David L. Smiley, 1060 Polo Road, Winston-Salem 27106 3-5-95. God1s Wisdom. Today we have another month and the beginning of a 3-month study of Paul's ltrs to the Xns in the Grk city of Corinth. The theme is Xn Living in Communicy, and it is espec­ ially useful·in our time and place. We shall read and discuss selected passages from these ltrs; I hope we will all take it as an asslgnmt, in the closing wks of winter, and the months of spring, in the season the Ch names Lenten, leading up to Holy Week and the glad news of Easter, that we read all of these materials, in a translat that gets thru to us. We should not be surprised, as we consider the txts of the '.l,ts toCorinth, that the Ch of Paul 1s time is wonderfully similar to our own community off aith:''T:hat its people had to deal with the same kinds of problems we face in the present. There are differencesy yes, but when we put the circumstances intb modern speech we come to a problem that either we have faced, or we know someone who has. Paul's ltrs are al­ ways relevant, always instructive and helpful. As the very earliest examples of Xn theology, of faith seeking understanding, vhat the converted Pharisee from Tarsus wrot~o and taught has been fundamental to the Ch's in'tlellectual explanation of the Xr-event. It has been the text and inspir ation £or every reformation and revival that the Ch has known. These ltrs are marvellous works, for the effects they have produced on some of the world's greatest personalities thru the ages. The English poet John Donne called them nthunder, and universal thunder, thunder that passes throu all the world·" The Corinthian ltrs are not doctrinal essays, as are the Romans and Galatians writings clearly are. The§e epistl~s contain no orgaiized presentat of the Xn~faith. Instead, they take up ethical -~n9. practical matters which a rise when we live in a comm.unity whose vision is upon the Eternal}-i'iff19tbe midst 0£ a society devoted almost entirely to the present. It is this aspect of being Xn which makes these ltrs so valuable, and so often read and studied. Paul him­ self is a towering personality, one that some teachers and students call the most important person in all of human history, and in particular in that part of it which once upon a time we called Christendom--the part of the world where Xr reigns. It is a ratlan- startling fact that one-fourth of NT is assoc w/the.11man who was not a disciple of Jesus, while Peter, who was the leader of the inner circle of J's chosen few, is represented by only about 14 pages. It is also surprising wmn we measure Paul's stature 1n setting the tbological foundations tor the Xn faith, to note that only seldom in his surviving writings does he quote J, or put J's teaching and healing anywhere near the center of his belief. That is one part of the Paul problem. Another is that although he dominates the action in the second half of the Bk of the Acts--froMI Chap 13--there is no indi­ dation anywhere in that history that Paul wrote anything at all. Arxl if we read Paul's ltrs, and ignore the bk of the Acts, we know almost nothing about the missionary journeys and the establmt of the Chs to which het«"ote. But note well that these are historical problems, not theolQgical. As we read NT we cannot avoid a feeling of thanks that theg>spels tell of J the teacher who suf­ fered that we all may live, while the ltrs tell the everlasting significance 0£ the cross and the pe~th and the resurrection. Along the way, people wt!R were attempting to live in the Way of the Lord Christ bumped in~ problems. As many gf us do ,l')w~iita" to the pastor for guidance and counsel­ ling; it is one of the great miracles of the Xnch that the pastor was Saul, renamed Paul, classi­ cally educated in the learning of the Grks, student of the best rabbinical school of his time, and so well equipped to respond. In the first Corinthian ltr which has cane to us there are 10 sub- Yects considered, some at greater and others at lesser· length, with no order or logic to their treatrnt. Apparently they were written in response to questions put to him, perhaps in writing, perhaps by Ch members who travelled to_consult their pastor in person. The result is what one scholar called "a fragnent of eccles.hist like no other." It a3.sorontains large chunks of Paul himself, and".:fbr that, too, it is valuable. Nowhere in the epistles does Paul say anything about his birthplace, or parentage, or his education, or even the fact that hates a Roman citizen/fat a t~ when that was an important thing to be. But he has much to say about the world-shaking fact bf Christ• s corning, and sacrifice, aid what that rooans to all of us. The· city of Corinth itself was a very old place, but only recently rebuilt. It was located on the narrow isthmus that joined northemGreece to its southern portion, known as the Pelbponnesus after its mythic founder Pelops. In b.c. 146 its people guessed~ong in a Roman dispute, and paid dearly for their folly. The city was leveled to the ground, its citizens· sold into slavery. For over a century it lay empty, until Julius Caesar in b ,c , 44 rebuilt it and peopled it w/Roman colonists. Because of its location on major trade routes in all directions it quickly regained its ldrship position and its wealth. Its forum was one of the showplaces of ancient urc,and when Paul arrived there, perhaps in a.d.52 or 3, its populat number-ad 6 to 700,000, of whom about 400,000 were slaves. ·lith increasing wealth came mor,ai laxity, so that sensual pleasure was the most important purpose itf life. So devoted were t~oriiilthians to orgies o.:ttminoral excess that there was a verb in Grk which me ai t -to live -ae a Corinthian, which me ant a~olutely dissolute. There WeTe al.ao a::ijectives, Corinthian banquet, and Corinthian drinker, that were proverbial. Into that licentious comm.unity carr:e- Paul, about a quar­ ter-century after the resurrection, when he was perhaps 50 yrs old. He founded a Ch there, and it was a rontentious and~awling collection of saints. He was with them for at:out 2 yrs., and when he left them they. did not '.lose touch with him. He had told them of ~r, they had rec'd the

, baptism of the Holy Spirit, but they still knevuncer tadrrty and dilemma. So to help them, Paul wrote a ltr. The •. first part of it spoke of spiritual truth, 1 Cor 1: 18-2 :13. The g ospal., Paul wrote thaGOrinthians, is not a wisdom,·or a philosophical system. It is salvation. V.17 makes it clear.----t"r did not send me to baptize but to preach, and not w/e~oquentwi.Sdom, lest the ~oss of Xr should be made of none effect. That opened a priceless passage about the Xn understanding of God and human beings., The cross is central and fundamental to e varything else--dissentions a bout who should_ be the ldr, or to what convention or alliance or flwshp we join ourselves. The supremacy of Xr had b~en the theme of Paul's preaching in Corinth. Xr ~s the focus of history, the fulfillrn of true phi~osophy, and the measure of truth and of reality. He was certain that if we keep the cross at the center of our lives that all shall be well with us. He was not~l;\i3king of a piece of wood, or an ornament we hang about our necks; nor was the word of the G.ros~'h6 ugly story of a painful and public execution. It was the great good news that God was in Xr, reconciling the world unto himself. It meant t};le redemption of humanity, it was the crowning revelat of God, and it opened the doors of a new life to.all who believe. Nothing else matters. It is the expression of the love of ~od for us. The world may see it as foolishness, because the world thinks itself more intelligent than God. But to those who can understand it, the cross is the pwr of God. God has made foolish the wisdom of this world, so that by the folly ~aul pra,ched//God saved those who be­ lieve. When you an9-i.I think that we know better than God how to run the world, then are we in ser-Lous peril. For\\.~ preach Xr and him crucified, a stumbling-block to the Jews, who were taught t}latl.. to die on a ~oss was proof of God 1 s judgmt upon the victim; and folly to Gentiles, who cannot understand.a God who gives of himself, who takes our judgmt upon himself, and suffers our punishmt sc that we may know God's presence,,and the joy and peace that it brings. The cross is not weak­ ness; it is the pwr of God and the wisdom of God. Look to yours(;ll vea, Paul wrote; when you were called, not many of you were college professors, or scholars of NT studies, or successful business manage-rs, or wise by worldly sbanda rds , Nor.were they of nople birth. It was a Ch whose members worked for other people, ~ny were slaves and not their own property. But God chose the weak and the foolish to shame the wise. We should not tNer allow those who think themsel~es wise to shame us who know·the wisdom & pwr of,God; who altho we are despised, base thingsf(tobring to nought things that are. God is the source of our life in Xr J, so we cannot boast. We are not in oursel­ ves righteous and sanctified and talented. All that we are is the' gift. of God. Wendell Phillips wrote a h,mn-poem to say it: he that is down needs fear no fall, he that is low, no pride; he that is humble ever shall have God to be his guide. Karl Barth, the Swiss theologia!l~ consider the

. greatest Xn thinker of this century, was once asked to state the most import~truth of his faith. He knew all the 8-syllable words, and the jargon that sometimes passes for understanding, and had published a many-~olurned ~xposition of Xn dogmatics. But his answer was quite different. It wld be what my mother taught me, he said; Jesus loves me, this I know , for the Bible tells me so. He knew what some of us have forgotten; ithat the Ch Is mission is to communicate the riches of God's truth simply and effectively, so that the Holy Spir.1. t can work in peoples' minds and hea rt'8. The most ed~cated among us, and the youngest child, can understand God's love, and can respond to it

- in faith and thanksgiving. There is a wisdom in what seems too simple, and a force in what appea weak, that is beyond human comprehension. Paul then turned to his own arrival in Corinth. Fr<JJ A.cts 17 we know that he had just left Athens after a se rnon on Mars Hill in which he made no men­ tion of Xr. He learned h~s le~~dt..\~en I came to you, he said, I did not speak of Goa in lofty words or about ideals and Wilue~'"'"':r decided to know nothing among you,saveJJ Ir and him crucified. In the Corinthian Ch w~ a group of members who talked&:>out wisdom and philosophy. These words were aimed at them. They are also intended for us, when we put anything at all before the action of God in sending his only ~egotten son, who was J."Ut to death for our transgressions and raised for our justification. Arv.other mat~§r, whatever it be, is astumbling-bloc\c to our ~alvation. We speak not of human wisdom, he saidf.~hat your faith may rest not upon the thoughts of humanity, which change with the seasons and perish with the minds t~ held them, but upon the powr of God, who is ;Ete r nal. It is a secret and hidden wisdom, unknown~'the university administrations and the teachers of human learning,or to the rulers of this age. Iftthey had known it, they woulo •not have crucified the Lord. It is open to the eye of faith. But what no eye hath seen nor ear heard, nei­ th.er has entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath pre pa red 'for them that love him. The ~u.otat is from Isa 64:4 and 65:17. Only when we are in God can we know the things of Goct. The spirit of God searches everything; this is the spirit which we have received. What we have rec 1d we impart, we teach, not of man's wisdom, but spiritual "truth to those who possess the spirit of God. This is the measure of the Xn community. It looks and some times acts j uat 1 ike any ot he r group ofcon.Bused and bewildered people. But it differs in that itswi.sdom is spiritual, and its goals are of God. There is a story of a children's sermon in a Ch, at which the minister showed a picture of a squirrel. What is that? he asked. No one spoke, but then a little boy said, It's Jesus. Let me ask again, the minister said. It's gray and furry, it has a bushy tail, and eats nuts and acorns. What is it? Again the small boy replied, Jesus. Why did you answer Jesus? the minister asked. I know it is a squirrel, the boy said, but I didn't say it, because you're not supposed to talk to us <i>out squirrels. You 're supposed to talk about Jesus. Out of the mouths of

