The Scripture text for this Sunday, Feb. 10th, raises a few possibilities for exploration in worship. 1 Corinthians 13 is Paul's putting a fine point on the driving dynamic of the Christian life: love, the kind of love that has its source in God and which relativizes the importance of all other abilities. Reflecting on the competition and infighting in his Corinthian church over spiritual gifts, Paul insists that without love, even the most beneficial of such gifts is of no worth.
I'm approaching the sermon from a couple of different angles:
1) Comparing the giftedness of the congregation today with that of the congregation in Corinth and exploring the manifestation of the love of God among us. How does it show up?
2) Recognizing the changes taking place in society today with increasing numbers of persons distancing themselves from organized religion and yet hungering for vibrant spiritual connections with God and others, the kind of love Paul writes about has the potential to help us who believe in the church transform it, so that it can be the kind of community that nurtures their spiritual journeys - and ours in the process.
Furthermore, I'm excited to have Sarah Lillie playing special music for us, "I Am Nothing" by Ginny Owens, at all three of the traditional services.
If there are thoughts you have on this that you want to contribute, please feel free to comment.
God's blessings to you,
Steve
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