"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Wednesday, 15 February 2017 with Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23| ------- |
1 Corinthians 3:10 Using the grace God gave me, I laid a foundation, like a skilled master-builder; and another man is building on it. But let each one be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah.
16 Don’t you know that you people are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 So if anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you yourselves are that temple.
18 Let no one fool himself. If someone among you thinks he is wise (by this world’s standards), let him become “foolish,” so that he may become really wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is nonsense, as far as God is concerned; inasmuch as the Tanakh says, “He traps the wise in their own cleverness,”[1 Corinthians 3:19 Job 5:13] 20 and again, “Adonai knows that the thoughts of the wise are worthless.”[1 Corinthians 3:20 Psalm 94:11] 21 So let no one boast about human beings, for all things are yours — 22 whether Sha’ul or Apollos or Kefa or the world or life or death or the present or the future: they all belong to you, 23 and you belong to the Messiah, and the Messiah belongs to God.[Complete Jewish Bible]
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Today Paul writes to the Corinthian people using the plural "you." Y'all, Paul says, are God's temple. The thing is, the Corinthians weren't so stellar. They were particularly not stellar at living together in community. And yet, Paul says, the community is precisely the place where God dwells.
A little uncomfortable, isn't it? To think the church community is a holy people--indeed, so holy that damaging the community invites the wrath of God? Last I checked the church is filled with some pretty unholy characters. These people don't always love as God loves. They insist on being right about their politics and their theology and their liturgical vestments, all the while ignoring their neighbors. And they've got history, these people. They've been through some stuff. Thing is, I'm one of them too. Thanks be to God that God gives each of us a community--all of us called to see each other as holy. May we be worthy of their sight.
We thank you, O God, for being present where two or three are gathered. Even the most human two or three. Even when I'm there. Open our eyes to see the ways you dwell in our congregations and in our communities. Amen.
Christine Hallenbeck Ask, '15
Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, S.D.
1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ...
16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?
17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18 Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness,"
20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."
21 So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours,
22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all belong to you,
23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.[New Revised Standard Version]
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16 Don’t you know that you people are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 So if anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you yourselves are that temple.
18 Let no one fool himself. If someone among you thinks he is wise (by this world’s standards), let him become “foolish,” so that he may become really wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is nonsense, as far as God is concerned; inasmuch as the Tanakh says, “He traps the wise in their own cleverness,”[1 Corinthians 3:19 Job 5:13] 20 and again, “Adonai knows that the thoughts of the wise are worthless.”[1 Corinthians 3:20 Psalm 94:11] 21 So let no one boast about human beings, for all things are yours — 22 whether Sha’ul or Apollos or Kefa or the world or life or death or the present or the future: they all belong to you, 23 and you belong to the Messiah, and the Messiah belongs to God.[Complete Jewish Bible]
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Today Paul writes to the Corinthian people using the plural "you." Y'all, Paul says, are God's temple. The thing is, the Corinthians weren't so stellar. They were particularly not stellar at living together in community. And yet, Paul says, the community is precisely the place where God dwells.
A little uncomfortable, isn't it? To think the church community is a holy people--indeed, so holy that damaging the community invites the wrath of God? Last I checked the church is filled with some pretty unholy characters. These people don't always love as God loves. They insist on being right about their politics and their theology and their liturgical vestments, all the while ignoring their neighbors. And they've got history, these people. They've been through some stuff. Thing is, I'm one of them too. Thanks be to God that God gives each of us a community--all of us called to see each other as holy. May we be worthy of their sight.
We thank you, O God, for being present where two or three are gathered. Even the most human two or three. Even when I'm there. Open our eyes to see the ways you dwell in our congregations and in our communities. Amen.
Christine Hallenbeck Ask, '15
Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, S.D.
1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ...
16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?
17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18 Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness,"
20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."
21 So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours,
22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all belong to you,
23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.[New Revised Standard Version]
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