In I Corinthians 15:41-50 Paul writes of the Resurrection. It was after seminary, when I was preparing to teach confirmation ministry classes, that I came across a great insight to the Church’s teachings on Resurrection.
Resurrection is a theological term. The word might be used in secular contexts, but when we use it we use it in a very specific technical way. It refers to our participation in the dying and being given new life. Resurrection is not simply to come back-to-life; Resurrection is not the inevitable continuation of an immortal soul; Resurrection is the gift of God in which death is followed by new life.
God, who has given us life, will give us life again, after we have died.
We say this every Sunday in our worship services. We are very intentional, in our Creeds, to note that Jesus does indeed die. He does not appear to die, he does not fake a death, he dies. He is so death that he descends into hell. That partition was not crafted as some sort of time line, as a way of explaining what happened to him during those three days. It is an acknowledgement that he is dead.
Death comes. Death is not avoided. But death does not have the final word. That final word is God’s Word and it is the word of the Resurrection.
The Christian Church does not teach an immortal soul. The teachings of the Church affirm that even when we die, yet we shall live. “ The perishable… is raised imperishable.”
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Devotion - Monday, November 9
The Opening Prayer in my devotional guide struck me this morning. There is a line which reads, “Faith gives us the promise of peace and makes known the demands of love.”
Faith is seen in many differing lights. For some, it is a ticket to heaven. To others, it is the decision one makes for Jesus. This prayer reminds us that faith is an active force in our lives. It is the very presence of God which brings to us the assurance of God’s peace. It is the call from God to never become complacent in our response to that presence.
Perhaps the order of the two clauses is also important. We must have peace before we can truly love.
Peace is more than the absence of conflict. Tracing back to the Hebrew word, shalom, it is the complete and total assurance that things are as God would want them to be. It includes good health and harmony within family. It involves financial stability. Without peace in our lives, without a basic confidence that things are well with us, it is difficult to move on to other things. Faith gives us this promise.
With a solid foundation, built upon our God, we are able to look beyond ourselves. We are able to love others. Again, the prayer reminds us that loving is not simple and it is not always easy. Faith makes known to us the demands of love.
God’s love for us demanded a death upon the cross. Loving as Christ first loved us demands that we actively seek out those in need and that we respond. I am taken back to the fall retreat when one of the participants commented, “We go to worship on Sunday and we say these prayers and then we go on our merry way” (paraphrased.) Praying to the God in whom our faith has given us peace demands that we love not only in words but in deeds.
“Faith gives us the promise of peace and makes known the demands of love.”
Yes, it does.
Faith is seen in many differing lights. For some, it is a ticket to heaven. To others, it is the decision one makes for Jesus. This prayer reminds us that faith is an active force in our lives. It is the very presence of God which brings to us the assurance of God’s peace. It is the call from God to never become complacent in our response to that presence.
Perhaps the order of the two clauses is also important. We must have peace before we can truly love.
Peace is more than the absence of conflict. Tracing back to the Hebrew word, shalom, it is the complete and total assurance that things are as God would want them to be. It includes good health and harmony within family. It involves financial stability. Without peace in our lives, without a basic confidence that things are well with us, it is difficult to move on to other things. Faith gives us this promise.
With a solid foundation, built upon our God, we are able to look beyond ourselves. We are able to love others. Again, the prayer reminds us that loving is not simple and it is not always easy. Faith makes known to us the demands of love.
God’s love for us demanded a death upon the cross. Loving as Christ first loved us demands that we actively seek out those in need and that we respond. I am taken back to the fall retreat when one of the participants commented, “We go to worship on Sunday and we say these prayers and then we go on our merry way” (paraphrased.) Praying to the God in whom our faith has given us peace demands that we love not only in words but in deeds.
“Faith gives us the promise of peace and makes known the demands of love.”
Yes, it does.