3-12-95. Leadership. In all parts of our country, whether in city or countryside, or in towns so small they have only two roads crossing each other, nothing is more visible than are the places of worship. In small towns there are frequently four churches confronting each other-,,a hundred yards or so apart, sometimes.frowning at each other like fortresses defending warring countr,ies. Some in the cities are palatial piles of stone ands tained glass, others are store-fronts turned into places of worship for the disadvantaged people of the neighborhood. One such church in south side Chicago serves food to the bodies and also to the souls; its minister said the church was a mission-field at the center ofoospair; and, he said, trying to do so:roothing for the frustrated and near-hopeless people is like throwing sno~ball~ at the sun. other churches are rapidly growing, with a small army of professional employees to direct the music and do the counselling and the vis iting, led by corporate planners and the most sophisticated of executive ldrship. They ll'BY serve more meals to church groups from their kitchens than do many of the city's restaurants. Some of them are hung-up over their budgets, gradually using up their stores of savings;. some are closed in upon themselves, liking one another and the fun things they do on felshp nights, not interested in opening their ran ks to admit newcomers: Some of them are made up of the walking wounded, peopl who are going through a hostile divorce, or the wrenching loss of a loved one, or a violent act of injustice, or just the day-to-day stress of modern living. From their European and African roots, it is to the congregations of their c-hurches that American~ have turned. Many of us are less concerned with fonnal doctrines or differing church governments than we are with the support we find when we face death, or lose, or mirth, or the discovery of love, or the betrayal of love by someone in whom we deposited our trust, or the collapse of hope just when we need it most. And yet it is also true that an all-but-universal accompaniment to the con~egation's offer of anchor in a stormy sea, and healing of a bruised self, is a congregation in conflict with itself. -In whatever direction we look, we see and hear/fquarrelings and dissention, division and dispute, with in the congregations, and between the congregations, both of the same denomination, and also of competing 'onas , We may lose ourtempers, and shout imprecations at each other, over whether to sen oura::>ntributions to.this alliance, or that conferenc~, and the other synod. One church ldr spoke to a conference of his associates, to decry the paralysis which had afflicted congregations of his persuasion, a polarizat between theological. positions, producing what he called a doctrinal confus ionHmanifest in all the chur ch 's communications.· Temporal concerns/fcarl ·Braaten, theologian of Chicago, said ,(f conce ms good and proper in their right, threatened to d~splace the gospel. We find he said, an ec1ipse of the eternal light and the lengthening shadows of our temporal existence. Other observePS have spoken to the loss of confessional integrity of congregats in our time, of a modern fo:nn of gnosticism--from a ·ist Cen heresy in the Xn Chs, from the Grk word for knowing--that makes us want to know rather than to trust' that balks at biblical particularity and yeaxrs for positions more comfortable to'the modern mitx!. It is sad to realize that while these present dis­ putes may fade away in time, they aay well be replaced by other, and equally as ephemeral subjects to debate. Conflicts within congregatioqs are at the same time much a do Gi:>out nothing, tempests in th~ collection plates, hea~ed argumts which will be incomprehen~ible to people reading of them in later years; nhey are that, and they are also disagreemts about the Ch's mission and the truth of the good news of God in Christ. Carl Bra~ten concluded his impassioned plea for ha:nnony and unity with a warning: we do not know how much more·~-time we have before God will take the gospel out of our faithless hands and pass it on to those who will commit their lives as witnesses to its -truth. For God will work his will, with us if we are faithful; over andaround us if we squander our time and our talests on the personal and the temporal. And, it is al.so sad to report, it is nothing new, however regrettable. One of the problems Paul wrote about to the Ch at Corinth_was that of divisions among them, factions, or parties, or groupings; What he had to· say to that early Church, is of value to us in our time and place, text I cor 4. This is the 2d in a series of 13 lessons taken from the Corinthian ltrs. As we have seen, Paul went south to Corinth folwg his sermon on Mars Hill in Athens,in which he did not mention the name of Jesus, and instead spoke of an unknown god. It taught him a lesson; he told the people of the Corinth church that he resolved to know nothing among them but J Xr and him c rucdf'Led , iilit~e ltrs as we save than are not organized pre­ sentats of the Xn faith, yet efery portion of thet/r texts deals with some aspects of what it means to be Xn in a pagan and self-centered world. It was likely that Paul first went to Corinth in sprin a.d.50, 1945 yrs ago, and remained the~about 18 months, leaving in fall of 51. It was about five yrs later, in a.d.56, while he was in Ephesus in~M.....i.!l..t'l.:t,tiat he wrote the ltr we call l Cor. It was addressed to a divided congregation. The members~'C\:lnto groups according to the ldr they ac­ cepted. Some said they belonged to Apollos, others to Cephas-Peter, others to Paul. In his res­ ponse, Paul opposed the spirit that led peopletto choose sides, and wrote at some length about ldr­ ship, and what it is not. We must be careful in'our reading of these words, for we may decide it is not about us, but about deacons, and preachers, priests and the higher-ups. It is that, yes; but it is also about us, who warm the pews and take part in worship. For in the Ch to which Paul wrote there was not yet a visible leadrshp group set apart, and given dominance. So it is.to us

who are members of the body of Xr, who are IN Xr, as Paul put it. Paul's primary concern was to help his people in Corinth understand the revelat of God in Xr, and how Xr's resurrection changed everything, and for all time. In lCor 1-4 he wrote about dissentions and divisions among the Cor­ ~nthians, and in Ch 4 he turned to the responsibilities of ldrs. 1Cor4:1-2, 6-16. These words are directed to all who are svts of Xr and stewards of the mysteries of God. This means that those who are teachers and ldrs of thecongregat are not subject to the wishes and ideas of the other mem­ bers. They are svts not o~ the congreg~t but of Xr. They are caretakers of a sacred trust. The word steward means someone who manages and oversees an enterprise that isnot his own. In this case the materials to be administered are the mysteries of God. They are not teachers of doctrines that the membership might specify, or prefer; they are not subject to the shifting interests of their flock. What is required is not success atrfinancial matters, or growth in numbers, but thatthey be found f~ithful.t trustworthy. From that beginning, w/v.6 he wrote one of the most pwrfl passages in NT. Its point is that no one in the congregat should be puffed up or aggressive in support of ANY ldr. Unless a clearer text is found, we may never know what Paul wrote in v.6. Some translators leave it blank; others try to guess what it might have been. But as Mk Twain said, it is not the passage of the Bihl~ that he cannot understand which trouble him; it is those that he CAN understand that make him think, and examine himself. What we can read from dependable MSS is clear enough:it is ibat none of us should favor one ldr over another ••• whether ~aul or Peter or Cephas, whether in our day a megachurch electronic broadcaster or a charismatic organizer, or a sincere spiritual guide. For none of us has a single gift or ability of our own making; all that we are, and all th~t we can do, are gifts of God to us. What do you and I have that did not come from God? If then, you rec'd it,why do you boast, why do you glory, as if you invented it, or created it, of yoursel vesl ijere Paul's irony and sarcasm show their presence. The Corinthians were behaving as if the Kgdom of God had al.ready fully come; they acted as though they reigned w/Xr over the sinful world. But the time between the first day--the resurrection--and the last day--the end of the age and the coming of the·Lord in glory--is not a time for ~ower, and comfort, and material gains. It is in­ stead a time of suffering for those who believe, for those whose professions of faith are sincere. W/v.9 he began to write with a pen dipped in fire, in letters that b.lrn their way into our minds. He compared the comfortable, complacent, self-satisfied Corinthians with the perilous treatment that apostles received. They were, he said, like those who are condemned to death, because 1lleyhave become a spectacle, a side~how, something to laugh at. U,en, v .10, come sharp jabs at those who go w/dividers, losing sight of Xr. Of what value are quarrels,entanglements, divisions, when we see the passing present thru the spectacles, the eye-glasses, of eternity? The answer to the pro lem of faction is to be found in the deep truths of the gospel. Favoritism irr choosing one ldr vs. another is eviclence of what ~aul called,puTfed up. The apostles had folwd in the footsteps of their master, and they had suffered for it. They were fools forXr's sake, while those who squabble over matters of preference and power, matters that would be forgotten ~afore the year~was out, wer wise, Paul said, sarcastically. We are weak, but you are strong, who .are held in honor, we aee des pised. They were in the hwnblest of situations, and lived each day under the threat ofcbath. In­ stead of being rich & pwrful, living in palaces, eating off golden plates, wearing the costliest garments, they knewPthe sting of hunger and thirst, tl'r3y were ill-clad, buffeted, homeless, work­ ing with their own hands so as to be a burden to no one,vl2. And see how they respondJ when revil ed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered we seek concila tion; we- .are as the filth of the world, as refuse, as garbage, as the offscourings of all things. It is tbe Xn spirit of non retaliation, of tum-the-other-cheek, put into a moving sequence of opposites. Better to be classe with the dregs of society and remain faithful, that to sit in the lap of luxury with those who are the princes of this world. Then, v.14, he made his appeal to a divided and disputatious Ch. I say these things not to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. It was a brawling and a fragioonted congregation, but Paul loved0them, and with patieri:e and understanding he worked to heal their divisions and encourage their growth in Xn understanding. Sarcasm disappears, and in its place there is a shift to tenderness. It was by his teaching and preaching that they were led to faith in Xr, and tol:nptism into the body, tin the symbolic representat of death, burial, and re~;rrection, to walk in newness of life.. He became their father in Xr J thru the gospel. By est­ ab fi'g a Ch in a pagan city, the same kind that you.and I live in these days, he became father to th believers, who trusted in the resurrection ofYXr for their salvation. He was then the only one who.had the right~struct them. It also put upon them an obligation to hea~ what he said, and take it as guide to life. So dedicated was he to the gospel tqat he did not hesitate to offer him­ self as the model they should imitate; 'When they were uncertain about how to act, they should re­ member how Paul thought, and how he acted. It was not~otism but the assurance of a mature and tested faith, a confidence which came because of his experience withe risen Lord. All our abilit­ iesfii-e gifts; we cannot boast of them. In 1872 poet John Greenleaf Whittier wrote a hymn for the dea'ication of a new church in Minnesota.It is our prayer: All things are thine, no gift have we,

t~f?.'f/;y8M1~1£i~'i~0tg~f~~ifcl~~lsa~goU~R~! ~6'Jr£~ga'1~n~~~~t~m1'.~gtyl~h~gug~~;btli~m~~af0~~t!~e scheme and plan, thy wise eternal purpose ran. ~his is the answer to disputations in Ch.

3-19-95. 220 yrs ago people in our part of the N.Amer continent were participants in a revolu­ tion against the rules and practices of their government, which was weeks away from them, across the perilous Atlantic, in the white halls of power in London. Just as do the revolutionaries in our generation, they-wanted to repeal and overthrow political and economic arrangemts which had been in place for genevations, to return to the origins, the roots, of English liberties. What they wanted, one of them declared, 1was keeping up to the strictness of the true old Gothick Con­ stitution. Tha~ meant reading history in support of the present. It is a method, and a sub­ ject, that -Ls dear to the hearts of all historians. History is the story of the present, those-· will say, whose noses are stuck into books instead of current debates; the $tory of the present, told in tenns of how it got this way. Not many professional historians will subscribe to the t.eachf.nga of the - pcpukar-Izer-s , that the past was filled with days we like to define as good be­ cause they -are old, and who urge their neighbors to do tattle with the present,with the goal of returning to a past that never was, and would in fact bed istasteful if we were compelled to re­ live i~. Still it is true that what we are in the present is the product of decisions made, and

