1/31/09
Bulletin Listen Watch Video

Dear Friends,

As long as people have been gathering as the church, there have been conflicts.  The first disciples bickered among themselves about who deserves to be seated next to the boss.  The early church members fought over who ought to be in charge and what the menu should be comprised of at church dinners. Believers have always quarreled over interpretation of story and scripture.  Envy and egos have reared their ugly heads in houses of worship and church meetings since the earliest days.  In one way or another, I would guess that most issues that at least bother if not divide churches today have an ancient church corollary.  Churches, like any other institution made up of diverse individuals, are going to have their share of conflicts.  And it is this fact that gives Paul’s letter to the bickering Corinthians its relevance today.

Our passage this week is 1 Corinthians 12:12-24.  These verses make up a sermon of sorts that Paul delivers after detailing many of the conflicts of that day. What he offers is a lovely statement about the inherent unity that exists among believers.  It is precisely our diversity – the varied gifts and experiences, the passions and the callings of those who gather here week after week – that make us one body in Christ.  By cherishing and respecting our differences, by encouraging each other to be whom we are uniquely created to be, we become a church that is alive and healthy and ready to be of service to the world.

So, as we gather Sunday, come as you are, ready to contribute to and receive from the blessings of worshipping together.  

See you Sunday, 

Rev. Martha