Sermon - November 8, 2009
Pentecost 23 (Pr 27) - Year B
November 8, 2009
I Kings 17:8-16 & Mark 12:38-44
Giving All That We Have
They devour widow’s houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation. (Mark 12:40) I have to tell you that this verse has stuck in my mind all week. It is the kind of verse I hate hearing, let alone having to read in public and then preach on (or try preach around.) “They will receive the greater condemnation.” How is that possible anyway? Isn’t condemnation condemnation? What could Jesus possibly mean?
Considering that the gospel moves immediately from Jesus’ announcement of the greater condemnation to story of the widow and her mite, I would sure be nervous if I hadn’t already figured out what my pledge was going to be for the coming year. What if I give too much? Putting me in the category of those who put on a great show and receive that greater condemnation? What if I put in too little, thus failing to meet the standard established by this poor old widow? These verses will no doubt be in the back of your mind as you complete the forms and prepare to turn them in in the next seven days. And I would be really careful - if I were you. Condemnation is bad enough - I hate to think what greater condemnation must be like. Too much and you might be grouped with the showy scribes, who like to walk around in long robes. Too little and you may fail the test of the widow’s mite, giving instead out of your abundance.
Of course Jesus isn’t concerned with what we put down on a piece of paper. He’s not actually concerned with the amount we put in the offering plate. The thing which matters to Christ is what is etched into the fabric of our lives. That is what he is observing, as he sits next to the temple treasury. He sees, not the amount of the gifts placed in the pot, but what the gift says about the person who gives it.
Jesus sits down, opposite the treasury. There he watches what is going on.
If you watch what people do, you can learn a lot about them. Observing behaviors reveals to you what a person is made of, how they are put together, what they consider to be important. Watching differs greatly from making assumptions. We can make assumptions quickly, but watching takes time. Observing behaviors over a period of time allows you to see folks commit not only one act but several.
We don’t want to jump to conclusions as to how we are to interpret this gospel lesson. Jesus’ condemnation is not of rich folks. Jesus is not saying that the wealthy should withhold their abundant gifts. I have to point out - if for no other reason than the sake of my own livelihood - that much of what God hopes to accomplish in the world can only be accomplished when those of us in the wealthiest quarter of the human population give generously of what we have first received. So don’t jump to the conclusion that Jesus is condemning all rich folks.
Don’t make assumptions; don’t jump to conclusions. Watch, watch and learn, and then comment on what is observed. This is what Jesus does as he sits next to treasury in the temple. He watches, he learns and he makes comments on what he sees.
What he sees allows him to speak of the difference between those for whom God is a sideline or hobby and those for whom faith in God forms the core of their existence. Jesus observes that many who come into the temple behave as if they could take or leave this whole God thing. They make no sacrifice unto the Lord; they view their gifts as little more than charity, cast in the direction of the less fortunate.
As he is watching all this, Jesus sees the widow entering the temple. She has a much different attitude. She comes, bringing all that she has, and presents it to God. For her, God is no sideline or hobby; God is the one upon whom she is utterly dependant.
What would Jesus see, learn and comment on if he were to watch us as we make our way through a typical day, or week? What would Jesus deduce were he to follow the ushers along each row and watched, as each envelope was placed in the offering plate? It doesn’t bother us too much, to read what went on in some temple in ancient Israel. But think of the risk of having him look over our shoulders here, today.
This is not a legalistic question. Jesus doesn’t watch to see what folks place in the treasury and then calculate whether that gift equals a tithe of one’s income. Jesus merely watches, sees what we do, and comments on what the gifts say about the giver. What do our gifts say - about us?
The congregation’s ability to meet its budget is not the issue here. At issue is the importance we are placing upon that which we proclaim to be at the core of our existence.
What value do you place upon your faith? Do you think of your church involvement as fire insurance? When we take out a fire insurance policy we figure out the minimum coverage needed so as minimize our premium payment. Do you think of your gifts to the church as a retainer, similar to that you would give a lawyer so you can have access to their services? Only in this case we are retaining access to the church should we need a wedding, baptism, funeral or something of the sort?
