Maybe somewhere buried under the mountain of traditions, preconceived notions and false expectations the church that we were called into is hiding.  Woefully, the phrase: "Body of Christ" has become a theological snowmobile that is used to traverse the slippery slopes of tradition.  

We glibly talk about "doing church."  Stacks of books, videos, audio tapes, disks and countless hours have been wasted teaching others how to "do church" according to various traditions and formulas.  The whole concept of "doing church" implies that church is a performance.  The focus of theological training is about wearing the uniform, learning the words and the ritual of "doing church" in a particular way.  Each denomination or sect has their own right way and everyone else is wrong.  In the middle ages they fought wars and burned people because of differing tradition.

The natural man cannot receive the things of God so in vain he strains to reach God with ritualistic performance.  If we faithfully and carefully do the dance in the proper costume with the right attitude then God will be obliged to acknowledge us.   If He does not then we must be doing something wrong, so repent and dance faster, perfect the ritual, repair your costume and fake it.  

Things of God are spiritually discerned.  The natural man can not conceive of nor can he experience the "Body of Christ."  The true Church, the Body of Christ, is not something that has to be done.  It is something that has been done, completed by God in Jesus Christ.  God designed us, created us, choose us, redeemed us and put us in Christ.  It was not "doing church" or any other ritual that we might have done that put us in Christ. God did it.  It's done. He also put Christ in us and birthed us into His family. He made us a part of the "Body of Christ" the Church.. 

As the church our joy is to "be" the Body of Christ.  What do we "do" as a part of the Body of Christ?  Whatever the head directs.  The head coordinates the functions of each component of the body. Can you imagine your nose trying to be a foot?  Although your feet might smell, the nose is a nose and will never be a foot no matter how hard it works at "doing foot."   

Neil