--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The body of Christ is that unique…" description: "\"“The body of Christ is that unique community of practice whose members own up to the fact that we don’t always love what we say we do—that the “devices..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/james-k-a-smith-11405_best-intentions_the-body-of-christ-is-that-unique-commun_982094.png" --- # The body of Christ is that unique community of practice… ![“The body of Christ is that unique community of practice whose members own up to the fact that we don’t always love what we say we do—that the “devices and desires” of our hearts outstrip our best intentions. The practices of Christian worship are a tangible, practiced, re-formative way to address…” quote by James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/james-k-a-smith-11405_best-intentions_the-body-of-christ-is-that-unique-commun_982094.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/james-k-a-smith-11405_best-intentions_the-body-of-christ-is-that-unique-commun_982094.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/james-k-a-smith-11405_best-intentions_the-body-of-christ-is-that-unique-commun_982094.png) > ““The body of Christ is that unique community of practice whose members own up to the fact that we don’t always love what we say we do—that the “devices and desires” of our hearts outstrip our best intentions. The practices of Christian worship are a tangible, practiced, re-formative way to address this tension and gap.”” [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human beings often act contrary to their professed values, creating a gap between belief and behavior; worship practices help bridge that gap by shaping desires and actions. **In simple terms:** People act against their values; worship can align them. Key Takeaway Use communal rituals to realign intentions and actions. Themes faith practice self‑awareness Mood reflective hopeful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - church services - personal reflection - group prayer - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts theology psychology habit formation Questions to Reflect On - How do you notice the gap between what you say and what you do? - What practices help you align intentions with actions? A Different Perspective The quote assumes worship is universally effective, which may not hold for all individuals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best intentions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-intentions/) [Body of christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-of-christ/) [Christian worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-worship/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [“Being a disciple of Jesus is not primarily a matter of getting the right ideas and doctrines and beliefs into your head in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/being-a-disciple-of-jesus-is-not-primarily-a-matter-of-getting-the/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“since our fallenness has limited, perhaps even obliterated, our cognitive access to any divine ordinances that might have been discernible in the original creation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-mouw/since-our-fallenness-has-limited-perhaps-even-obliterated-our/) [Richard J. Mouw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-mouw/) > [What is South Africa’s sound? What are they supposed to bring that ignites the rest of the body of Christ around the globe?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-riddle/what-is-south-africa-s-sound-what-are-they-supposed-to-bring-that/) [Jeremy Riddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-riddle/) > [The Church is the Body of Christ, and the Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. He fills the Body, directs its movements, controls its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-chadwick/the-church-is-the-body-of-christ-and-the-spirit-is-the-spirit-of/) [Samuel Chadwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-chadwick/) > [Since Christ Himself said in reference to the bread: "This is My Body," who will dare remain hesitant? And since with equal clarity He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-of-jerusalem/since-christ-himself-said-in-reference-to-the-bread-this-is-my-body/) [Cyril of Jerusalem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-of-jerusalem/) > [What is the pattern of worship that best conveys the richness of divine grace, faithfully interprets the gospel in our modern world and helpfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-w-bromiley/what-is-the-pattern-of-worship-that-best-conveys-the-richness-of/) Geoffrey W Bromiley > [The Church is the Body of Christ begotten, unified, and indwelt by the Spirit, but forgetting the Spirit, men wrangle over limbs, functions, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-chadwick/the-church-is-the-body-of-christ-begotten-unified-and-indwelt-by-the/) [Samuel Chadwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-chadwick/) > [“The temple of God is the holy people in Jesus Christ. The Body of Christ is the living temple of God and of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-temple-of-god-is-the-holy-people-in-jesus-christ-the-body-of/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“bread and wine." These species must, therefore, be acci dents, and, having by Transubstantiation lost their con natural subjects, which cannot be supplied by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pohle/bread-and-wine-these-species-must-therefore-be-acci-dents-and-having/) [Joseph Pohle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pohle/) > [“Along this path of ministry, God has used an approach over and over again that I've finally come to more readily expect. He has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/along-this-path-of-ministry-god-has-used-an-approach-over-and-over/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [When a human body is out of balance we call that disease, which indicates dis-ease of the body. Likewise, when the body of Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/when-a-human-body-is-out-of-balance-we-call-that-disease-which/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [“Comparison is a trap. It will kill our joy. It will rob us of our peace. It makes us act foolish and stupid. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-w-bubna/comparison-is-a-trap-it-will-kill-our-joy-it-will-rob-us-of-our-peace/) [Kurt W. Bubna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-w-bubna/) > [“Just like the person of Jesus, the local church as the body of Christ must understand what it is created and called to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-mancini/just-like-the-person-of-jesus-the-local-church-as-the-body-of-christ/) [Will Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-mancini/) > [The focus in the Western pictorial tradition is on the body of Christ, the bit you can paint, the Nativity and the infancy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macgregor/the-focus-in-the-western-pictorial-tradition-is-on-the-body-of-christ/) [Neil MacGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macgregor/) > [“the key: at least in the body of Christ, never presume that someone intended to offend you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-riccardo/the-key-at-least-in-the-body-of-christ-never-presume-that-someone/) [John Riccardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-riccardo/) ## More by James K.A. Smith > [“Jesus is a teacher who doesn’t just inform our intellect but forms our very loves. He isn’t content to simply deposit new ideas into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/jesus-is-a-teacher-who-doesn-t-just-inform-our-intellect-but-forms/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“So it is precisely our allergy to repetition in worship that has undercut the counterformative power of Christian worship—because all kinds of secular liturgies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/so-it-is-precisely-our-allergy-to-repetition-in-worship-that-has/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“too often we look for the Spirit in the extraordinary when God has promised to be present in the ordinary.5”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/too-often-we-look-for-the-spirit-in-the-extraordinary-when-god-has/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“Formative Christian worship paints a picture of the beauty of the Lord--and a vision of the shalom he desires for creation--in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/formative-christian-worship-paints-a-picture-of-the-beauty-of-the/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“Too much of our cultural analysis is rooted in thinking-thingism: we scan culture, listening for “messages,” bent on rooting out “false” teachings. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/too-much-of-our-cultural-analysis-is-rooted-in-thinking-thingism-we/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“We confess knowledge without certainty, truth without objectivity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/we-confess-knowledge-without-certainty-truth-without-objectivity/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“Worship, then, needs to be characterized by hospitality; it needs to be inviting. But at the same time, it should be inviting seekers into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/worship-then-needs-to-be-characterized-by-hospitality-it-needs-to-be/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“Discipleship, we might say, is a way to curate your heart, to be attentive to and intentional about what you love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/discipleship-we-might-say-is-a-way-to-curate-your-heart-to-be/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“Your deepest desire,” he observes, “is the one manifested by your daily life and habits.”6 This is because our action—our doing—bubbles up from our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/your-deepest-desire-he-observes-is-the-one-manifested-by-your-daily/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“Foucault. The seemingly disturbing, even Nietzschean claim that “power is knowledge” should push us to realize what MTV learned long ago: (a) the cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/foucault-the-seemingly-disturbing-even-nietzschean-claim-that-power/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“The doubter’s doubt is faith; his temptation is belief, and it is a temptation that has not been entirely quelled, even in a secular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/the-doubter-s-doubt-is-faith-his-temptation-is-belief-and-it-is-a/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“Worship works from the top down, you might say. In worship we don’t just come to show God our devotion and give him our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/worship-works-from-the-top-down-you-might-say-in-worship-we-don-t/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“While formally or structurally speaking, there are mechanisms of discipline operative in both the convent and the prison, in both the factory and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/while-formally-or-structurally-speaking-there-are-mechanisms-of/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“Antoine de Saint-Exupéry captures this well: “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-captures-this-well-if-you-want-to-build-a/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“Because of this Christian materialism, a catholic postmodernism (or postmodern catholicity) affirms sacramentality on two levels. On the one hand, it affirms a general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/because-of-this-christian-materialism-a-catholic-postmodernism-or/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) [Explore all 60 James K.A. Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) ## More Best intentions quotes > [Where the sky begins, the horizon ends, despite the best intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/where-the-sky-begins-the-horizon-ends-despite-the-best-intentions/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [“Our best intentions are the most impactful when they are formed by the actual needs and desires of our community.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-docusen/our-best-intentions-are-the-most-impactful-when-they-are-formed-by/) David Docusen > [Time and distance have a way of playing tricks with your best intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kiedis/time-and-distance-have-a-way-of-playing-tricks-with-your-best/) [Anthony Kiedis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kiedis/) > [I can only think seriously of trying to live up to an ideal, to improve myself, if I am split in two pieces. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/i-can-only-think-seriously-of-trying-to-live-up-to-an-ideal-to/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [Even with the best intentions, growing apart might just be an inevitable part of growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/even-with-the-best-intentions-growing-apart-might-just-be-an/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“The greatest harm can result from the best intentions - Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/the-greatest-harm-can-result-from-the-best-intentions-zeddicus-zu-l/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [In terms of how the music developed, it was my normal process, which I would say is really a hybrid process of sketching on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-richter/in-terms-of-how-the-music-developed-it-was-my-normal-process-which-i/) [Max Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-richter/) > [Even if you have the best intentions, there may sometimes be a price or a cost or a pushback against what you're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-russo/even-if-you-have-the-best-intentions-there-may-sometimes-be-a-price/) [Anthony Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-russo/) > [“Only a foolish soul would love the stars. As beautiful as they are, they will burn you. Regardless of your best intentions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendal-rob/only-a-foolish-soul-would-love-the-stars-as-beautiful-as-they-are/) [Kendal Rob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendal-rob/) > [“Sometimes our best intentions are not enough, but always remain genuine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-michelle-carithers/sometimes-our-best-intentions-are-not-enough-but-always-remain-genuine/) M (Michelle) Carithers > [“So I found myself asking the question: what is the opposite of a mistake? And I realised there wasn’t a word, in fact, precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-boyd/so-i-found-myself-asking-the-question-what-is-the-opposite-of-a/) [William Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-boyd/) > [“I'm still of the same mind. For many years I've been ashamed, mortally ashamed, of having been, even with the best intentions, even at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-m-still-of-the-same-mind-for-many-years-i-ve-been-ashamed-mortally/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“...I feel like a traitor, a phony, a fake. But I am a hypocrite with the best intentions, and I need kissing desperately.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-j-ginger/i-feel-like-a-traitor-a-phony-a-fake-but-i-am-a-hypocrite-with-the/) Coco J. Ginger > [“Maybe you will never be able to forgive me, but I wanted you to know I had the best intentions-and I still love you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/maybe-you-will-never-be-able-to-forgive-me-but-i-wanted-you-to-know-i/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“The maxim, by which we commonly conduct ourselves in our reasonings, is, that the objects, of which we have no experience, resemble those, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-maxim-by-which-we-commonly-conduct-ourselves-in-our-reasonings-is/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Browse all 158 Best intentions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-intentions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The body of Christ is that unique community of practice whose members own up to the fact that we don’t always love what we say we do—that the “devices and desires” of our hearts outstrip our best intentions. 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