Our relationship with God is not fire insurance. Our offerings are not a retainer. Our relationship with God forms the core of our existence or it is of little value.
When Jesus watches the worshipers place their gifts in the treasury what he observes is the value each person places upon their relationship with God. The widow’s two copper coins are a powerful statement about her attitude toward the one called Lord.
I wonder if this widow had heard the story of the widow of Zarephath - the story that we read as our first lesson for today. In that story the widow is sought out - Elijah goes looking for her. When he finds her, she is gathering firewood in order to cook her last meal.
She does not resist Elijah’s request to feed him first. She obeys, even though she has no reason to trust his promise that the flour will never give out. She makes him a cake first, and then she feeds herself and her son.
We are not told how long Elijah stays with this widow - but for as long as he is there, the jar of meal was not emptied, and neither did the jug of oil fail. So long as she was providing for Elijah, the woman was able to provide for herself and her son.
The wonderful twist in this story is the way in which God takes care of this woman. God provides for her by sending to her someone that she could care for. She provides for Elijah. She trusts that God will take care of her. So long as she takes care of Elijah; God takes care of her.
I think I am about to decide that the greater condemnation is being trapped in the fear that we have to take care of ourselves. Might the greatest of all condemnations be being alone as we face a bleak future? If stand alone in our prosperity we will certainly feel alone in our distress. The widow of Zarephath did not face a very promising future, but she was willing to take on the burden of caring for another. I am about to decide that the greater condemnation is the fear which leads us to think that our primary task is to take care of ourselves.
Those whom Jesus observes in the temple were supporting God’s work - but they were not behaving in such as a way as to suggest that they considered themselves dependent upon God. God seemed to be a hobby or a sideline. That is what is so different about this poor widow. Her gift represents an acknowledgment that she is dependent upon God. That she is offering herself and her life to God.
Does she make it? We will never know. Maybe if we knew we would find it easier to follow her example. I do not know what happened to her, but I bet she avoided condemnation - the regular everyday kind and the type Jesus calls the greater condemnation.
What do your gifts - of money, time and energy - say about your relationship to God? Do you feel comfortable, having Jesus watch as you place your gifts before the altar?
I love the post-communion prayer, included in the Now the Feast liturgy. It reads, “Gracious Lord, give us courage to share our bread.” It does take courage to share our bread. It took a lot of courage for the widow to put her two coins in the treasury.
I don’t intend to leave you with a guilty conscience this morning - what I really want is to persuade you to pray for courage, for the courage it takes to share. I remain convinced that those with such courage never experience want. Like the widow of Zarephath so long as we care for another we are also cared for. Pray for this courage. And I promise you that condemnation (the common everyday kind or the kind Jesus calls the greater condemnation) will never come into your life.
Amen.
November 8, 2009
I Kings 17:8-16 & Mark 12:38-44
Giving All That We Have
They devour widow’s houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation. (Mark 12:40) I have to tell you that this verse has stuck in my mind all week. It is the kind of verse I hate hearing, let alone having to read in public and then preach on (or try preach around.) “They will receive the greater condemnation.” How is that possible anyway? Isn’t condemnation condemnation? What could Jesus possibly mean?
Considering that the gospel moves immediately from Jesus’ announcement of the greater condemnation to story of the widow and her mite, I would sure be nervous if I hadn’t already figured out what my pledge was going to be for the coming year. What if I give too much? Putting me in the category of those who put on a great show and receive that greater condemnation? What if I put in too little, thus failing to meet the standard established by this poor old widow? These verses will no doubt be in the back of your mind as you complete the forms and prepare to turn them in in the next seven days. And I would be really careful - if I were you. Condemnation is bad enough - I hate to think what greater condemnation must be like. Too much and you might be grouped with the showy scribes, who like to walk around in long robes. Too little and you may fail the test of the widow’s mite, giving instead out of your abundance.
