How Beautiful...

The pure, spotless bride of Christ is an awesome image. The concept of the Church Universal, of those form every tongue, tribe and nation being one body is something so vastly glorious that I cannot really get my mind around it.

How Beautiful the hands that served
The Wine and the Bread and the sons of the earth
How beautiful the feet that walked
The long dusty road and the hill to the cross
How beautiful is the body of Christ

How Beautiful the heart that bled
That took all my sins and bore it instead
How beautiful the tender eyes
That choose to forgive and never despise
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

And as He lay down His life
We offer this sacrifice
That we will live just as He died
Willing to pay the price

How Beautiful the radiant bride
Who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes
How Beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure love so that others may live
How beautiful is the body of Christ

How beautiful the feet that bring
The sound of good news and the love of the King
How Beautiful the hands that serve
The wine and the bread and the sons of the Earth
How beautiful is the body of Christ

-Twila Paris

In meditating on this I am reminded of the admonition that we are giver over and over again to love one another as Christ loved us. In the message this morning the minister read several passages where Paul tells us what he prays for the church in various places and I thought "What better example of how to love and pray for the church than those given to us in Scripture?"

I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of your Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit if wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believed, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ in raising Him from the dead, and He seated Him at His right hand in the heavens, far above all principality and authority and power and dominion, and every name being named, not only in this age, but also in the age to come. And He has put all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 3:15-23

For this cause I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you according the the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts my faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath, and length , and depth , and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge and that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly about all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world with out end. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21

For this cause we also, since the day we heard of it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened what all might, according to his glorious power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father which hath make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath make us meet ti be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who has delivered us from the power of darkness and had translated us to the kingdom of his dear Son; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:9-14

This, my dear brothers and sisters, is my prayer for you.