• experiences shared, by our ancestors. In 1775 Virginia patriot ldr Patrick Henry said,\\! have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, ~ that is the lamp of experience._ I know of no way of judging the future but by the past.Ir That is a sentiment which is fundamental: to the histor­ iah; it is also the starting point for those who teach and live by the records of a revealed re­ ligion. We who do, begin with the governing ,assumption that we follow a faith which was once for all deliveredlJlto the saints, and that it'1'our assignment to hGld it, and teach it, and·pass it undiluted and undistorted to those who come after us. The faith we accept is based upon ac­ tions of God in historical ti.me, at geographical places, and to receptive individuals. But it must also meet the needs and t~e natures of people in the pre8ent. It is an eternal truth, that gives meaning and measure to people who are limited in time; the past is therefore the lamp of experience by which our feet are guided. We read the vt>rds of inspired writings from centuries ago, an] find in them meat and drink to nourish and inspire us in the living of these days. To­ day we have a text that reminds us of our debts to the revelats God made to his people in the past, and how they help us to understand the way of God w/his.creation, text 1Cor10. Today we have the 3d in a spring series based upori the ltrs Paul wrote to the Xns at the Grk city of Cor­ inth, ltrs written in response to questions about the meaning of the incarnat of God in human flesh,and how it affects our thinking and our living. We first read Paul's statemt that he de­ termined to know nothing among them but J Xr and Him crucified, and to preach that w/o eloquence or wisdom, lest anyone should miss the essentials in the flowery poetics of the presentat. We also read Paul's opinion of the denominats,-or divisionli') or factions, among the membership.Now we come to a passage about the uses and meaning of In.freedom. The issue arose over the practice of many poor people in that time and place, of buying at reduced prices pieces of edible meat cut from aniMals sacrificed to pagan gods. Is that meat spiritually polluted for Xns, or was it acceptable to them? Paul's response began in Ch 8 and continues to 11:1--the chapter division here.is in error. In his teaching Paul held to the principle of Xn freedom, that the law was fulfilled in Xr, and that God accepts our faith as righteousness under the law, so we are no longer bound by law, but are free to choose to do right because we love those who may be weaker than we in resisting temptat. Every one·-of us sets an example for somebody, perhaps even some one we do not know, and are unaware that we are the plumb-line, the compass, for sone other per­ son. If We are clear i~nscience to do a thing, we are free to act; but if our acting leads a little one to stumble and miss the goal, then it were better for us to have a mills-tone tied to our.mecks and we be thrown into the uttennost depths of 1the sea. We may be free of the law, but we are not free to send the wrong message to someone who is not yet mature enough to enjoy freedom. The new community which is the Ch takes an alternative identity and ~ision that arise by the cross as God 1s answer to sih, so that its people proclaim their freedom to all who see and hear. In this way the Ch contradicts what the world takes to be r eali"i:U and an acceptable life-style, for its ultimate objective is to point.to Xr. That means that the Ch is a community of God's presence, ofGod's reality, and therefore the demonstrat that a new identity is open to us, a creative vision and identity shaped and molded by the cross. flI quote a recent book, Peopl of the Truth, by Robt Webber and Rodney Clapp.\\ This new community finds its foundat in Jesus, for as Paul wrote the Corinthians, Ch 3, no other foundat can anyone lay'than that which is laid J Xr. Upon that foundat, and not upon any pastor, or leaner, is our faith built. A11 of the Bibl revelat turns upon that fact. trom God's call to Abraham in Gen, the testimony of scrip­ ture is a wholeness, an inter-related narrative, so that each part contributes to the understan­ ding of all the rest of it. The Hebr-Xn faith has a book at its heart; the word speaks of the Word of God. .Knowing this, when Paul feared that the people of Corinth considered themselves stron~confident, he cslled upon the lamp 8f experience, th3 record of the past, as a way of en­ lightening the present and the future. 1 or 10:1-17. These words are a solemn warning to those of us who see ourselves as so 11Bture in our relig stance that we need fear no judgmt. The

subject is still the question of eating meat offered to idols, renember; if we think ourselves so modern, so well-informed, that it presents us no problem, then we need to give ear to Paul's argument in these sentences. '.lhe Ch at Corinth was mostly composed of Gentiles, people in whose homes there may have been no book of any kind, certainly no scrolls of the Hebr sacred scripture And yet, note how much of Israel's history~ assumes that they know. Would your congregation, or mine, understand and remember and see meaning in Paul's references to these ancient events? And note also that in these lines we have a lesson in how to read Scripture. It is a record of events in the distant past, but it is also full of meaning for us in the present. The subject is the question of temptation, and the sacraJMnts, and in this Chap Paul's teaching about them is tightly interwoven with warnings about disasters th~t were long ago to the Corinthian reader~ and even farther from us. But he felt it necessary in explaining the meaning of worship to go far backif to the Exodus. He knew that those who will not learn from history must repeat its mis­ takes; he kmw that the God of Jesus, in NI', is the God of the Hebr scriptures. We have not clo ed tm door upon the past because Jesus has come; he did notooolish, he fulfilled t:he promises. In his narrative he spiritualized Hebrew history. The Grk word here translated warning in v , 11 is typos, from which we have the Engl word type, and from that a way of reading the scriptures. T:Y:pology, i~ is called; each event is regarded as a type that teaches a lesson. In this passage the use of types as a way of teaching converts is clear. The great act of God in delivering the people of Israel was their 1 iberation from slavery in Egypt. It was freedom not as an end in itself, but freedom to worship the God who entered history and heard their cries, and freedom to receive the tablets of the law and to enter into covenant. Iwant you to know, brothers, Paul wrote, that our fa~hers were all under the cloud. It was a time of testing in the wilderness, when the cloud in the sky led them; it was the symbol of God's guidance. They passed thru the sea, and that, Paul taught, was th.Ei symbolic baptism---even though in fact no water had touched them, ExJ.4. But the truth was in God 1s grace in protecting them from those ·who pursued them. As the people of Israel had been under the cloud, so Xns in their baptism had gone under the water, in the symbol of burial and resurrection. In v.3,4 there is the type of Lord's Supper, supernat­ ural food, supernatural drink. This is the first time in Xn history that the two sacraJMnts of baptism and eucharist -are linked toge tiler, and it is significant that Paul does not relate the memorial supper with Jewish sacrifices, but w/manna in the wilderness, bread of miracle that God supplied without human mediators. Water was also supplied miraculously; twice in CYr, at Hore Exl7, and at Zin, Num 20, Moses struck a rock and water flowed out to give drink to thirsty pe op le. By popular tradit it was the same ,Rock, which moved with the Isrs as they mGved. Paul added to that tradit by naming theRRock ~· "hr.i.st, v .4. Even_ with all that care and miracle, God was displeased with their disobedience, v.5; they all perished in the desert--all but two of them. That makes Paul's point; our receiving of the sacraments will not1byitself1save anyone. The Isrs ate the bread of spiritual gi~, and they drank the water that conveyed the spirit, but still they were shut off from the promised land. These things are warnings for us; the Grk word, re­ member-, is type. I.et us learn .from the past, so we do not repeat the past, over and over, be­ cause we do not know what happened before our time. The Corinthians were in danger if they thought their reception of the spiritual bread and wine would save thern of itself; we here and now face .. tihe same peril. Even to the strongest, there is danger when we are tempted to live and believe like the pagan influences around us. Paul went on to list other disasters in the desert The Isrs made a golden calf and wrshipped it; they were :i.dolatate:s"s, and engaged in org~es of im morality. They sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play, as KJV; they indulged in immoral ity of sexual excess and infidelity, so that 23,000 fell in a single day, v.B. The reference is to Num 25: 9, and Paul was quoting from memory, and his memory slipped. He missed it by 1000-­ unimportant in the lesson he wanted to teach, but fatal to any theory of verbal inf~llibility of scripture. The Isrs grumbled, they put the Lord to the test, and they were destroyed for it. Again, history provided a warning, a type, of every generat, and every individual; these facts were written down for our instruction, v .11. I have but on.a lamp by which my feet are guided, Patrick Henry wrote; that is the lamp of experience; I Know of no way of judging the, future but by the past. Learn of God 1 s j udgmt upon his chosen people, with whom He made covenant, people He led and protected and blessed. Therefore,v.12, let any one who thinks that he stand take heed l€st he fall. We shall be tempted; it is the fate of all people. But the God who punishes is also the God who remains faithful. If sin is near, so is God. If God pennits temptat, ~e will provide the way of escape, so that we may endure it. Martin Luther said it: we cannot prevent birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from building their nests in our hair. Let us then refuse to participate in the :i3olatry so common among us, the distorted morality, the selfishness, the misuse of life. Instead, let us take the cup of blessing, and thel:read which we 'break, for they open to us communion, koinonia, with God; because there is one loaf, from which we all eat, we who are many are oneOOdy. Our lives together cement us into a new family, with brothers and sisters in Xr, facing in unity the enticemts, and the opportunities, in the living

of the time between the first day, and the last day.

7 13-26-95. J?iscipline. It is a continuing debate among commentators·of world religions whether a belief in a superhuman being has any effect upon an individual's life and behavior. Many of the religions of mankind make sharp distinctionsl:etween their prayers, and their sacrifices, and what they ~o in the·streBt outside the temple. 'fl!ey may observe special times of the week, or year; theyanay restrictrtheir diets to avo Id certain foods; or wear garroonts that are specified by their faith. But often, and for many people, relig_makes no imp~ct upon the family life, or the publ;c forum, or the business of providing the necessities of"living. Xns have for 20 centuries questioned whether there were a life-style that was appropriate to those who seek to follow their Lord into the ~dm of God "on ear th-, Can the faithful conduct their businesses with no coned.dera­ tion of their commitmt to a kgdm not, of tfii.s world? or live in families that are unlike those of the surrounding neighborhood? ~en yrs ago, Xn theologian John Howard Yoder wrote in some despaird of any discernable differenc;)3 between the ethics of the believer and the amorality of the secular. In\·Jtl:le time of Charlema~ne~nin~h century)J-he sai~, "the name. ~f Jesus Jw~s -nov intoned over a Ger­ manic culture w/o chahging its i~ner content, as it had been intoned over Greco-Roman culture for half a millennium before." In either case, Yoder said, believers invo~ed the risen Lord in unp!'it ~oa-1 support of an empire tr~at ·~as in every way//of this world; and when they did they subverted the the nature of their faith, and they obscured the tensf.on between the demands of God 1s Kgdm & the pressures of the Kgdms of the political world, who crucified their Lord. In such a theology, Yoder wrote, the Ch·c eases to have an ethic or goal distinct from that of the society in which· it exists; it comes to see itself located w/in the thinking of God & Country, its adherents free to liver out the desires of their creaturehood. The practical roasoncf the Xn life ceases to be that of a discipleship which pursues faithfulness. It becomes instead a ~e=a:Sr compromise with, and advancemt o£lthe dominant order, whet~r it be Pharoah or Caesar or Emperor, or King, or Governor. To pursua faithfulness instead·of compromise, whetherwi.th criminals, or slave-owners, or the immor alities, _-or anything other than the Kgdm of God,. means .that the group loses its mainstream standing, an:J becomes something along the lunatic fringe of the human continent. They will be ridiculed as socially irrelevant, looked down upon as relics of a Dark Age, and excluded for their failure to accept thel\primary task1'or relig--that of joining w/other social institutions for the survival & enrichmt of the conununity. In that we come to the heart of the probl of living the faith in a world of a vastly different faith; it invites us to behave in the light of eternity, and not as underwriter to soften the harsh impact of a secular society. That tension was especially sharp among the Greeks of the 1st Cen, to whom relig loyaltyf{and moral purityf(were nd; rel.a ted. Their gods were immortal, but immoral, and the society over wnibh they presided were mortal, but also

. i.mmoral.~As Paul preached to non-Jews, to pagans of the gentile world, some were converted to ~Xty, but with their former life-styles still in place. So they welcomed the arrival in Corint~ -of certain teachers, perhaps Jewish Xns, who worked to undermine Paul's teachings about the new­