Of course Jesus isn’t concerned with what we put down on a piece of paper. He’s not actually concerned with the amount we put in the offering plate. The thing which matters to Christ is what is etched into the fabric of our lives. That is what he is observing, as he sits next to the temple treasury. He sees, not the amount of the gifts placed in the pot, but what the gift says about the person who gives it.
Jesus sits down, opposite the treasury. There he watches what is going on.
If you watch what people do, you can learn a lot about them. Observing behaviors reveals to you what a person is made of, how they are put together, what they consider to be important. Watching differs greatly from making assumptions. We can make assumptions quickly, but watching takes time. Observing behaviors over a period of time allows you to see folks commit not only one act but several.
We don’t want to jump to conclusions as to how we are to interpret this gospel lesson. Jesus’ condemnation is not of rich folks. Jesus is not saying that the wealthy should withhold their abundant gifts. I have to point out - if for no other reason than the sake of my own livelihood - that much of what God hopes to accomplish in the world can only be accomplished when those of us in the wealthiest quarter of the human population give generously of what we have first received. So don’t jump to the conclusion that Jesus is condemning all rich folks.
Don’t make assumptions; don’t jump to conclusions. Watch, watch and learn, and then comment on what is observed. This is what Jesus does as he sits next to treasury in the temple. He watches, he learns and he makes comments on what he sees.
What he sees allows him to speak of the difference between those for whom God is a sideline or hobby and those for whom faith in God forms the core of their existence. Jesus observes that many who come into the temple behave as if they could take or leave this whole God thing. They make no sacrifice unto the Lord; they view their gifts as little more than charity, cast in the direction of the less fortunate.
As he is watching all this, Jesus sees the widow entering the temple. She has a much different attitude. She comes, bringing all that she has, and presents it to God. For her, God is no sideline or hobby; God is the one upon whom she is utterly dependant.
What would Jesus see, learn and comment on if he were to watch us as we make our way through a typical day, or week? What would Jesus deduce were he to follow the ushers along each row and watched, as each envelope was placed in the offering plate? It doesn’t bother us too much, to read what went on in some temple in ancient Israel. But think of the risk of having him look over our shoulders here, today.
This is not a legalistic question. Jesus doesn’t watch to see what folks place in the treasury and then calculate whether that gift equals a tithe of one’s income. Jesus merely watches, sees what we do, and comments on what the gifts say about the giver. What do our gifts say - about us?
The congregation’s ability to meet its budget is not the issue here. At issue is the importance we are placing upon that which we proclaim to be at the core of our existence.
What value do you place upon your faith? Do you think of your church involvement as fire insurance? When we take out a fire insurance policy we figure out the minimum coverage needed so as minimize our premium payment. Do you think of your gifts to the church as a retainer, similar to that you would give a lawyer so you can have access to their services? Only in this case we are retaining access to the church should we need a wedding, baptism, funeral or something of the sort?
Our relationship with God is not fire insurance. Our offerings are not a retainer. Our relationship with God forms the core of our existence or it is of little value.
When Jesus watches the worshipers place their gifts in the treasury what he observes is the value each person places upon their relationship with God. The widow’s two copper coins are a powerful statement about her attitude toward the one called Lord.
I wonder if this widow had heard the story of the widow of Zarephath - the story that we read as our first lesson for today. In that story the widow is sought out - Elijah goes looking for her. When he finds her, she is gathering firewood in order to cook her last meal.
She does not resist Elijah’s request to feed him first. She obeys, even though she has no reason to trust his promise that the flour will never give out. She makes him a cake first, and then she feeds herself and her son.
We are not told how long Elijah stays with this widow - but for as long as he is there, the jar of meal was not emptied, and neither did the jug of oil fail. So long as she was providing for Elijah, the woman was able to provide for herself and her son.
