"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Wednesday, 8 February 2017 with Scripture 1 Corinthians 3:1-9-------
1 Corinthians 3:1 As for me, brothers, I couldn’t talk to you as spiritual people but as worldly people, as babies, so far as experience with the Messiah is concerned. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. But you aren’t ready for it now either! 3 For you are still worldly! Isn’t it obvious from all the jealousy and quarrelling among you that you are worldly and living by merely human standards? 4 For when one says, “I follow Sha’ul” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you being merely human? 5 After all, what is Apollos? What is Sha’ul? Only servants through whom you came to trust. Indeed, it was the Lord who brought you to trust through one of us or through another. 6 I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 So neither the planter nor the waterer is anything, only God who makes things grow — 8 planter and waterer are the same.
However, each will be rewarded according to his work. 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.[Complete Jewish Bible]
-------
"Fix your eyes on God, and happiness will find you," was the thought that ended yesterday's devotion. "And just HOW exactly do I DO that?!" my college-aged self would have screamed. My Lutheran tradition has taught me that being overly concerned about the things WE do in our spiritual lives can distract us from paying attention to what God has done. Rightfully so. The Reformation started with focus on this very issue. And yet Martin Luther himself did not shy away from attention to the importance of spiritual disciplines or rituals.
Spiritual disciplines can be a wonderful way to feed ourselves "milk," as Paul says, basic nourishment for beginning a faith journey or for returning to the basics. A first step in "fixing your eyes on God" can be finding a Paul or Apollos--someone who you think has the God-given gift to plant or water seeds of faith. Follow their lead, and God will give the growth.
Loving God, keep my heart tuned to the fact that a Paul or Apollos is not you, and spiritual disciplines are meant to lead my eyes to see more clearly how you feel about me and that you are my salvation. Amen.
Rachel Wrenn, '11
Ph.D. student in Hebrew Bible, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.
1 Corinthians 3:1 And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready,
3 for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations?
4 For when one says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," are you not merely human?
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
8 The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each.
9 For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building.[New Revised Standard Version]
-------
However, each will be rewarded according to his work. 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.[Complete Jewish Bible]
-------
"Fix your eyes on God, and happiness will find you," was the thought that ended yesterday's devotion. "And just HOW exactly do I DO that?!" my college-aged self would have screamed. My Lutheran tradition has taught me that being overly concerned about the things WE do in our spiritual lives can distract us from paying attention to what God has done. Rightfully so. The Reformation started with focus on this very issue. And yet Martin Luther himself did not shy away from attention to the importance of spiritual disciplines or rituals.
Spiritual disciplines can be a wonderful way to feed ourselves "milk," as Paul says, basic nourishment for beginning a faith journey or for returning to the basics. A first step in "fixing your eyes on God" can be finding a Paul or Apollos--someone who you think has the God-given gift to plant or water seeds of faith. Follow their lead, and God will give the growth.
Loving God, keep my heart tuned to the fact that a Paul or Apollos is not you, and spiritual disciplines are meant to lead my eyes to see more clearly how you feel about me and that you are my salvation. Amen.
Rachel Wrenn, '11
Ph.D. student in Hebrew Bible, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.
1 Corinthians 3:1 And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready,
3 for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations?
4 For when one says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," are you not merely human?
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
8 The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each.
9 For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building.[New Revised Standard Version]
-------
No comments:
Post a Comment