!:! ness of the new covenant in Xr. ·That the Corinthians s4 quickly accepted these unnamed teachers ~ suggests that there was resentment against Paul among the membership. Leaders of disputing fac- ~ tions, persons who wished to retain their immoralities, who resentep.._.pau~p£~J)demnat of their ""({lives, their easy marriage arrangemts, their eating food offered~dols~ttef"Beclared their spir-

itual gifts of no credit unles$ they strengthened the whole congregat--these eagerly seized upon ~the teachings of the newco~ers, Sharp distinctions between attendance upon worship, and morality,

were to be blurred; what we would today call mainline Xty would be more accommodating to the world around th~ Ch. In response, Paul wrote additional ltrs; exactly how many there were/may ll3Ver be known, and how many have survived is in dispute. Some scholars find as many as s~ven different e­ pistles in what we know as 2 Cor; others count three--a general ltr, a stern ltr, and a thankful ltr. But however we read it, it seems clear that there was ser-Iousgtr-oub'la in the Corinthian Ch, trouble that- Paul sought to settle, and to heal. It tells us much about that Ch, and also about Paul the apostle to the gentiles. Let us hear a portion of that second ltr to Corinth, 2 Cor 12: 19--13:1-10. We have taken a giant leap from last wk's reading; all the way to the last 2 Chaps of 2 Cor, so we can examine closely the passionate concern of Paul for his c ongregat, and some im­ portant insights into his own spiritual journey. In Paul's time, as in every generat, a serious problem for the Ch was the work of fake apostles, self-styled evangelists who wandered from city to city, posing as genuine teachers of the faith, seeking to explain the signs of the times to credulous and superstitious people. Some of those clever bamboozlers came to Corinth, and quickly won a folwg in the congregat. They opposed Paul's teaching, that the Cross and the Resurrection were the oornerston~d fundamental of the Xn life. They dismissed Paul as inferior, nawea, and as of no importa't'iC6. Their teachings exacerbated the already divisi~e factions in the Ch, quar­ relling threatened to split apart the congregat. Paul wrote to call the people back to their com­ mitmt to Xr first and above all. In these words, in Chs 12,13, Paul attacked the boastful apostles in quotat marks, because they were anti-apostles. He urged the dissenters and disputants to re- pe nf before he came for what would be his 3d visit. In the passage we read, he wrote as eries of final warnings to them. The first sentence in v .19 can be either a question or a declaration;have

you been thinking all along? •• or, you have been thinkin~ we excuse our-se.Lves , that w~ defend ourselves. fn the context it should perhaps be a sta~~t~-all along you have been thinking that we have been defending ourselves before you. And in fact that is exactly what Paul has been do­ ing; but not in self-vindicat; instead, as he said at the end of the verse, 19b--it was for the up building of his readers, in Xn faith & unders tanding. That is the purpose of all teaching & preaching; it is to promote spiritualgrowth and deeper co~tmt to the faith once revealed.unto the saints •. Paul made c Ie ar- his own authority, and integrity, and apostolic duty, to help·.the Cor take a Xn attitude and lifestyle, so he would not have to discipline them when he came. His pur­ pose was not t9 please their own minds; no,,he spoke in the s:tght of God, to whom he was responsi­ ~le. He spoke in Xr, which keeps him from pride, or_··show.,,or self-advantage. He called them be­ loved, a measure of his care, even when he had to be stern. None of us enjoys being disciplined •• We are apt to respond to a word from someone about our shortcomings; look closely at your own be­ havior, friend,·before you take it upon yourself to tell me how to live. Or we may decide not to speak again to the critic, to avoid the necessity of taking ffiriously the content of the instruc­ tion. Or, we order out of the flwshp the dissident one, or we ta~e ourselves out of it, so we wil hear no more judgrnt upon us from pulpit or pew. Better to be mainstream, and respected in the community, to intone the name of Jesus over a culture w/o changing its content, better to proviee, the window~dressing,for a5'riously skewed social body, than to call for discipline and moral purt-­ Jty. Someone said that the undisciplined are doomed to do all things badly. Whether running a race, or playing a game, or working at a trade, without self-discipline we perfonn witnOQt grace or style. If Paul were to visit our Ch, would he find what he wished? s.4ihat becaus~tfi:e did not, they would find ki.m MOT what they wished. Not a g~nial old man, patting them on their heads, and sending them home from the sermon, feeling good a bout themselves--but a determined .teacher of the moral realities of the Kgdm of God. Paul listed eight sins in v.20, that they--and we--need to re ps nt , and change our ways, turn from -al{\ trouble-mad.ng and immoralities. Hear the list: quarrel ing, jealousy,~anger, self~shness, slander, gossip, conceit, disorder. In KJV the words are trans lated in l~th Cen English, so they sound different, but they are still the same actions. They do not affect our salvation, but they disrupt the colony o.tlh0aven on earth, and keep other people fro choosing the faith·of J Xr. A true minister will be fi1' such close contact w/his flock that he/she will detect signs of moral weakness, in thievery, or family breakdown: or slander--backbitings-­ and will be honest in dealing with them, and of calling them by their right names. Ta be salt of the eart-h, to be lamp upon a stand, to be for this.·time and place the representative of Xr on the earth, we must also call wrong things by their right names. Wba t we call the new morality, of in­ fidelities and cheatings and lyings, is the old :immorality brought up to date. How many people in high places have ~en nominated to pub~ic office, only to have it disclosed that the person had broken the law, or made false presentats of conunercial dealings, <llJI' in other ways had denied the reality of God in their lives~ But there was worse to come, v.2~. Quarrelings and backbitings are one thing; even more destructive of the spirit of God's Kgdm is the prevalence of uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness--to use the 17th Cenwords--among them. They were selfish, arro­ gant, jealous, and proud; even more, they were unrepentant alx>ut their sexual behavior. To a piou Jew that was abhorrent, anathema, accursed; as it should be to pious citizens of God's Kgdm. There is forgiveness for such conduct, yes; but only if the repentance.is sincere and real. Not to beg forgiveness from God, of from a fellow Xn whom we may have wronged, is to declare that we rave done nothing that requiresfbrgiveness. In that is the pride and arrogance that Paul c~ndemned. If you and I persist in our sin we shall be. humbled by.a just an~ holy GocJ, we shall be the joke and laug ingstock of the community, and the cause of God in Xr will be weakened. God will prevail, to be sure, but in the meantime some weaker persons may be lost by our example. In yourselves,Paul told the Corinthians, 13:3, in yourselves you know t~e pwr of lr, for he was crucifild in weakness, & lives by the JPWr of God; we are weak in him, but we too live by God's pwr , v.4. W/v.5 he conclude his discussion of ~isis of faith and behavior. He urged the Cors to teBt thems~lves. If there is no God, then all things are permissible; but if God rules and judges, then hold to the faith. Those words, in 13:5, are the heart and soul of the Xn life. Xr is in us, if we pass the test! Inv. 5 the word yourselves is repeated,.and both times it is put first in the Grk sentence, for

emphasis ••• yourselves examine, yourselves test. It was Paul's way of saying, you look for faults in me, you question my motives and ridicule my work. Yet it.is his critics who need to look to themselves ••• to keep testing, to see whether we are in fact Xn, and take Xr1s teachings seriously. Inv.Sare two ways of testing our faith. One Ls to ask whether we are in the faith--that is, do we know, deep within ourselves, that Xr is Lord of all we do; the other is ~hen we know that the risen Christ is in us. Can you and I say that of ourselves? If we are.in the faith that in Xr God was reconciling the world to himself, and if we know Xr's presence in our inner beings, then in gratitude and in love we obey the guiding of the Spirit in our thoughts <'lnd in our deeds; we will have protection from temptat; the family will be the extension of our thanksgiving for what God has done for us, and all that we do will uphold truth, and the faith, and the good. It was for

our edification--our building up--and not for destruction-G-for tearing down. Let us look then to ourselves, in our time and place, for the Kgdm of od that is within us.

4-2-95. Gifts. Once upon a time there was a full-sized symphony orchestra, a hundred and more of players, of all sizes and kinds of instruments. They were rehearsing a concert piece, led by a conductor whose ear was acute and accurate. In the music was a passage in which the smallest instrument in the orchestra was called upon to play one note, in a measure in which the entire company was playing, the drums tooming, the brass blaring, the strings sounding fortissimo. At that sonorous·and thundering moment, the conductor rapped his baton upon the stand, calling for silence,. He pointed to the piccolo player. You did not play your note, he accused. The player confessed his fault, saying that he had lost his place· on theocore, and did not play. But, the conductor said, the chord is not complete without your note. In that 1 ittle story is the theme of today's Bible text, and ,the secret of a happy family, and ne Lghoortlood , and church. Every one of us has a contribution to make, and the music is not right unless we sound our note. And yet, it is embarrassing, even tragic, to hear people'insist that their note, whatever it is, is the most important to the harmony of the group. Some of us are clanging cymbals and sonorous drums, and solo violins~ playing th~ melody, while others do the dum-te-qum of the rhythm, and hear the loud players consider themselves better than\W-eYare. It is especially div:t.sive in the church, It is easy for us to accept that the only real ministry is the ordained ministry; they ~re called to what weknow8sfull-time Xn service; they have the professional training, they have no other demand upon their time, so they make the decisions, call the meetings~ and w~ite the reports and posit­ Lon papers. And many of who'are not ordained, whose prof'easd.ona.L training is in other activities, are all too willing to stand back and let the hired pers6nnel tell us what's gospel and how to live it. But then we read the words of NT and find that we are all given assigrunts to do, and the ability to dot.hem, and are told that the music needs every player, even the smallest and the least of these. That teaching tunns on its head the organizat we have in our ti.JOO. We try to get the best theologians and thinkers, to teach in the seminaries and the divinity schools~ to get e­ nough theology into the heads of their students, to preach and teach enough theology and Biblical interpretat to their lay people, so they can live their faith in the complexity of these days. It is a trickle-down road-map;· somebody at the top of the learnifig-chain teaches tho~e a step lower, and they teach those another step lower, and they teach the adults, and others the youth, and oth­ ers the beginners. And in a real sense it works backward. Out of the mouths of babes thou hast brought perfected praise; we should be.priests to each other, and the laity who live on the missi­ onary.frontier have ideas and practices that should infonn the whole. We are all called to do some thing for the health of the group, which is our reasonable service. No one of us can say that be­ cause I have been called, and have seminary education, I am higher in God's sight than are you; or because! am elder, or deacon, or minister, my place in'the pecking order is far above yours. For the music to sound the way the Composer intended it, the smallest note is just as important as is the one playing the melody, and second fiddle is as essential as is those who sit at the first des What the seminary has been for the past, century, the local congregat must be in the coming century. From called and committed laymen and women, who follow careers as tent-1nakers, or physicians, or merchants, or whatever, there must.come the theology that renews the ancient. covenant and gives

·light to a path that is often dark and uncertain. Many'clergy and tteologians will consider this a loss of their power and authority--a few years ago the convention of a popular denomination ac­ cepted an edict which defined the ordained minister .nhe spiritual leader of the flock, and if that prevails, the piccolo's note will be lost in the cacaphony of trombones and tubas. So let us re­ turn to the inspired word, for light and instruction, text lCor 12. Today we begin the second mon th of a 3-month study of Paul's ltrs to the Ch at the Grk city of Corinth. For the four lessons of April the theme is the nurturing of the life of the new community. Todcy, and next Sun, we loo a:t the spiritual gifts which we all possess, in great variety, and see how they may work together in the act of worship. First Cor is the closest thing we have fot- a description of the primitive or early Ch in its life and its liturgy. We must remember that':.muah'" .. of what Paul wrote was in cri­ ticism of mistakes the newly converted Cors made; but behind those corre~ti~ns we get an understan ding of 'what the ideal WJrshipping community might be--eager, active, every person participating, each with a gift, a talent, for the building up of the l:X>cty·of Xr on earth. The next 2 Suns of Apr, including Easter, we shall conaider the }fact of the resurrection or our Lord, and the joy and stren gbh it gives us. But fortt.oday we have a teaching about the gifts of the Spirit, 1Cor12:4-20,26. Here begins the reply Paul wrote to the 3d question the Cor Ch put to him, It was about spiritual gi~s, includin~ the enthusiasm that sometimes spilled over into ecstatic speaking in tongues, wo no one could understand. It was a theological matter, but more than that it was a·divisive matter in the Ch. In this µirt of his answer there are four topics to examine. First is the trinitarian language in vv.4-6. It is a very early asse~on of the Xn proclamat that God is in 3 persons, but remains one holy and: .indivislble God. Note well that spirituality is not something set apart from the more material, or intel1ectua11 or secular life; evidences of Godls spirit are seen wherever the living God is at work ••• and tha 't means everywhere, at all times. t is not a sspa rate compart- ment of life, but is the whole of it; it is a relatshp w/God that enriches all aspects of life. Paul make