The wonderful twist in this story is the way in which God takes care of this woman. God provides for her by sending to her someone that she could care for. She provides for Elijah. She trusts that God will take care of her. So long as she takes care of Elijah; God takes care of her.
I think I am about to decide that the greater condemnation is being trapped in the fear that we have to take care of ourselves. Might the greatest of all condemnations be being alone as we face a bleak future? If stand alone in our prosperity we will certainly feel alone in our distress. The widow of Zarephath did not face a very promising future, but she was willing to take on the burden of caring for another. I am about to decide that the greater condemnation is the fear which leads us to think that our primary task is to take care of ourselves.
Those whom Jesus observes in the temple were supporting God’s work - but they were not behaving in such as a way as to suggest that they considered themselves dependent upon God. God seemed to be a hobby or a sideline. That is what is so different about this poor widow. Her gift represents an acknowledgment that she is dependent upon God. That she is offering herself and her life to God.
Does she make it? We will never know. Maybe if we knew we would find it easier to follow her example. I do not know what happened to her, but I bet she avoided condemnation - the regular everyday kind and the type Jesus calls the greater condemnation.
What do your gifts - of money, time and energy - say about your relationship to God? Do you feel comfortable, having Jesus watch as you place your gifts before the altar?
I love the post-communion prayer, included in the Now the Feast liturgy. It reads, “Gracious Lord, give us courage to share our bread.” It does take courage to share our bread. It took a lot of courage for the widow to put her two coins in the treasury.
I don’t intend to leave you with a guilty conscience this morning - what I really want is to persuade you to pray for courage, for the courage it takes to share. I remain convinced that those with such courage never experience want. Like the widow of Zarephath so long as we care for another we are also cared for. Pray for this courage. And I promise you that condemnation (the common everyday kind or the kind Jesus calls the greater condemnation) will never come into your life.
Amen.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Devotion - Thursday, November 5
Thank goodness that there are some of Paul’s writings which we have come to understand as culturally limited. In my continued reading of I Corinthians, I arrived this morning at the latter verses of Chapter 14. Here, Paul says, “As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak… If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home.”
How blessed we were last night at LSM with Leslie’s devotional. Carrying I Corinthians 14 forward without reconsideration would have precluded her serving as our guide.
Our Tuesday night Bible study is a majority of women. I can’t imagine turning them away, insisting that they wait till they are married and then ask their husband questions raised by the book of Hebrew’s references to our Great High Priest.
Paul writes words which guide and direct us. Some of his words need to be reconsidered as we move forward in our desire to serve Jesus. Here is one such place.
Those who insist on a literal interpretation of every verse of scripture are more inclined that our expression of the Church to live by I Corinthians 14. But few, very few, prohibit all female speech in church. They have adjusted Paul’s words to mean that women should not be pastors. This is understandable. How many of the strong female members of our churches would be such had they never been allowed to ask questions during their Sunday Church School classes?
Thank goodness we have come to understand that Paul’s words here, while instructive to the church in Corinth, are not binding on the churches we attend.
How blessed we were last night at LSM with Leslie’s devotional. Carrying I Corinthians 14 forward without reconsideration would have precluded her serving as our guide.
Our Tuesday night Bible study is a majority of women. I can’t imagine turning them away, insisting that they wait till they are married and then ask their husband questions raised by the book of Hebrew’s references to our Great High Priest.
Paul writes words which guide and direct us. Some of his words need to be reconsidered as we move forward in our desire to serve Jesus. Here is one such place.
Those who insist on a literal interpretation of every verse of scripture are more inclined that our expression of the Church to live by I Corinthians 14. But few, very few, prohibit all female speech in church. They have adjusted Paul’s words to mean that women should not be pastors. This is understandable. How many of the strong female members of our churches would be such had they never been allowed to ask questions during their Sunday Church School classes?
