One in Christ

Good evening friends,

Today's reading is a powerful statement of what God does in Christ. Paul thinks about how he as a Pharisee saw the world before Jesus: humans were fundamentally divided into Jews and everyone else. That meant Jews were (and are) connected to God through a special and unbreakable promise. Everyone else was far away from God. In Christ, everyone now has access to God. And we who try to follow Jesus are one body, no matter what differences we might have. That's a strong statement about what we share; we have plenty of work to make that unity more obvious in everyday life.

God bless,
Sam

Ephesians 2:11-22

¹¹So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision” —a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— ¹²remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

¹⁴For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. ¹⁵He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 

¹⁷So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; ¹⁸for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God,²⁰built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. ²¹In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²²in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

welcome for all

Good evening friends,

Today's reading comes from Isaiah, written either during Judah's exile or on their return home to a devastated land. Isaiah prophesies a time when the nations will come to Jerusalem to worship God. We hope for a day of unity and peace when Christ returns. We also know that in Jesus, this hope is fulfilled because in Christ all are welcome. May we always be ready to welcome others with God's love.

God bless,

Sam

Isaiah 60:1-8

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. ²For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. ³Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. ⁴Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.

⁵Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. ⁶A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. ⁷All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall be acceptable on my altar, and I will glorify my glorious house. ⁸Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows?

Grace and equality

Good evening friends,
This week our daily readings turn to one of the key concerns of the Bible: justice. To set the stage today, we get a great passage from Galatians. In this passage Paul is making the point that belonging to God through Jesus Christ isn't about who our parents are or any other human characteristic. Everyone in Christ belongs to God, which makes us equal. There's no room for any kind of discrimination in the church because we are all one in Christ. Many scholars believe that Paul is quoting from words that were already a part of the first baptismal liturgy in this passage.

God bless,
Sam

Galatians 3:25-29

²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, ²⁶for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. ²⁷As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

being the body of Christ together

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
Yesterday's reading gave us a hint to Paul's concern with the church's behavior: they were allowing human divisions to divide the church. In this part of the reading Paul puts the problem in theological terms. When we talk about communion we're talking about the body of Jesus Christ, and when we talk about the church we're also talking about the body of Christ.

When we allow our prejudices or differences to get in the the way of true, loving community, we are tearing apart the body of our Lord. That's a really big deal. That means we need to do whatever we can to put community first. The church isn't just an organization we take part in, it is a divine body of which we are a part. That's a reality to grow into and a calling for all of us.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 11:23-34

²³For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves. ³⁰For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. ³¹But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. ³²But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

³³So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴If you are hungry, eat at home, so that when you come together, it will not be for your condemnation. About the other things I will give instructions when I come.

it's only a sacrament with unity

Good morning friends,
Today and tomorrow's readings give the most direct treatment of communion in the Bible as a tradition observed from the beginning of the church. It seems in the early church communion/Lord's Supper was more a communal meal then the small taste of bread and juice we're used to today, even though the message is the same. In Corinth it seems that some folks in the community were economically comfortable while others were struggling. That sounds like many faith communities now too. Paul argues that if they don't bridge the divisions by truly sharing their meal with one another instead of looking out for themselves, they are not really eating the Lord's Supper. The sacrament is only a sacrament if we overcome our divisions.

God's blessings as we grow together,
Sam

1 Corinthians 11:17-22

¹⁷Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it. ¹⁹Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine.

²⁰When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper. ²¹For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. ²²What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you!

one kingdom under the Lamb

Good morning brothers and sisters,
This Sunday we celebrate World Communion Sunday, which reminds us that the church is one body throughout the world. Related to that, our passage for today shows us the Apostle John's vision of God's throne room. Surrounding God's throne are four living creatures with four faces, several wings and eyes. There are also 24 elders surrounding the throne. John has just wept because an angel presented a sealed scroll that John knew was important, but no one was worthy to open. We'll see in the passage that Jesus, the Lamb of God is worthy. In him people from every nation and language become one body.

May it be so for us too,
Sam

Revelation 5:6-14

⁶Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne.

⁸When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹They sing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; ¹⁰you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth.”

¹¹Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹²singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” ¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” ¹⁴And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

one from two

Good evening friends,
Please join me in praying for our nation's leaders that we can move forward for the good of the country. We all need wisdom in these times, and God loves to give wisdom to those who ask. Our reading for today is about how God can take the most difficult differences and make one body out of them. No matter how different we are, in the church we belong to God through Jesus Christ, so we are one.

God bless,
Sam

Ephesians 2:11-22

¹¹So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision” —a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— ¹²remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

¹⁴For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. ¹⁵He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. ¹⁷So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; ¹⁸for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.

¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, ²⁰built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. ²¹In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²²in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

a life worthy of our calling

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
This passage from Ephesians will be our main reading on Sunday, so you can think about this as a warm up. Paul spent the first three chapters of the letter setting a theological foundation. Now he moves into discussing what that faith we share means in our life. He talks about our life in terms of a calling from God, a calling to discipleship, to love and to unity. Within that calling we also have opportunities to use our unique gifts to serve others and proclaim the good news. We'll talk more about that on Sunday.

God bless,
Sam

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ²with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

⁷But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift… ¹¹The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹²to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

¹⁴We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. ¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

different but not divided

Good afternoon friends,
I hope you're enjoying this beautiful afternoon. I'm very grateful for my window, through which I can feel the breeze and hear the birds chirping. God made such a beautiful world, and a day like this makes it easy to appreciate. In today's reading Paul talks about a division that used to be incredibly important, the division between Jews and gentiles. In Paul's time Jews didn't associate with gentiles because they were seen as impure. In turn, many gentiles looked down on Jews because they didn't worship the pagan gods and were seen as separate from society. 


Within the Christian movement things were a little different because Jews and gentiles were both part of the same community. Paul says that in the cross Jesus breaks down the wall that divides us and makes one people out of two groups. If Christ can bridge that divide, then surely we don't need to be divided by things like politics or economic situation or race. We are all God's children; we are made new in Christ. Nothing needs to separate us now.

God bless,
Sam

Ephesians 2:14-22

¹⁴For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. ¹⁵He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. ¹⁷

So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; ¹⁸for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, ²⁰built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. ²¹In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²²in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

unity and maturity

Good evening friends,
In today's reading Paul says that Christians who take great pride in their teachers are immature in the faith. We all probably have teachers we are grateful to for shaping us, and that's fine. At the same time, God is the one who does everything. Having different approaches or favorite writers or teachers, doesn't divide us. The church is one, and Christ is our foundation.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. ²I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, ³for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? ⁴For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?

⁵What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. ⁶I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. ⁹For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.

unity in Christ

Good afternoon friends,
This week we're looking at the church as a loving community. Today's reading talks about the call for unity. Paul knows the Corinthian community well, so he knows their struggles. He here about the temptation to define ourselves by our leaders or teachers. The truth is that the church is one body united in Christ. All the differences between us are less important than the unity we have in Jesus. That's what makes us who we are.

God bless,
Sam


1 Corinthians 1:1-13
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, ²To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: ³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— ⁶just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— ⁷so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.


¹⁰Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. ¹¹For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. ¹²What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” ¹³Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

stronger together

Hi friends,
Often we think about the church, especially a small church like ours, in terms of what we can't do. Fortunately, we aren't alone. We have several local partner churches in the North East Church Cluster (we'll worship together on Tuesday at 7:30 at St. Ambrose to start Holy Week). We also have the broader presbytery and especially Urban Presbyterians Together, so we don't have to do ministry alone. We are much stronger together, as the author of Ecclesiastes (traditionally, King Solomon) reminds us in today's reading.

God bless,
Sam

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12

⁷Again, I saw vanity under the sun: ⁸the case of solitary individuals, without sons or brothers; yet there is no end to all their toil, and their eyes are never satisfied with riches. “For whom am I toiling,” they ask, “and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business. ⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. ¹¹Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? ¹²And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Body of Christ

Good evening friends,
Today's reading is a familiar reflection on what it means to be the community of faith, the church. We are Christ's body. We're not just folks who gather for worship or who use the same hymnal, we are Christ's body together. Each one of our gifts are important and we need each other.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be?

²⁰As it is, there are many members, yet one body. ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²²On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; ²⁴whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, ²⁵that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

song of victory, part 2

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
Today's reading continues the song of Deborah in praise to God after Israel's victory over Sisera and the Canaanite army. I mentioned a few days ago that Israel at this point was a fairly loose assembly of tribes rather than a solid nation. Here we see discussion in the song about which tribes came to fight and which ignored the call. We also see God's army given credit for the victory.
May your friends always stand with you in trouble.
God bless,
Sam


Judges 5:12-23
¹²“Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam. ¹³Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the Lord marched down for him against the mighty. ¹⁴From Ephraim they set out into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kin; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zebulun those who bear the marshal’s staff; ¹⁵the chiefs of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed out at his heels.

Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. ¹⁶Why did you tarry among the sheepfolds, to hear the piping for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. ¹⁷Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he abide with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, settling down by his landings.

