living together

Good morning friends,
December is here already; I pray it starts well for you. Tonight we're beginning an Advent series at the Boulevard about expecting Jesus. We'll talk about what people at the time expected in a savior, what we expect today, and what we hope for. I'm hoping for an open conversation with different voices at the table; those conversations offer us new perspectives on an exciting story. You'll notice during Advent that our readings jump around a bit. I hope these daily readings shed some light on the readings for Sunday and help you prepare for the birth of Jesus at Christmas.

Our reading for today comes from the last section of Paul's letter to the Romans. This is Paul's most theological letter with the first 11 chapters spelling out God's grace in Christ for all people. The later chapters beginning in chapter 12 tackle practical implications of the theology Paul has explained. In our reading for today Paul talks about life in community, especially dealing with differences of opinion. Christianity was a Jewish movement that became more open as time went on. One of the difficult tensions in many communities during the first century was how Jews and gentiles could get along when much of Jewish law and custom at the time intended to keep Jews apart from their gentile neighbors. Food was a major part of that division and sharing food was a major part of how the Christian communities grew closer together. Here Paul writes that we shouldn't be troubled or look down on our neighbors because they choose to eat differently or keep different holidays. God seeks all of us out and none of these differences can overshadow God's love.

Blessing on your day,
Sam

Romans 14:1-9

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. 2Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 3Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. 4Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.


5Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. 6Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. 7We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.