Thank goodness we have come to understand that Paul’s words here, while instructive to the church in Corinth, are not binding on the churches we attend.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Devotion - Wednesday, Nov 4
In our pre-seminary group, we have been following a guide through Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. At yesterday’s meeting we reviewed Luther’s thoughts on the first commandment – You are to have no other gods before me.
Luther wrote that “it is the trust and faith of the heart alone which make both God and an idol.” Our group struggled with this. How can one include God and idols in the same sentence?
Another line from Luther helped. He writes, “Anything on which your heart relies and depends, I say, that is really your God.”
We become committed to many things. Our football coach adopted the slogan last year of going “All In” as way of expressing supreme commitment. In school we are encouraged to make our career the number one priority. In life we are instructed on the importance of amassing wealth.
The faith and trust of our heart can be directed to many things. It can be directed to God, who saves us; or it can be directed to idols, to things which lure us but have no ability to bring to us that which we desperately need.
Examine your trust and faith. Where have they been placed?
Luther wrote that “it is the trust and faith of the heart alone which make both God and an idol.” Our group struggled with this. How can one include God and idols in the same sentence?
Another line from Luther helped. He writes, “Anything on which your heart relies and depends, I say, that is really your God.”
We become committed to many things. Our football coach adopted the slogan last year of going “All In” as way of expressing supreme commitment. In school we are encouraged to make our career the number one priority. In life we are instructed on the importance of amassing wealth.
The faith and trust of our heart can be directed to many things. It can be directed to God, who saves us; or it can be directed to idols, to things which lure us but have no ability to bring to us that which we desperately need.
Examine your trust and faith. Where have they been placed?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Devotion - Tuesday, Nov 3
After finishing his thoughts on love, Paul turns his attention in I Corinthians 14 to the spiritual gifts which build up the Church.
He celebrates those who receive the gift of speaking in tongues, but he points out that this gift uplifts the one who receives it. On the other hand, those with the gift of prophesy uplift the whole Church.
“Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”
Those who prophesy speak God’s word to the current context. The gift of prophesy is the ability to see as God would see and to feel as God would feel. Paul wants everyone to see this gift.
One might see this as an overachieving of the slogan popular a few years back, “What Would Jesus Do?” It is a full blown attempt to articulate how God would speak to what is happening.
Speaking with God’s voice is difficult. It is tricky. It is arrogant. When speaking with God’s voice, there will be those who oppose. Some will oppose because they are opposed to God. Other will oppose because they perceive a different word from God.
Perhaps we have come to misunderstand the spiritual gift of prophesy as some sort of prediction of the future because only time will tell us who it was that spoke God’s Word. And, truly, it is only time which will let us know.
But this should not deter us from making use of the gift. Paul reminds us, in I Corinthians 14, to seek this gift and to put it into practice. We must overcome the timidity which allows so many of God’s people to remain silent when there is a clear need (and many opportunities) to speak God’s Word.
He celebrates those who receive the gift of speaking in tongues, but he points out that this gift uplifts the one who receives it. On the other hand, those with the gift of prophesy uplift the whole Church.
“Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”
Those who prophesy speak God’s word to the current context. The gift of prophesy is the ability to see as God would see and to feel as God would feel. Paul wants everyone to see this gift.
One might see this as an overachieving of the slogan popular a few years back, “What Would Jesus Do?” It is a full blown attempt to articulate how God would speak to what is happening.
Speaking with God’s voice is difficult. It is tricky. It is arrogant. When speaking with God’s voice, there will be those who oppose. Some will oppose because they are opposed to God. Other will oppose because they perceive a different word from God.
Perhaps we have come to misunderstand the spiritual gift of prophesy as some sort of prediction of the future because only time will tell us who it was that spoke God’s Word. And, truly, it is only time which will let us know.