Paul makes that-:-point with carefully constructed rhetoric in which there is both repetition and sameness. In the sentence in vv4-6 he used thew:>rd varieties three times; if you follow theKJV you miss that, because the translators must have thought it was too repetitious, and used a syno­ ~· They also put diversities instead of varieties, but that's close enough. All are gifts, and they are at the same time acti~ ties that c~ll fore !fort on the part of those receiving them. We s~e this in the words service, and working,°lmt note the sources of these gifts .•• all are from God, but Goo in three distinct manifestats to us. Varietie~ of gifts--the Grk word is charisma, which we can say in English--but the same Spirit who serves; varieties of service--the Grk word is dea­ con, another we have taken Lrrto Engl--but the same lord who serves; varieties of working--the Grk ~rd we have re~spelled,~nto en~rgy, another familiqr Engl wprd. In KJV it is the Latin--operation --from thew:>rd for work1 opus, opera. but the same God who inspires,yhurworketh all in all. Three sources, out all of them persons of the Godheaa. From the beginning, and to the present, there hav be~n clergy and laity who choose one of the three and call it the· total; some are unitarian, as are Muslims and J3ws, who Relieve :that God is one; others are unitarian, taking only the Son, whose nature is love and giving, not cold and j udgrnental, as some think of the Father; others are mystic living_ with the spirit.alone, in a faith that is immaterial and never incarnate. Here are all.3 persons, in one God; Father, Son, Spirit,"with Spirit put first because Paul will write much in the passage about Spirit. If you or I have difficulty understandipg, or accept tngi, a God in three persons, then we. should ask of an ol'der Xn, or- a pastor or teacher. The next subjectfn this pas­ sage ~s the listing 9f sppiritual gifts, vv7-11. Note that there are 9 oifferent gifts, in almost monotonous repetition, to.emphasize and make unquestionable, that they are all· from the same Spiri 'They folw one' after another because we cannot read, or speak, nine words at the same ti.me. But the point is tha.t because they are i;ifts.of the spirit, they are equal in working and importance. We could take a· separate. session or two to talk about each of them, but here we do not haver the time. You read them, and think about them, for yourselves. Wisdom & knowl, in the teaching function, & remind us of wpat Paul wrote in Ch 1~4, about the God whose foolishness and weakness are wiser & stronger than human understanding. Faith is also a gift of the Spirit; it is not a human work,. but is the product of divine grace. Knowing tha~~ it troubles me that God seems to give faith to few­ er people than has been true in the past , or we in our generation can. more easily reject the offer and still sleep soundly at night. Faith is~not just intellect~al assent to a proposition; it 1113ans comrnitmt of all that we are, time, talen~, wealth. Healing is also a gi~ that some of us possess b~ the laying-on of hands, br py pills and penicillin.and vaccination; Benjamin Franklin wrote an aphorism for his Almapas::k--Go.d heals and the doctor takes the fee. Miracles, in Grk works of pwr, are also given by the Spirit. Prophecy, means bringing the word of God to people in this place & at this time; it too is a g).f't, as are the ability to distinguish between spirits (some of them are evil, some are good') and to understand tongues and their meaning. V .11 is the summary: all are inspired by the same Spirit, who gives them as he will. The next part,vl2-13 describe the Ch as ~he body of Xr on earth, and the varieties of gifts as God's w~ of providing diversity in unity. Just as the body is one, and has many parts tpat are different, 'so also is Xr. Note that where we would expect the word Ch, Paul wrote Xr. The Ch was to him in a spiritual sense the body of Xr. When Xns speak of the rasurrectaon of the body they may mean_ that if we are. out of the b?dY, the Ch, we shall net; know resurrection. Xr is the head of the !:body, we read in Col 1,2; here are the indlvidual members are part of the whole. Each has a gift that enables tµe g-oup to survive, and each gift is necessary to the health of the whole. No one of us can say to another, get out of the Ch; we do not need you. No one oj ~scan say to anot~er, your gift is unimportant, while mine is fundamental. I should stand before you in the membership rolls. And to.make his point, in 14- 20 he wrote a parable of tilet:ody. We are not made of arms( alone, or legs; we are not all ears, even· as we say t)1.at sometimes. The body Ls made of many parts, and they are not a like. We are not-hands; we HAVE hands; ~e are not eyes, we HAVE eyes. The hacd cannot say to the foot, begoneJ I have no need 'or thee. 'Phe lung or the intestine cannot take the place of the _ear, even though it never- sees the sunlight. We. are different_, just as are the parts of the body, but we are all neces sary to the well-being of th.e ~hol,e. Imagine a hospital that staffed only brain sur ·'.eons; when a person suffering fro~ appendicitis, or thyroid or laryngitis went there she coll;ld get no relief. Nor can ope body.organ try to be.all ther~ is; cancer is the wild'growth of cells that will not be

~what they should be. We find it in all hwnan institutions, the family~ the neighborhood, the Ch. But Paul wanted.the Cors to know, and we also need to hear, and heed, the teaching; we are nothing in ourselves. All that we are, whether life, or time, or learning, or healing, or bringing flowers

. to brighten the s anc tuary , is a gi<ft of God , We cannot c lairn credit for any of it. We are all part of the new community of God; do you reme~ber as a child, folding your fingers together, and closing the hands, to s;;i.y, this is the church, and this is the steepJ.tj open the door and see a 11 the people? That is the parabta of the body human, and the body divine. No instrument in the orch estra is so small that i~ does not belong in the melody and the harmop~ of God at work in the wo The composer and the conductor expect that we offer our gifts as sacrifices upon the altar, for ·building up, and for worshipping, the God who sent his onlybegotten Son, who sent the Spirit,

to make us complete individuals, in the unity of the church.

4-9-95. Worship. A church, we are told, is a body of believers in the resurrection a nd lordship of Jesus Christ, sinners who confess their sin and know that they have been forgiven. What they do when they JOOet together is their public ecpressaon of that belie.f and that faith. ln his ;htr to the Xns in the ancient Grk city ofCorinth Paul told them·that it was not a time £or l~£ty wisdom or poetic prose. He said that he delibe·rately. spoke not iti plausible words of wisdom, but in a demonstration of the :Spirit and of power, that the faith of the IBelievers might not rest upon the

- wisdom of men but upon the pwr of God. It remains true in our day that the Ch in public asse ly is a place and time of confession and thanksgiving, in words and music, in drama and prayer., for blessings received and forgiveness assured. But beyond that we are different iJi our words and in

- our practices, from time past to time present, and from place to place, and from one z group to an­ other. Some of us feel comfortable only when public worship is tightly controllee, with orderly pvocessionals and recessionals, with readings presc.ribed centuries ago, ·with prayers formulated by the first-century Ch, and homilies based upon texts that are ·standardized and published years in advance. others of U:S express our faelings by shouting and speaking and singing·, or by shaki g in cstasy, by loud Amens .when the preacher s~s a good word. Those :who~~:i:_9ipate with otion­ al outbursts are likely to agree with that wise person who said tha thg ~~rui ed peopl ·wtio had been starched and ironed before they were washed. Othars oote wit d smay that the churches are rigidly segre8a·ted by race and aiso _·by economic ranking. 9J18 observer of the Xn Cha i Amer said that there was a different denomination for every $J0001~'r';3"er capita in ane, an; also cccr-­ ding to educational level. It seems clear that we are a fragme ted peop , differing in the words and the ways in which we worship. But this we have inoomrnon--the practice of w.orship as our testi moey that in ourselves we are incomplete, that our souls, our inner beings, a restless until we re"St in God, and our persons a• unfulfilled until ~we confess that God is our makeit, and not we ourselves. Worship can happen when we are alone, to be sure; we can see God in the b;eaucy of the lilies, and in every fl)arrow that r alls, and in every glorious sunset. But testifying to our -rreed ·rol' forgiveness happensqwhen we meet incorporate worship, where we put our lives on the alt r, &. lay before God our nothingness, our wants, o.ur sin, and our contrition, to guote poet Robt Southey. Worship quic the conscience as }we consider t.he holiness or God, • fee& the. mind w/the tt-rqth ot God, ;. op thebsart to the love ot God, and 1'D earnestly dedicatdour will to the purpo ot God. Worship i the onl7 girt. we can bring to God that he himself has -not first given ua, a •• w bring it, and gin it, we are ma ·richeztlv tar than we would otherwise be. True worsl'lip ap­ pen when the spoken word confronts us witn' oiir need, and w/God' plent7 ~ vhett we become • , ot O:od's grace thru J Xr, and w n we receive God's marching orders thru he Holy Spi it •. Worship is receiving hope and heal.ing that come· from lmowiflg that Goc:t accept.e us, just a re,. it ut one plea; it is a so nlisti in GocHs call to c<>nkont every iadividual in all. the wo:r with an in­ vitation to become a believer and a disciple. Still, the foQUB of worship mut>·be pcm God; not upon mankind and our needs; its cont t must emphasize prayer for ourselves and for Qt.hers, t the sermou or the ceremony. As an indicati ot the nat-u:re of worship, the text w have thi• mo iag gives us an i sight into the Ch at Corinth, -and what Paul had to sa about .i s worsh p, l Cor 14. Today, in Xn Cha all a rou the world, it is ?alm Sunday, commemorati the tr1 al ent17 t J in o J.eruAl•. It i• .·appropri te time !or wt to thiak about worship, what it is, nd wl'lat we do

~hell we worship. It celebrates Xr. Js kirM~ll:Y,, ridi tl7 ·upo a donk:q, as wonhi lebrates ~ s ordship v r our lives and motives~t happened on that day lo~ go, minds•. ~ h• 'J s pee d 'tr" sh ta at an , aftd welcc.e, and jwst tiY• dqe biter u:rowd• cl.- tba t

he b ccru.ci d. so as we remaber the palm branches in the streets; al.s rededica •v- - sel.T to to ere\t1 the path leads; and whatever the c st.: And as we consider wb.a·t hip

was 11 in a~;Xn 'Ch 19 cent rlas sgo, ~let ·us learn tr their ex:periert e hw 'to .m ov ftll. rshi (}DOJ'le Jiemd.ngtu.l t s; 1 C.r :.20•3)' You will note that we have leaped right oYer thl unfi rg.e.t- . ble b1mn .ot l e in cli IJ:' DO lilit rry; we will ret.urn·te it tbe las Su 81' i Mq, at) the co clusion d cl of our study f the Corinthian 1trs •. Ch 14 ·1s aleo n :1Jlpor1tant eae, -fe'I! it conti s Pa\J. •s teaching ..about spirl·tual gifts whi h he interrupt.e.d ·to -write ab t th• gilt that is. greatest the 8'11.- He epoket about the giff · t sp9akitig in ·tongues, tqHe stra~ge s e tha ao 1ilr.e a glas bh, tha1:. are called t apeaki · ot tbe Hoq Spirit • 1ppa ntq tM:re

t it 1• th• Coriathian Ch, witla m&IQP people speaking all at ee, aakitig a ftoi•• that no o could hav deciphered, .even11t ttie'J' pos&MtsJ'i d the gift ot ·iaterpreti g qllab. • wh

··spoke ill t s f~'mlet hawe · thouq~ -thilir gi-i't supu:Lor . to •all: '.-0 thers, aad sh uld he. recognized as ¥,idence of a genuine xn. 'nlere ~' or appar. o hue been, a wo t d meabel"ship, with son'lclos r to truth than others. ·What was w.orse,, those w 1babbled were die pt 'UMf WOJ" hip. Tbe7 brote forth in their llt&iu.t.lligible t:aranees tJt ati;y tim:., llld cw/ regard tor wha othera 11:1gh-t: be doi g. It s the Spirit that. a'OTed tha, tl1 said. :a arq se11blaooe or order-17.pro- wdu disappeare • Pa hiaseU' ""-"_...ta t spiritual ecsta9 and aw that·s])*ald.Jl« 1a_tcm£ \W8 was a legitblate gift.- and r;iroot that the .Spirit had ntered · to the pereo wh speki". · Hat. - he also tm.w that each ot us, hn amepo ibilit7 to the group, ,especiall7 duri-.g ...-shipi. So; af- \fJ '"£, \2... ~~ t! Jw \lG~ '( . . .

