Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Today’s Scripture
Today’s Author
Rob Sparks
I find it interesting that passages from Paul’s epistles to the church in Corinth end up so frequently in the liturgies of the church, especially in weddings. I’ve read and/or heard 1 Corinthians 13 so many times I’ve nearly committed it to memory. That’s a beautiful poem, surely, but when you know the rest of the story you realize that is Paul appealing to a higher nature—he’s not really describing the baseline emotion of the Corinthian Church.
Today’s lesson is similar. Here, Paul is exhorting the people to be bold in their faith, a noble calling, but he’s calling for them to do so because they really haven’t lived up to their calling. Knowing the context of the readings we hear on Sundays or at special services is a good argument for reading the Bible on your own—what’s read from lecterns and pulpits is going to be cherry-picked to put the faithful in the best light!
If you read the rest of the story, you’ll see that churches can be messy, just like the one in Corinth, just like all human communities can be. Paul’s message to the church then, and why it was preserved for the future church, is that the Body of Christ has something that differentiates it from all the other communities, the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit can raise us to our better angels and when we are living Spirit filled lives and treating one another with Christ-like compassion, well, we can be bold.
Summer Devotional
God Goes With Us
This summer’s devotional is a walk through the Bible. Join our pastors and staff for daily reflections on scripture passages from Genesis to Revelation. In the beginning, God said, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” Come and see how this covenant promise changes through time yet remains steadfast from generation to generation.
Each Sunday, Chris Holmes will share a short message on the texts for the week, and written reflections will go out every Monday through Thursday morning.
We wish you blessings and deeper faith this summer!
