingly. . . . .”}}
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BEING A PART OF THE BODY
You may be a tongue, or even a lung.
You may be a hand. You may be a foot.
You may be the toes, or even the nose.
You may be a knee. You may be a spleen.
There is a great cost when a member’s lost
Each part is essential to function well.
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If one becomes sick, then you must be quick
To lift up the weakened one in your prayers.
Your fellow brothers, and any others
Are part of the body that is hurting.
You can’t be disjoint. Together you point
To Jesus Christ who nourishes His own.
Ones weak He sustains. He never disdains
His own in the Body. Neither must we.
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Love one another. Each one is a brother.
This is the commandment God gave to us.
The head or the hand, or some hidden gland
Are all part of the body we have.
If one then be hurt, all won’t be inert,
For the whole body will feel all the pain.
From that we construe the same will be true
In the Body of Christ, where we reside.
Each, you must comfort; each, you must support,
And that will be love in operation.
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The body assailed . . . yet it has not failed
Because it is the Body of the redeemed.
In service we serve and we must not swerve.
The straight path ahead will lead to the Lord.
If you be the knee or whatever you be –
A hand or foot or nose or toe or eye,
Christ’s Body you are; He calls from afar
To serve the Lord, and each other, with love.
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He nurtures His saints. There can’t be complaints.
The Shepherd is the tender caring Lord.
For us, what is done by Jesus, the Son,
We must care for and do for others too.
He loves and He cares, each burden He bears.
Christian, do the same and fulfil His will.
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When ones pass along to heaven’s grand song,
There are vacancies others must fill in.
The gifts God provides, where each one abides;
The Church will always be nourished by Him.
The challenge you greet, and the need you meet,
Because the Lord is the One in control.
So have you striven, to use what’s given
To you from the Lord, or are you lazy?
Your gift is to build, as your God had willed
So the dear saints of God are not lacking.
Your gift you neglect means that you reject
The talent God has given to you.
You will give account if your failures mount,
Then a shameful servant you proved to be.
Equipped in God’s grace, help others embrace
The fullness of your Lord’s service to them.
As your “body part”, then make a new start
In service, with true honour and vigour.
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When you’re ill-treated and your life is heated
And the enemies rise up against you.
The Lord is your Rock, and He takes your knock
He’s always strong in His infinite care.
He’s your great support, and by Him be taught
That is the way it must be for your peace.
Be brave in the fight, for God’s way is right.
Discouragement will never win with God.
Your battles cause pain. From that, there’s no gain,
But nail your courage to the sticking place.
Your friends you assist, to help them resist,
The troubles that they have to encounter.
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Now, just you suppose that one of your toes,
Detached itself from its foot, and fell off.
Would other toes care, that more pain they bear?
For the good of all saints, they will sustain.
“Like members” we are, in Christ, on a par:
Freely our care must be equally shown.
Don’t you walk away, with nothing to say
To a hurting member of Christ’s Body.
When one member hurts, it’s not the experts,
That succour and comfort the ailing one;
But just you and I, for Christians can see, ME??
We follow the Lord in obedience.
You must play your part with a caring heart.
As part of the Body, be kind to all!
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Ron Ferguson 10-16 November 2025 10 throughout ABCD etc