Daily Devotion for Lent 2021 - Day 22

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 11 (NRSV)

Here Paul tries to answer questions the Corinthians have about worship practices.  Likely conflict and dissension have arisen because of these issues, namely, appropriate appearance in worship and conduct for the Lord's Supper.

Hair length would not be
an issue for people going
to worship today as it
was in Paul's day.

In answering these, Paul is trying to restore order in the church so that they can keep their eye on the larger prize - the return of Christ.

Paul's answer of head coverings and hair length remind us that these cultural adaptions change through the centuries as well as over geography.  We can see this in Paul's use of veils which the majority of Americans do not observe today.

The real difficulty we see in this is that Paul has been arguing against Judaizers that were requiring observance of the Law for Gentile Christians.  Here we see custom and practice that might have come from Paul's Jewish roots that Paul is setting forth.  Paul states earlier (1 Corinthians 8:8) that "Food will not bring us close to God" but here seems to say that our hair length does?

It allows us to see how difficult it is to allow the Gospel to change the way we interact.  This first part of chapter 11 seems to refute his earlier words to the Galatians (3:28) where he states "there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."  

Paul may recognize the digression of his own solution to their question as he states in verse 16: 

But if anyone is disposed to be contentious—we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.

He seems to be saying that this portion is not to be taken as doctrine of the church.  

Then we see Paul address practices of Holy Communion.  We have a unique insight into early Christian practice and this is the earliest writing we have of sacramental liturgy in verses 23-26.  Unfortunately, some often take out of context verse 27 which states: 

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord.

John Wesley in his sermon, "The Duty Of Constant Communion" addresses this by stating that Paul was clearly talking about partaking with allowing people to go hungry or partaking too much wine and becoming drunk.   

The "unworthy manner" does not speak to the condition of our souls but rather our behavior while we partake.  

As we finish this chapter, we ask ourselves in our practice of worship, is my behavior building up the body of Christ or becoming a distraction?  Am I encouraging others in the faith or detracting from their growth?

Prayer for the day:

Blessed God, we find ourselves coming to you in this specific time and place in history and the world.  It is unique, just as you have made each of us unique.  Help us to separate those things that are temporal from the things that are eternal.  As we grasp the things that transcend culture, help us to apply them to our setting today.  We pray these things in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Photo by jessica mullen via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

All scripture quoted is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What Kind of Normal Would You Like to Get Back To?

Second Sunday after Christmas, Year B

Lectionary Scripture: Jeremiah 31:7-14 (NRSV)

I love to get away and visit new places.  There is something special about finding the beauty in different places and cultures whether that be natural landmarks like Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon or human-made architecture such as the Space Needle or the Washington Monument.  I like trying food from different regions and finding local restaurants that offer unique flavors native to that area.  But even on vacation, I will eventually tire from all of the "new" and "different."  Even when it is fun and exciting, I will find that I'm ready to go home.  

Lots of people have experienced this.  Sometimes it can apply to people visiting your home.  As an amateur genealogist, I have read old stories of ancestors that took extended stays with their kinfolk.  My first thought was "how did they keep their jobs?"  These were not wealthy people that didn't need to work.  Sometimes with regards to our relatives, we hear the phrase, "I'm glad to see them come and glad to see them leave."  This doesn't mean that we don't appreciate the visit but it has more to do with the idea of getting back to normal.  

Human beings function well with routine.  We do well when things go as expected.  While describing something as "routine" often has a negative connotation, people actually thrive with a normal structure.  There is less stress involved.  We sleep better.  Our diet is better.  We are more likely to get regular exercise.  We are also more likely to tend to our spiritual lives with prayer, Bible reading and worship.

So as we see the advent of vaccine distribution, we can anticipate getting back to normal after the worldwide disruption of the coronavirus. But what will this "normal" look like?  Our pause has been going on for so long that we may find that some of what we would classify as a regular part of our lives is not returning.  

As we begin life post-COVID-19, there are a lot of things we'll enjoy doing again.  Simply interacting with others without the worry of "am I going to make them sick" or "are they going to make me sick" would be helpful.  Talking to people in person while seeing the entirety of their faces will be healing for us.  Singing the hymns of our faith while standing shoulder to shoulder will give us a lift that we may not know we needed until we actually get to do it.

This is what I missed and look
forward to its return.

As we look at the reading from Jeremiah, we see a good word to a people who were in exile.  They were a people who had known the stress of being invaded by a foreign military and seen loved ones killed.  Then they were forcibly removed from the land they knew.  These were the people who wrote in Psalm 137:4, "How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?"  I like in verse 9 of today's scripture where it states, "With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back" indicating that this is an emotional return where support is needed.  Weeping comes when we joyfully recognize we are home.  Weeping also comes when we recognize and confront the turmoil that we've endured.  We've been through a real thing and it has been stressful.

I feel more akin to Jeremiah than I did before the pandemic.  I've certainly had it easier than he did.  We as a people in the United States have not experienced the same level of trauma that they went through.  But for what we have known, it has been uncomfortable.  And for some, it has been just as devastating.  It is not our preferred reality.

So what do we want?  What should life look like?  

According to Jeremiah, it looks like a watered garden where no one languishes.  Both young and old know joy.  Life should normally let us trade our sorrows for gladness.  This should be a model for our church.  If we share this dream, we can make it real.

We'll continue to examine this theme as we worship online together on Sunday.  We are continuing to hear of an increasing number of positive cases within our congregation so please be safe.  We are nearing the finish line and we will get through this!

In Christ,

Sam

Picture by Trey Witzel of the 11 pm Christmas Eve service at First United Methodist Church of Edmond from 2018.  Used with permission.  Maybe in 2021, even the two front rows of this late service will be filled!

All scripture quoted is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.