The Body Shop

When Was It Written
1181-B West Main Shopping Center, Tupelo, Mississippi, 38801. That has been the address for multiple tenants over the past several years. It began as the Fred P. Gattis Department Store all the way back in the 1960s. Eventually it became The Village Green. Then it served a stint as a weightlifting and workout facility simply called "The Body Shop". In March 2007, 1181-B became the gathering space for The Church at Trace Crossing. This article just illuminates the truth that even though the name was changing from "The Body Shop to The Church at Trace Crossing, the function was still the same - to build the Body. 

Who Wrote It
Kevin Wood, Pastor


THE BODY SHOP
I walked into our new building in the West Main Shopping Center just a few weeks ago and slammed my big toe into a 50-pound dumbbell that was laying on the floor. It was a painful reminder of the previous owner’s business – to provide an environment where people could develop their bodies based on discipline and dedication. The air still held the smell of iron and the musty odor of a locker room. The mirrors on the wall had long since stopped reflecting the mass of muscles that used to grace this place. On the spot where 250-pound bodybuilders once stood and flexed, now stood a skinny, young preacher who hadn’t touched weights in over a year. Okay, two years. Maybe, three. I could almost see Hans and Frans from Saturday Night Live days saying in a thick German accent, “We’re here to pump you up!”

Then it struck me - what an appropriate place to grow a church, or as we sometimes call it, the body of Christ. It seems that the Powerhouse Gym that preceded us at 1181-B West Main Street was the perfect predecessor for our church. Because the purpose of the old tenant and the purpose of this new one is exactly the same: to build the body.

It is my desire that the building we are about to use for our weekly worship gatherings and other ministry opportunities will be an environment where we can develop the strength of our body. There is no doubt in my mind that will happen. God will grow us in ways we’ve not yet imagined.

But I also pray that God will draw the weak, the wounded, and the weary to discover His strong grace in this house of hope. And I sincerely believe that this building that once watched people struggle and strain to lift the weights on their barbell will once again stand witness to people who just can’t bear the weight of their burden anymore. And just like a spotter helping a workout partner, the people of Trace Crossing will have the honor of saying, “Let it go, I’ll take it from here.” Let go of your sinful past. Let go of your bitterness and anger. Let go of your failure. Let go of your heartache. Let go of whatever won’t let go of you. If you can’t handle the load and its pressing you down, just let go… and let this body bear the burden.

‘Cause this body is ready and this body is strong (even if their preacher can only benchpress 150 pounds… okay, 125. Does it count if I did 200lbs in 11th grade?)

Welcome to the Body Shop -

Kevin

March 4, 2007