Tag: Unity in the church

Digging in Deeper: Romans 16:3-16

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“Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches. Greet also the church that meets in their home. Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews and fellow prisoners. They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles, and they were also in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our coworker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet those who belong to the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother—and mine. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Every year I attend the annual meeting of my State Baptist Convention. Once there, I attend various meetings and breakout sessions. There are times of worship and lots of preaching. Sometimes, if I’m feeling especially brave, I’ll make a tour through the actual convention hall. I’m sufficiently introverted I only do that once. Introverted or not, though, over the years I’ve met various other pastors and ministry leaders, several of whom I have kept up with. Some of them have played a role in my ministry and vice versa. Ministry isn’t something that happens in isolation. Paul’s long list of greetings here at the end of the letter is a good reminder of that. Let’s explore who some of his ministry partners are.

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Morning Musing: Romans 15:8-12

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“For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praise to your name.’ Again it says, ‘Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people!’ And again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples praise him!’ And again, Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse will appear, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; the Gentiles will hope in him.’” (CSB – Read the chapter)

The Gospel is for everyone. No one is exempt from it. No one gets left out of its offer of life if they will receive it. But because of our natural tribalism, this broad availability hasn’t often been so easy for us to wrap our minds and especially our hearts around. We want the Gospel to be for us and people who are like us. Other people…not so much. And yet, as much as we might be inclined in this direction, the biggest obstacle to our walking this way is the New Testament itself and passages like this one. Let’s talk about it.

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Morning Musing: Romans 15:5-7

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“Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice. Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I have an awesome church. It’s filled with great people. They are not perfect people, but they love each other and bear with each other with graciousness and a pretty remarkable spirit of unity. Not every church is like that. But when they are, they bring glory to God in a way that falls right in line with a blessing Paul spoke (well…wrote) over the church in Rome. Let’s take a look at the church’s purpose and one significant way Paul pointed us to be able to fulfill it.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 14:13

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“Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother of sister.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I used to wear rubber bands on my wrist. It was a phase in high school. I always had a least one and sometimes wore several. Whenever I found one sitting around somewhere I’d slip it on and wear it. The thing about rubber bands is that over time they begin to lose their elasticity when they are exposed to the rigors of life. It doesn’t happen all at once. But eventually, when you stretch them, you begin to notice that there are cracks in them. Once these start forming as long as you leave the rubber band alone, you can’t see them. If you stretch them, though, they show up. The further you stretch them, the more they show and the bigger they become. Stretch too far – and what counts as “too far” narrows over time – and eventually they snap. Our culture is like a rubber band right now. The church is too. Let’s talk this morning about how to avoid the snap.

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Differences of Opinion

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Something good is on the horizon. After nearly four months apart, we are finally going to be able to get back together for live, in-person worship services starting July 5. Having been gone so long, though, and having been so profoundly changed by what we have experienced–even in ways we don’t fully understand–we need to get ready for what’s to come in some equally profound ways. This week and next we are having a conversation about what we need to know and what we will be doing to make our regathering both satisfying and sustainable. Thanks for tuning in here for part 1.

Differences of Opinion

I want you to imagine something with me this morning. This may stretch your imaginative capacities a bit, so do the best you can. I want you to imagine a church. That wasn’t so hard, was it? Now, imagine—and here’s where things may get tough—that this church is dealing with some internal conflict about something that from the outside looking in seems trivial to most passersby. Take a breather for a minute if you need it, I know that was pretty challenging.

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