¹⁸Zebulun is a people that scorned death; Naphtali too, on the heights of the field. ¹⁹“The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they got no spoils of silver. ²⁰The stars fought from heaven, from their courses they fought against Sisera. ²¹The torrent Kishon swept them away, the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might! ²²“Then loud beat the horses’ hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds. ²³“Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord, curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

God's passion

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Our reading today is a little tough at first. There are three main ideas: first, God promises to welcome new people in the family of faith. Second, God promises to break down the pride of people in Israel so the humble might be lifted up. And finally, God promises to make the people of Israel secure. What comes across so clearly is God's love for his people. The victory God promises here comes true in Jesus Christ's incarnation, ministry, death and resurrection. God's redemption will one day be complete and peace will reign.
God bless,
Sam


Zephaniah 3:8-20
⁸Therefore wait for me, says the Lord, for the day when I arise as a witness. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all the heat of my anger; for in the fire of my passion all the earth shall be consumed.


⁹At that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord. ¹⁰From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, my scattered ones, shall bring my offering. ¹¹On that day you shall not be put to shame because of all the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. ¹²For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord— ¹³the remnant of Israel; they shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths. Then they will pasture and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.


¹⁴Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! ¹⁵The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. ¹⁶On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. ¹⁷The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing ¹⁸as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. ¹⁹I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. ²⁰At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.

a more excellent way

Good morning sisters and brothers,
The church in Corinth had great faith and powerful spiritual gifts, but they struggled with unity. We've been reading Paul's writing to them about the importance of spiritual gifts and how each gift is important to the whole. He also focused on the importance of unity in a diverse community and talks about how the church is Christ's body and each member has a place. In today's reading he takes it a step further by describing how love is much more important than any other spiritual gift. Love is the calling of all Christians, because it is God's way. When we put love first, everything else falls into place.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ²And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 

⁴Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant ⁵or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. ⁷It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. ⁹For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; ¹⁰but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. ¹¹When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. ¹²For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. ¹³And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

gifts for service

Good afternoon friends,
First thing, tonight we'll be back at the Boulevard to talk about big questions of life and faith. All questions are welcome and the only rule is respect for all. We start at 8:30 and go to about 10. On Sunday after worship we'll host a potluck lunch to sustain us as we decorate the sanctuary for Advent and Christmas. We'll also touch base on where we are with our mission redefinition as a part of New Beginnings as well as an update on where other congregations are.


Today's reading is short and sweet. Paul reminds his readers that different people have different gifts. A big part of our job as Christians is to prayerfully figure out what gifts God has given us and how we can use those gifts to serve God and help others. As Paul lifts up some specific gifts, he'll continue tomorrow with the most important gift God gives all of us.

Blessings,
Sam

 

1 Corinthians 12:27-31

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. ²⁸And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

one body, many members

Good morning friends,
Today's reading continues Paul's meditation on the church. The church is the body of Christ. Even though we are all different, we are part of one body. Our differences strengthen the body as a whole. So when we think about someone who is getting on our nerves because they see things very different than we do, try thinking about how that person's difference adds something the church needs. We are all part of Christ's body and we need each other.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many members, yet one body. ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 

²²On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; ²⁴whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, ²⁵that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

Spirit's gifts

Good morning sisters and brothers,
In today's reading Paul makes two main points. The first is that the Holy Spirit is connected with Jesus Christ. The Spirit never leads us against Jesus. The second point is that even though the Spirit makes itself known in many different ways, especially through a wide variety of gifts to people, it is always the same Spirit. There is one Holy Spirit, known in a variety of ways. So even though the Spirit encourages diversity, it is a diversity that leads to unity.

May the Spirit be with you in your day,
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.

no division

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Yesterday's worship was a wonderful opportunity to welcome Joyce, Marla, Colleen, Amy and John into membership at Laurelton officially and to celebrate God's calling in our life. We also had the joy of welcoming AJ into membership in Christ's family by baptism. I left church feeling very blessed. I want to remind you of the interfaith Thanksgiving service at Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (1000 N Winton, about 1/2 mile south of church) tomorrow night at 7. It's a great opportunity to worship with other followers of Jesus and to give thanks to God for all our blessings.

Speaking about other Christians, Paul writes in our passage today to a church mostly made up of gentile believers. It's hard for us to imagine the division that had existed between Jews and gentiles, but any division we see in society now can give us the idea. Paul writes that when we follow Christ, we are joined to his one body and we become one. At the cross, Christ puts to death all that divides the church. In him we have unity, welcome and fellowship. Part of our challenge is to make that unity more visible as we welcome others as brothers and sisters.

God bless,
Sam


Ephesians 2:14-22
¹⁴For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. ¹⁵He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.

¹⁷So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; ¹⁸for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, ²⁰built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. ²¹In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²²in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.