of~1U5)) ~ ALL ter writing in Ch 12 about spiritual gifts, and then about the great gift of 1..-e in the self-giY­ iag aense,~h• returned to the subject in Cat 14. When he did he had lessons a 'bout worship that n ••d to hear, and to think about. He set the gift ot speaking in tongvee aleagside the gitt tv pr phec7, as tile Wl'd i• put here. We would sq preachiaglto express tile idea; it meant proclailliag God's message to these people, in this place, with warniags a bout .judpt it w nject er refuse the word. Iu that sense prophec7 speaks of the futun; but for the 11.os t part it speau to the present, and it speaa for decisions and for colllitmts. VY 16-19 e.xpre&s the lesson Paul wanted to teach. 8 How ND anyone say Amen to .au utterance he cannot uaderstand? We mq respect the speaker in tongut1 but we are not iastructed or iaspired b7 words that •an net.bing to\>BS~. I weuld rat.Iler speak S words v/rtIT mind, Paul said, to instruct others, than to say 10,000 words 1• a tongue. His •ntion ot t.be mi.ad as the source of iastruction is interesting, but we have other utters to pursue. Pa want.a us to k ov tbat-propheCJ', .or preaching, 1a superior to tongue-speaking because it wins a hearinc tran - unbelieYers. He has just insisted that the •ind must be ac:ti Ye 1 worship; nw he speaks ot the difference between childishness and maturitJ'. Be babes in..U, but in thinlciq be mature. It is the thinker, ill pulpit and pew, wit Viom God can work •• an idea that eYery; oa a iYeriit7 eampua shoulAI kn • Many •t us would sa7 that because we are thinkers we haYe ne needl

tor faith. Look at it more elose'.q, trund. Iaaturit;y is the proper state tor these who think that•Til is where the acti n is; porn .ah pa and explicit literature all aia fer the animal i us , Thq d net prepare us tor li'l'ing en the human lewl. To•• bis Poiat Paul quoted what he called a teaching from the Lav, that people will not listen te speech the7 cannot understand. It is 1• .f'aet trom Isa 28, and again he has quoted from memor:;,and has mis·sed a ll>rd er two. But no aatter; ve- dert.f.a~ that speak:iag ill ._bberiah does not win converts, as does witnessing and speaking pla nl.7• V ,.} if' the C1l gathen and eTerrb d7 is speaking something- ne •• can understand, and eut­ sidere, unbelieYers, should wander in to see what these people are doing, how will such a spectacle leelc to them? Will th97 sa;r JOU baYe ·round the true spirit, er will tbq deti e 7eu as insane? But it eYe170ne 1ti teachiag, and testitying, ad proclaiaiag tile word of God, and deti.ai11& aia 1• real terae, the • tsider 1• cenYinnd, er co11ri.cted, ,,alld kaen hillselt uader judpt, so that, tal­ li•C en his face, be will worship Ged, and report that the l i•iac Oed 1• t~ ... DI ;rou. · ~t, dearl.1' beloYed, is the missi n ef the Ch. It is reported that .a miter was sh threugh a rt O •d• Cb 1a SanFraa, and noted that in the sanctua17 there ·were ne pews er seats. WlQ', lle asked. Tla.e {llide said, in ,Qod •s presence there are o~ twe positiOll8 a persen can assume. One is en hia kll eai:raying, aa;riag Let'd, be •rcitul to me, a sinner.· The otll.er is on bis feet sayi g, Lord,

· here .._,,I, _MDd ... True wrship 1e bn1ltg the 'grace ot Geel ill tergl.Yemss, and the call et Ged w share what ve bave with th e whe are hv.ngrJ"itr soul teod. Inv. 26.we haYe as clese a cow to a •rniac wol'IJhip bulletin. troa a ell ot a.d.SO as ve are likel.1' ;to pt. Net. nll· what •e th111141. Tit.ere va• a bylin, w ioh ma7 haYe been one of_ the peal.as, or a Xn b.Jmn, for there were some early ones. But those aaoag us who deny 1tusic a place in warship haYe not studied the Corinthian nample. There was also a lesson; •r d ctri .. , whicll was perhaps an expositi •t a text about

· the promised MessiahJ that would be expected trea ateacber, as a reYelat would C0111e from a prepbet. Int.rpretat Iii.Pt be an explanat of so•one•s speald.ac in tongues. But hear it; it was nothing at all like t et wrahip with wtiieh •st of u an t•illar. TM li bwtween _actors and aud­ ience Hema to be erased, so that •••17•• participated.· And, to Paul's disaa7. apparentq all at once. W• 1et a pietun or c ontusioa, but ef great enthueiasa and excitement. The sin of the ear Ch U7 ha •be n Giii et-111- ri it ma7 be that the si et todq's 1s t t •f ap Q-. MatV t- prefer te be ealeetcers, sittiag quietq • cushioned pas, 1'hile protessienale pa: • a shew ter us. It Paul were to Yi1it yeur Ch, •r rrf Cll, this Pala Sundq, wuld la• .._Dd eur erder, er qaesti n wr paasiri.t7!t It we are to grew thra. wrehip, then eY•~ neede t• ••• a part in it -children, )'9uth, adults. We JllWt listen and learn f'rea .. ch etar, and it w :lose tbeilitter et • trai d siliger er eloqwr t pal.piteer, w gaia tile real ••ntac et .Cb. Our preblem, it aa7 'M, ts te riecoYer the j.,- and excitement and epiritual awareness that was doJlinaat ia tlle Qoriath et Paul'• dq. The shntera et our time deserft eaulatt.u; the: quietl.1' c-i>lacent need a filffd trana­ tus1• and, perh , 'te hear somthiag that will brillg thea te tb91r reet, shouting A•n. Ia tba

·Cb, Paul •dai ted tongue-speaters, but-- lillited thellJ they 11Uet ·speak 1 tun, 11.t all-at orace;on two or:-tbree et.'t)r.m at any one worship; alld none at all unless there be an iuterpreter to t - Jatdll.wbat vu •1 1 said. S al•• fer prepheqillg. Asai• 1117 2 •r 3 preacher•, and let e(r. thers wip, er j p, what is said. That meana a talt-back tiae, an actiYe respo ee trom the con gregat, a dialec twlen prophet a ti people. Neta Y.31 tlMl )...t.1-s repeated ALL. It will nft de te hav: a tn _. 1peat and the rest baYe n• part. All pnphesy ene by one, ALL may lean, AI.LTbe en­ .couraged. F r God is a t a God t _con-fusion, \ ef peace; We DUSt.i m Yer lose the je7 •t olir f aitla aad the assuran• it proTidee. Te •117 et us, relig faith is ·a ti••Y.Tb urden that 'briaga a 1-.race It ~ho~ not. We should nag, and dance, and shout .AMEN, allCI. ,. teaohen to tlae e leru ae w an their .pupil.a. :r..t all thine• '9 done fore ditioati --tor buildiac p.Jot tor tearing d , a .. diriding. Tllat u tai.t.h in action, at worship, tace-to-faee vi Gect, vh se S n ente d Holy CitJ ritliq on an ass, a ting who behaYed like a peasant. 'l'bat is the Goet ve worship,&prais

"'avid L. Smiley, 1060 Pole load, Winston-Salem 211o6;.; 4~16-95. A Resurrection People. Today ie the high point. or the Xn year. It is ia~ter, the cele­ bration et Chriat 's Yictory oY'er death and the grave. Churches today will welcome more wors11ippers than on any other Sunday i-ft the yea_i-; choirs· .will present special musici 1111' flower:S 1411 color ·the pulpi'!6'w:i.th their noral l)):"~~se of new 1:11'~ for all mankind. Sunris~ servi.ces,,and bands of musio,llllitl be~ the day, and. at the first aign·ot. the davn/Jministera ii.Bl" saj the glad newer Chri• the Loi'd is Risenl and the worshippers ~ repltfffe is risen indeed. Tbis confession· t Jeaws as Lord of lite is grounded upon the faith in the God vho raised him; faith ill a ~ I l•Ying and caring that He 0'11.d with hold nothing that is good from His ·people. It is the t undat-stone r the Ch. There would be no Xn Ch_ haq J not risen from the tomb. ive'eyt.hi else in In tew:hing rests upon the tum-9ntal cehtfility or the resurrection. W';i.thout it, Jesus would ri t even be a one­ sentene~ f Of.note in history books; without it, there would be no faith to 1liY~ bf; lfitbout it, our lives would be only a momentary fleah of light between two in.tinite eons of darkness, without. mean­ ing, and tilled with despau'. without it, there would be no NI', and J'• teaching about lo'le and peace and the realit7 ef God's presence, would lose their Yal1dit7. It those ear)T diacip s bad not seen, and touched, and spoken to; the risen Lord, there would be no communit7 or t aitti, no Wes­ tern ci~ilizat as we ~now it, no cathedrals, no rose windows or Sistine chapel, no l-Mincn" Maes, no orat9rio n:aed Messiah; in law no more respect tor the individual't11fn existed in the R0man re­ public, no Pilgrims to establ a colo1]3 in Massachusetts, no Harvard or ale, or any other college ·betQre the land-grant state-supeorted schools. Take away .the Resurre·ction and there is an enonnous empty space in world hisw~. ~t it is in the realm of the In faith that it looiu largest. The 41arliest recollect?,.ona ,of J--vere de~nailied l>T the expe~ience ot his ·resurrection. W/o it·, hi~ words and his deeds ~oUld J;l~V"e been for,got~n; a· sjmple Palflst.inian Jew, a recent biograph7 of J called him. All knowl or J, ·abd 'the llertainty of' the sal'vat that he made possible, was collected atter Easter. The materials we read in tbe !fr gospels were put together backward; in the lig)lt or bis crucifixion and resl,lr~ction, people to1anted to know more abo:ut hilll, what he taught ,and what he did. Go_d '8 _raising J fr;>m ·'!*e de~d was ~ve}" ~req ·~· isola1;.e~ miracle; it ~as the begiqning of an altogether new age ln hum.an understanding. It meant the beginning of the end of history, and the promj.se of a general. resurrectioQ tor all who belieYel on him. Th~. Baster hope shines back­ ~ard~ to_past histor,y, ~lid 8:.1.st> forwa~ irtto t~e1 Mure, wh1.e'1 is our own tilne~ It tn.nstori\ed a territie~ group of disciple. s; hiding for fear of e:lcecution. as hie·accomplices, into confident wit-

' nesses Who preached in the etreets of Jerusalem~ to proc.~aill. that the Jesus wbo was c ru~;lfied ia . ~he Christ ot God, and the proof ·1s. in hi~ being risen from'1he dead, and in the girt. or the Hol.7 Spirit that filled all believe:rs with faith and li.fe. The first tes:timonia1s came from those who fled; in fear. Somethi~ ~.have happened to them, someth~ng ,they cou).d not adeqµate~ expla~ ·-it was -n experiesace for wh~ctf there were no words, and no rtiad-map--but which was ·so, real: to them that they put their lives on its altar. The eyewit.nesses recogni~ed J by the crucifixion wpunds on ~is hands and ~is body,' ~hose. on th~ EIM!aus road/O)y :the way helroke 'the b re~d at their table, and in'his tr~nsfigured body they had a fore'taste of the' coming .Kgdm or Go<f//in the li\ritlg Xr •. Eyenv l.h.~, t~· it_, was not ea~y for, them to beli-eve. Perhaps th_e~ 'fireamed

1it; or~ we%'$ victims 9f, mas~ delusion;' or they. let wishful thinking deceive them. But as the;r. prayed to~trer/ and -re­ read _the anci~)'l~ prophe~i,es of Messiah, they understood tbat ~~ glory: of· the coll'lin~ God had been reve~led f? the helplessness1and shame,and voluntary death of their totd. ,Because Jesus lies~ the

