Many Parts, One Body

Do any of you know the “Hokey Pokey” song and dance? (Pause for answers.)

It goes like this (Invite kids who know the song to sing along):

“You put your right hand in. You put your right hand out. You put your right hand in, and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey, And you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about.”

This time, we’ll sing the same song, but replace “right hand” with “left hand.” Follow along with the hand motions as we sing:

“You put your left hand in. You put your left hand out. You put your left hand in, and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey, and you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about.”

After the left hand, you follow the same instructions with your left foot, right foot, and your head. At the end, you put your "whole self” in! What a fun dance! 

But can you imagine what would happen if you were doing the "Hokey Pokey," and your left hand refused to do the "Hokey Pokey" because it wanted to be the right foot? 

Or what if the head said, "I don't need any of you. I can Hokey Pokey all by myself!"

This just isn’t possible. The hands, the feet, and the head are all part of the "whole self.” And no part can take the place of another. 

Even though the “Hokey Pokey” is kind of silly, it is a good picture of the parts that make up the church. The Bible says, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ ” 

Every person is an important part of the church, just like every body part is important to the whole body. Together, we make up what is called the “Body of Christ.” 

We each have special gifts that are important to God and His church. Some of us have been given the gift to be a pastor or teacher, while others have been given the gift of healing, helping others, or leading people. Maybe you have the gift of being creative, being a great listener, or something totally different. 

• What is one special gift God has given you?

• How can you use it to serve others? 

Just as God gave us hands, feet, eyes, and ears to meet the needs of the whole body, He has given different people different gifts to meet the needs of the whole church.

Dear God, thank You for giving each of us special gifts. Help us to remember that each of us is an important part of the Body of Christ. In Jesus' name, amen.