But this should not deter us from making use of the gift. Paul reminds us, in I Corinthians 14, to seek this gift and to put it into practice. We must overcome the timidity which allows so many of God’s people to remain silent when there is a clear need (and many opportunities) to speak God’s Word.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Devotion - Monday, November 2
I commented last week on I Corinthians 13. Today’s appointed readings include those famous words about love. Paul ends the section by saying, “So faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Believing that Paul is speaking of something more than a limited understanding of love, i.e. the love between two persons entering a life-long relationship, it seems that there is something for us to learn here. If love is so important (one could ask how it can be more important that faith; or more life-altering than hope,) if love is so important then it must be something intended to lead all of our interactions and thoughts toward others.
Two applications come to mind:
First, for the past couple of weeks, our Sunday Church School class has discussed finding that which is “true” among the teachings of other world religions. We are reading a book, and the author recounts how Paul would find what was true in the pagan religions of his day, then open that kernel of truth in order to expose Christ. How might we do that today? It changes our attitude toward those who practice other faiths if we begin with an assumption of opportunity to find kernels of truth among their teachings. It alters how we deal with them if we approach with love.
The second application also involves a bit of controversy. Our denomination is embroiled in the debate of acceptable expressions of human sexuality. Action taken at our most recent Assembly, opens the way for congregations which choose to do so to recognize, honor, and hold publicly accountable persons in lifelong monogamous same-gender relationships. The action also allows those congregations who choose to do so to call as pastor persons in such relationships. Some of our congregations are upset by this. They are angry. They say they cannot accept, and love such persons. The irony is the love that “such persons” has shown within our congregations. The experience of many members of Christ’s church is that those in committed, same-gender relationships have shown us care and compassion; attending to the sick and praying with the dying. These persons, so full of love, are being looked upon by some as unlovable.
Far from advocating an “anything goes” policy, it seems that in I Corinthians 13 Paul is lifting up the ability and the willingness to love as a plumb line for what it means to follow Christ. Maybe we need to read this chapter as something more than a beautiful wedding text and come to see it as instruction for every day of our lives. If Paul is going to say that love is more enduring that faith, he must have a high regard for it. If he is going to lift it over hope, he must see it as a tremendous force.
Believing that Paul is speaking of something more than a limited understanding of love, i.e. the love between two persons entering a life-long relationship, it seems that there is something for us to learn here. If love is so important (one could ask how it can be more important that faith; or more life-altering than hope,) if love is so important then it must be something intended to lead all of our interactions and thoughts toward others.
Two applications come to mind:
First, for the past couple of weeks, our Sunday Church School class has discussed finding that which is “true” among the teachings of other world religions. We are reading a book, and the author recounts how Paul would find what was true in the pagan religions of his day, then open that kernel of truth in order to expose Christ. How might we do that today? It changes our attitude toward those who practice other faiths if we begin with an assumption of opportunity to find kernels of truth among their teachings. It alters how we deal with them if we approach with love.
The second application also involves a bit of controversy. Our denomination is embroiled in the debate of acceptable expressions of human sexuality. Action taken at our most recent Assembly, opens the way for congregations which choose to do so to recognize, honor, and hold publicly accountable persons in lifelong monogamous same-gender relationships. The action also allows those congregations who choose to do so to call as pastor persons in such relationships. Some of our congregations are upset by this. They are angry. They say they cannot accept, and love such persons. The irony is the love that “such persons” has shown within our congregations. The experience of many members of Christ’s church is that those in committed, same-gender relationships have shown us care and compassion; attending to the sick and praying with the dying. These persons, so full of love, are being looked upon by some as unlovable.
Far from advocating an “anything goes” policy, it seems that in I Corinthians 13 Paul is lifting up the ability and the willingness to love as a plumb line for what it means to follow Christ. Maybe we need to read this chapter as something more than a beautiful wedding text and come to see it as instruction for every day of our lives. If Paul is going to say that love is more enduring that faith, he must have a high regard for it. If he is going to lift it over hope, he must see it as a tremendous force.
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