·c fut~re ha§ ~~n; b,c~use of the Easte~ fa~th, t~, faithtUl'no longer inh~bit an u!ll"edeemed world ' of death. 'is p.es~ is indeed perisha~l~, but Bft' the' H1spired preacher ot~en said, Nothillfl is as

ce.:rtain as th esur¥ect1on.~ ·East~r means that. the izaposs~ble has bfJcbme ieal; 1reconci_liatioh iw:i

the midst of cohtlict, grace in tbfl midst of judgltlt, -crEiatii'e love ;l.n the midst of lega~ism an!'.! a reli&iol) of" woris' and fo~Yene$s that Jl8 can· nf1Ver ,arrt~ 01" desetVe I but .Wti'i.cJl God ,!)ffers to us in hi,_s only., b~~o}fefl So~~ th"rt all,. llto,t b el.~eve o'h · h:ijn shall know the iea-1~ ty of life ,live~ oti' ·~be :J:iev-'} o! pterni~y, wi~ .. Cl9,9 .• ~1P~ Son of .God represents :the F~ther _i~ a godless and_ l'ai~~~~s world;

.as tpta~ . uma~ .tie strfpds,,Jor ti~~ beings te~or!l, Goq; anp as. total).y divine h.e ~tands+ 't~r O~ be­ fpr.e ~nij;y. So ~ rl.ir_ig t,Jla joyoel.ls of, Ea~t-er, we see in the lilies the promise of a-Ou~dant J.if1t J;>p~ ~vW ~nd. torev~r,, ,!~r ,eterpir.1 lias invar~ed'l t:i.Jne, and heaveq ~s t9ucr~d ear'th. T~r resur­ fection M· ap~tJii.t'c _radi~.fl, anp dJH;isiJe, not as ~ugg~s.tlohs for. P,etter l'-_rving, or as ~tr lllo!iier optj.o~, in " relig~~µsly' p lll7aj. inult,l.ple-choice t,ee:} •. It iis the CrClln of a ,tleJ!r<DV~nant? thp,ti fulf~lle t.he pr.omis~s.of t.n~ 01!3, arid in. th.e,poining kgcbu every~'~ eh~l,.l Jbow,.,{lnd.,eve7 tongu0e confespi'what Gp~ ha~. done !or al.l peop~• in ttie eve~t- .. w' cal+ .Xf; It' is tbe/ivotaJ-. ,ye~t, t~ h~g~ be~ween two wor1d~views., ~d the .rea11,~a. bopeJ of all mankind.~ fbi' 1'pr ·wa.s ~ade f'lep~, i:n Jesus the .If; the X:r died ~or m1r sins' I was buJ'1ed.i1 ~and was ,r~is~d ~n, ·the )d P.9': in accordanc~ w/scriptur.es, and ~n ~ tr.ap~J.!guTed bu~ "5pogni _able bpdy he appeared to many 'witiiesses. That is, the East.er faith, Pf, t~;J:ast•r church,, and -the ,!!~ster peo~la •. Texts' ~k 2~,. bur p~t fO~ fi0ngri; also at 1 co.r l?,• ror ~~ ~ntJ"al fact Of t\1.e lll faij,h we hay~, reaciing .from'..a gpspel and f,:OOf1 ~ E!pistJe,,, t~,,~lf- way sson i a spring eeriies-. b~d ~Jl ~Aul' <lt.rs ~o t~ I_n.JJ at ~int • ·~.T~t Ch Jf8e "' ~, ' br~Upg, qµt actiV(9t gro_µp ~t~ .seeke~s •ft.er ~ willo of1 Gc>d. )fpet, of 1;he;m. were conqrts Croll the • i • -~ 'l ' •C&-\S'TtlZ. ~E:.Aus<• ' 1" ·'-• '

• .J. •

pagan goc:U; who were human construct5, and therefore no lllOre moral that were the b~~t ot the human race •. Paul taught~ ,and inspired them, and then he went away. \In their new life t,hey faced real-lite situations tor which the7 felt unprepared; how should Xll8 l~Ye out tneirifaith in a com­ munit7 that wa~ ·do.mitiated l>Y these.arch for pleasure of al,l'kinds, sensJUll excesses and. infideli­ t.ie$, and the dictatorship ot the self over thet>irit? A major concern then, as now, was ~he fact of death. A~ faf.th that cannot deal adequately with hw:nan mortalit7 cannot r,Jtain the 1valt7 of its adh"9rents. Since the inorni~ of Xr's resurrection tpe core doctrine upon which.the In faith

' rests is t.he certainty ot etemal life. Apart Jrom that faith, Xty d,aes not ""81ce sense; nor does . aw substitute succeed; So. let us return to th~ grand and Jamiliar story of the most' incredible daybreak in hist,~ry, to renew our faith in the resurrection. Lk 24.:l-ll. Only 6 wks ago, in' our

, wintei- study of Matt's gospel, we read his'tersion of thie crucial event. As we noted the,n, it is impossible tQ aalce ·the 4 gospel versions or the resurrectio agree.as to details. kch o'f tliem bad different ~~urces, sp they differ, as to who was present, and how •any young men in shining gal"lll811ts ,appeared, and what w!'s s~id. You Jaa7 uke the experiment ;ror y ~rfelves; put them side­ by-aide, and compare. .But do not pennit the details to blin« you to the central fact, About that there :i,s no disagreent. The women who had come w/J froa Galilee folwd, nd saw the tomb, and hov the body was pl.aced w/in it. Ttuvprepared _spices and ointments for its embalmmt. Early on the lat day of the wk they went t.o the tomb. To their surprise and dimnay the 'stone bad teen rolled a way, ~ they did not .find the Dody. Two men 1n daszling apparel etood by them, and said., Why do you: seek the livi!lg among the dead? Other ancient MSs add a phrase that RSV oJld.ts: he is not here, 'but is risen. Reme11ber he>W ~e told you? So they returned to tbe hiding-p1'ce or the 11 disciples t._.9e­ liver the most i.Jllportant mess,age epr a ced. As we· noted in Feb, the first to preach the ' - surrection were women, ahd the congregat was the disc~ples. Ttle +iving J,.ord is not to be found a­ mong the tombs; nQr is he to be embalmed in creeds and ordinances. He is found in the taith that

: we llave when we trtist the goodness of God,atld the promi~e of life jct-hat he made. Note v.11, the a­ postles did notl:elieve; it seemed like an idie tale. Again, some an!;ient _t5S have a v.µ, reJ.a·ting Peter'2' running to see for hil'llself, and leok:ing 1, saw the linen cloths empty.and lert, wonder­ ing what had come to pus. O~ the resurrection apj)earances convinced those who should baYe remem bered, and belieYed. Faith i,11. the Jaster relig remaiu difficult,. 8ut it is rtbe. toundat-atone et .all t.h~ is true and righteous. The m.ost iJaP.orta!l~ pass.a,ge inMTr foi:. Jmderstanding the resurrec­ tion ia l .Cor lS:.3-B, l2-1Tt'6-58. The•eM>rds werewitten not~· than 2S yrs after the eYent; ..-. it is one f the srlles written accounts of the Xn. tradition of it. Paul had already taucht it to the Corinthians. and de ared that it was apostolic doctrine. It llUSt baYe come•• a ehock t.o Paul that people in h1a discipleship class had ao quickly do\lbted ,the resurrection sto17. It liu, be told tb.erii, the gospel tba~ l\e preached, that tbe:r rec'd, 'by' Wlli•h th~ were saved, it they held t~ to it. Paul wanted thelft to lmow that he ~d rightly d1Yided .th• word of truth, and had .preached anq taught the 1ntb as be rte'• it, fer it' is or first iaportanee--and there tolws a Yery 9'1'11' eruct, •J' statemt of .taithJ.,Jii:i• died t•r our siaa in accordance w/acriptures. H•t. that it wa• a drastic retonnulatien •t the Jewiah expectat et Messiah; it says nothillg•••....,... about Xr'• identit7 u God's son,ner of the Yirgin bl!l.rth, ner ot J'• baptiell, •r lliaistry, or teaching. ta fecU11 i• 11.-t upon infennat '-!'i.,,, but rather upon the aal•ation meaniag of the eYont, and on its out.ccme. J • s ·death waa n•t af,id7 that happened to a good and innocent man, ~a ld.acarriage of JlJBtice, or • a model. o ee.lf-giVin.g. It WAS all of that, i,ut it did n•t utter te that ear~ tradit.. that Paul preached in Corinth .. S1Mo those e~r dq•,we waete a i..t ef tim and words on peripheral uttera, at.raiaing out. gnata aSAcj~wallowing eamel• whole, and riak wsillg what real~ •tters --that J£iai cross and resurrectionfJWG•d'a wq o! dealing with huaa• ein, and that oar line depend upon our faith ift God'.• wq •f doiag. He vae raised, hi appeared t. hundreds or wit­ nuHe, J1C>8t of. tba atill ali'f'e to tellicit. Laet ot all, Paul wrote, t.o hiaselt, to one untiattl:r born, t.he. leaat ot\the -apostles, who b7 God •s grace aade h1a. what he vae. Begin Y.12 we read a def,ellH et resurrection ter all wh«> Mlieve, because God raised X~ &Oil Ule dead. It i,l_a legieal erdor •t thinkillg. l)litber the preachiag et the nsurrection 18 talae, 1• whiob cas,~preach­ i., va• ala• talae, and all whe testified to it are liar•, 13-1". 2) There i• M uais t•r faith er lite it there ia. no reeurrection,17. ))Our Xn her depends upon it,19. •>111 huaa• actiYit7 of any killd--baptisa, litura, ritual, worship--1• a v••tf et tille it there 1• n• reeurreetion, aad

L we aipt aa well all bo cyn1ce. Let use at, driak:, and H ••J'J"T, tor be70M the paaeiag ..... t, ~ life hae no •ani1ag,J2; net m nr reading, ~ut wort repeatinr. It then is ne resurrection, then { we are• till eulaTed b7 n.r sill, am all that n thin •ral, •r godly, is tutu., lY, au •v .~ fergi.Yenee• hae net happened. )(It ia thie claiil that earriea t ewight. The •"••, and the resur­ -h rection are God •a ultiaate, fiaal, alMi oYervlailld.ac ansve r to eveI'JthillC that tleniea an.i eppoe•• ~ the Xn spirit 1• e'f'el"J age and e'f'erJ generat. What appeared to be a black mark eaneelling eut God'

~ loYe, bee_. a sh.ut et triUll)il, au Je7, and taitb; J'a saYi•rh .. d, md all the NT i• written to <:J ... pro•• J's aaYi•rhMd, is a"1ndant~ o•nfi!WH as tact. That ia the laster •enc• thi1 MrllitlC, Ci •va to recei 98 eY•J"7· u7 •f .v liYes. OM •bowed his 1-Ye t•r u 1a that while we ver ,.t sin­ '> ners Ir dieat ~ r u, and i• hi• nai•iDC of J rr.. the d~td ... lle_ HY4L lit~ to all .)Ibo will acfe~t 1~

Mq we, all •f' u, O.w the knee and conf'••• w/tongue, 1iilla" J '1s Xr anu Le~ r•r all eternn.y.

