agreeing to disagree

Good morning church,
Today's reading shows us Paul advising the church on how to handle differences in religious observance in the church. The short version: "Honor God with your worship and choices and don't worry about how other people live or worship; that's between them and God." There are always different ways of doing things, and faithful Christians will not always agree. That's OK. God's bigger than we are in every way.

God bless,
Sam


Romans 14:1-6
Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarrelling 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.


5 Some 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.

One Spirit

Good morning brothers and sisters (and Happy Birthday, Gary),
Today's reading reminds us that while Christian action in the world looks different for each of us, it all comes from the Holy Spirit. All of our gifts come from God. Without the Spirit we can't even acknowledge Jesus as Lord. The Spirit works in each of us, but we need to pay attention to the Spirit's leading. We're also called to recognize that others have different gifts from God. Working together, guided by the Spirit, we can do incredible things for God.

Blessings on your ministry today,
Sam

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. 4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.


7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.