I love your phrasing -

while the “I” goes with the soul into church to pray, the flesh is being schooled in deeper lessons.

- much more eloquent than my wording to make a similar point in reply to Paul Breslin in mgerard's thread - but I would caveat one aspect of your wording. It seems to me that the "I" is divided as well (rather postmodern of it, i dare say) - the "I" both prays in the church AND stays out to 'entomb my flesh' and to 'trust my body'.