lay up whatever extra you earn

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Yesterday Paul finished the meat of his letter with a powerful and poetic passage on the resurrection of the dead and the transformation we will all undergo on the last day. Today he turns to concluding matters. Paul talks often in his letters about the collection for the saints in Jerusalem. We don't know exactly what this was but the idea seems to have been that Paul raised money among his gentile congregations to support the poor in Jerusalem. Many scholars think this was particularly important to Paul as a way of showing the traditional leadership of the church that, even though his mission was somewhat untraditional, he recognized the Jewish core of the faith and was one body with them. At any rate it was clearly important for Paul that the churches he worked with be generous in their giving as a sign of their love and faith. The line about laying up whatever extra we earn is also on our stewardship envelopes.

This passage also reminds us how connected the church was and is. Paul shares his work with others and he shares his plans with this congregation that he cares about. We also see that Paul made plans but always knew that they might be changed at any time because he was open to the Spirit's leading. His "if the Lord permits" echoes our Muslim friends' "Inshallah" which is added every time one expresses a plan for the future to recognize that everything is subject to God's will and our plans are never completely within our control.
May God always keep us open to her guidance,
Sam


1 Corinthians 16:1-12

Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave to the churches of Galatia. 2On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. 3And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem. 4If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.


5I will visit you after passing through Macedonia—for I intend to pass through Macedonia— 6and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way, wherever I go. 7I do not want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.


10If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord just as I am; 11therefore let no one despise him. Send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I am expecting him with the brothers. 12Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. He will come when he has the opportunity.