M~~~~..,, and n•iChbore ·•ilht. be ;lnYilied." ~Ina aight fiM theiu~l••• aitting at ,table e•ting 118at. that hid ea pret•iae4 by tp.e ottering; or. ttMty '!light purchaae a portion or. it at the aeket. A •iaput.e

area• uong tbe Corinthians .ibout the prewie1;y of auoll beha•i0r1 iheuld we joµa a party in. a pagan t.e ~, aft.er e ~·~ific•f should we uy aeat.. tlaat had been ya n of an et.teri g? oa •• ai41• we • th"• vitk ee u, wit!l acruplesUa ut hew it \IUlUd appear; on tbe ether were tho•• who ac­ .. pt,ed thatreadoa j.n Ir abwt vhioh Paul pnaclMtcl~ T a7, •ad late ,.t May, we ahall ccmaicler the

t a wa tell, 11 tri•n•a te1M. ·I the~· age_tw tff87~th,re •1"4' l parta; let. u o 1'- er bea 1 o er 1 t l, n .l-l, aakee a !'iaoa '-•tweea k wl a 1-e, J,a the aelt- in stn.aae tNt .i ued. ~leal'q, Pau ia ttuotiag a 1 e fr~ a gro at· Co.r at.la, • sa:lAI- that. they h.M kmwledgeNfi ep.titled '11911 to a a perier p •aitio in 1ibe ~P.· Paul Ul'ged t)laa. to consi4er t liaitats· •£ lmowle ga •. -'• t.he Coriftthi a ae th• wrd, it • et •• the mailit7 •f lmw

hew l1t.tle we knew, a• ca . know; it. was the k1 et lcnov;l. that. produa.cl pri e and a elt-iapor­ • · we all hav• a mod;i ,r kaewled119, but it Jlll8t. be alanced ".Y a PtMtreue servi et ~·.

asn:irw ... create1 ilatllted age•, an atTeganee, and ,leal.euq• lnat. le•e ltuil s p. It w 1-gi w imow t1'1111h w an 1'ere.ft. • knowl. As Grk. pbileso}>her eaid, t. ltegi ning et doa i8 t.hl

arenes• 'that, we lack wi8doa. Se t.hese in that Ch, a d also in t e • ea w attend 1 v ti•, o cons er_ theJ1Sel•ea learne•, above t e n.e• fer a ch1ldl11te tai'th in a cl ot i....e, need te

lean just hw mull is •ur wrlA, am hew illt'illite th4t univerae around us. l:lr I saae awte•. who •isccwered t &ttrlia.ae fer the aov8119nt •f· t.)le odi.ea ~· ••lfr a7ata, uacribecl iaselt •• a sull _oy; a ••ashore, -1.clcing up ctlfl!"• ah•lla~ obli•i9UJ to 1ihl -vaetneaa to the ocean that 181' before im, and m7•ad ta~. Pal"t ~£i" a teatame t of faith,. a •"-d if y•u will• a con.feeaion t the faith ff one who li't'9d ip faith M ierlng. It ia a etatprt, a ut :the cont.ant. at knnl, le it ltegiu td.tb the an.ci•t l!ebrev Sheu, in Deut ,.,. .. ftear, o ,Ierael., the Lord eur &ed 1e OM Lortl. ftere i• 6-!I t.•t, 0 ••••• it tolva that. - ol Call ..... Gi•t•Jl•· Ob, the idol ntselt i• aat.r­ ~, wMd • swae er 11etal, but what it 1'Pre•ents as n ~tence. "'.s, there aq be ao-calle41 gode, •1111 a •rd•J two clas••• et "9~a g~a, a lords. GoGla to the Orta could not b • lords, caue 7 were net creat~rJ Lord is t.he, tit:le~ the Jlllr&O to whom • s la•• ltelenged, er t.bat

one 1lh has tbori.\7 oY r tbe.J)ere of anot er. V .6 it aft artiale ot fa th,. •• ear~ oned 1 tor u there 1a au Ood, the Fat.he!', troa whoa are all t inge_, a fer whom we e~iat, and ••• Lor• J Xr,, j;~ whoa •r• all t.hiqa~aad thra wha • exiat. Ood the fataer is net ;1i1s.t~ ea among ny; he ie C., or d Maker ot all tbinp. Jfa ia Jesu Mreq· •M lent aao_ng •RY w••• e etallfla al , aa •cU.at.r '8t.v•Jl Ged ~• F•*r, who is tbe ll,l.tiute eource ot creation., and I:r, tu Len, thN whom the creatiYe actiYi.$1' nappened. It ia clear that hpl. vie d to proclaill the. t t .... is n.t. pd, ieu_ 1• net pd.,Mitbra ia tlOt god, nor i.e on, •r .Pl4aaur-0, or an,.thiag t gets •tweea •:u .. soul.a atMi the liY Gad. le idol, •J' •DJ' aata- de • .ject, et wors)aip; hu any aeaning. · AnytbiDI ettared too a•h •" npt.y tbiag 1• net polluted, because there

- i• 110 realitf' to e aacritioe. AU wh• ••• · wl will know ttwt, and wiU see u auparet1t1on an;y ence giYen to Mat t t v•s art of a pagan practin. Part 3 et Paul' ••HY deal.a with our. Nha Y.l.er i t. presetace ot a ealr:ier broth.er • st.er, n •-1;. Proper 1_ tell.ect.ual lmowl is net enough, ti r we are •Jlb•r• ot a comunit7. We an tree, ut we an also 9owut b7' ev ligatieu ta th•. 'MdJ ot Ir. ~ ot the Cori thiana had been pea 1, and aad eaten at a pagaJ'l tea•t ,folvg a eacrifice, '1' had t•n s .. •f the ••t to cook and cona~ at home. !bq an the oaee who nee to ••• a• treng teatillony to the ena•nea and the heli eas et ~ctd .• Jood_t11s .- e£­ f'ect upo wr faith; eating er net eating teed will t C08' ua to G d, a117 •1"8 t.ban any oth­ er work •r act we do to appea1e, er to win favor frm God. fait.h alene. does that; faith in. th8 Gra ot ~ed who aeted, eren while we were yet sinners, t.o ofter us redemption. In!Ssel.t, food does not aalce a 1"-1.igion. We are no. better if we eat, and rao won' if we do not. In Xr we are •et tree_ fl"Oll the laws a d _1'l].es and. regulati 11 that t.be otficiou11 and th• 1-ature w uld tie u to. But Tolu.n &I'~ we submit to restraiats u n .v treed•, lHtcaun among )18 are wt1alcer agula who

- . look.. t.o s fe role....,del.s, for road-tnal)s. v .• 9 is the loty verse in the tAnsio between our .tree- in Xr, a "1" ndage in tbe -1U itT in whioh t era ls ro t~r a great v ariet.y of people.

t Tak• are lest !\he liiMtrty whidl is o re co11ea a stUllbling block to th' W!.tt~· There ia the prin ciple for u.a to take aeriousq, and U:t'e by. It is eaq tor us to a:! that~treedoa to live as

~ c ooae should not e rest.rictedtlbecause. other J1$0ple( are so. puritanical, or j\ldgJllental, or aay go and do jut. aa I dot I ha'H known people ~o whoa dan!=ipg ..,as oensidend an en.11 to be H'oided

· --even to walking l"hythmicall.J' on the sidewalk; I ff aee asked to sign a P dge that I would e- movies, d I have be n •• that the theatre iB ~e an;te haaber of 11. Wi i• a

mclalr, plaFi I cuds 11.ust be J>ll,t. away when . preacher C"'-• to Yiait; we llWSt. keep up appear- a cea. And it eva igelical vi.at.tors co• to i.own, and ask about ~ soul.II, they auat be sent ott to a distant pl •«round, a~ the lmowledga ~ and th• etroug. ot spirit w1 n t De botbe.r~d. Paul c cl.u.cied vi th what ie the heart of the im tter. V .13, if food is the cauae of teaptat to th wale w sh D1tver eat Mat, •• as not to cause a little to fall. YtJ. \>uildeth p; liberty ia bounded by eur l.ove fer o r fellow•. There is one God, the F ~ther*. fe whoa we exist.J tpere i• my neighbor, for whose welfare I am. obligated; vertical, and ltlOruontalJ that ia the way to

teep the faith 'brighly aliYe and Yibrant in a secularised W>l'ld.

. ~~~~v.f~c..\ df_ e-f~~ ... .,._? 4-J0-'5. Oaring•' It wu the AnglO-Amerlcan poet T;.S.lliot who.wrote, April ia the CNellest aonth, 9reedinglilies nt of. the dead land, aixing ,,.,.77 and desire, stirring dull ro•t• nth spr g rain. i'er aan.r er u., u vi.Ill t, April b a tiJle er naellberiag, ·•aet1-• bapPJ JUJ10r- ies, etima• sad. Thi• T••r April has .-ought. a d ra-beat of rellind•n in tu Pacilio ere was ~ fOth anniYersq ef a p.jer and. costJ.7 battle, in luro the lilleratie ef la81" dea'th• caaps. to reJUab r vitb. teara;Jl.n America there was the balt-ee tl117 after the paHing ot tile Jlap- 1" Warri•' rDI, a1 eader at.a tiae or tl despair ·•t•lhOM a ll!'Jtll a red battlefielia. To those • u W. •• r ov ei•U war{fthia mon •• ''is trr. •l'lt"\he l)ot anniY•l"S&!'J' ot tbtt aUl'l"tln er •f Cont erate troopa· in· Virginia, and. et he aaoasination et aidea\ Lincola in that thea-

tee in Wuhi cm. Thi• April al•o marad the Hoth 7ear after the eabattlAtd famen •tood • Lesiagt II"•• , M ide th rude ~p that arched th9 tl.eod, and tired the ahot heard rou ·the wOl'ld. B t. t ere was • e o her eYent iu what. the poet called t. cruellest mo th; it waa the Soth ann1Yeraar:r •r • ezacutioD ia a &•raa• •ri••D of theologtla• Dietri .. ftbeelt•r;·on April f. Bli> tfer wae a atheraa.,,paster alad p tes~r and poet. wti.U:.tuncl to b•• the -.. to tlw taecist giM wh1 k power in Genaft1' in' 'll • · Jle fi hla C8'ntr;y when it. Moue . ar. that he ceul.cl t ia c cienoe, • sa et7, di•• in t at· pla•• at t t t:ble. t.'h• decided ta "turn, •AT­ g . t u uld • mt t d t.e n part et post-war rebui di11g ot the terturecl landlJunl••• he •••

a. part et • pe paa' autterings. Be was arrest.el and rema!Jd•d to pr180ft, from iob he fteY•r •• cape • lut while there wrote an ••nt CNt· aignitica t inap1rat ienal writi~•, tdeaa and i•~ s vhi ba Y e 01118 cla si of I tai ~h 11 preaaure. · I Jug lf#M, j•t after tke taile att pt . J!itler's lit•, h w ete a le ter i which •poke et • '*•d who helpsru lt7 being push•cl • t ot tu w•JPld •• to a croae' who 1• wea . a pewerle•• ia tlle wnld, and_ it is preciae~ ed•s weakDIH• at be1's s. "l•:re i• t.he eeisi•• ditfer•ll•• IMtwen .l.t1' and all religiou,• ~nhoe.tf'•~ wrote; "the lible direct• aan to QeC!l • 'S poverleasnaaa and auf terinU •n1'1 t allffering God can Mi~" The I :tile, said, •ope DB up a •71111 of ueing &eel, wbo vin• I*?' a II sp • in the vor Ilia v• as. et_;. A in anet, r ltr he wrote a llltv.1; J •• -.ue•tio in 6ethee11Ane to. 'he sleep ing disciples,. could 7ou •t watch with • ·•• hov7 It i• tbt reversal et 'What the re ii peno,n exp8cta frOll Qo • Ins are called pon to stantl lil7 hd in bia r of &l"i•Yiag, ·ad hat. is wtsa'\ diatinguis • u tr• pagans. tlJlan is SU11110ned to share in· Clod •s surreringa at t.he hand of • 1od­ leaa w rld .• I is net t.he rellg aot t aii-•aa the Iu, ionhoetfer wroteJ it is participati in t e suffering o d in the secular life--in work:, andJ Plv,. when we are alone and w en we an in • 111' crowd, are aalc•d t.o · watsh, keep awake, sta7 beside eur IArd, aa be pra19, am as M aut- fel"I, tot' in wea esa o God there i.8 strength. beyend human unders anding, a d t. t ·.fol~ of God there is wisdOJI that learned MD & wc:nen can neYei' pl-11 to the deptha. Bonboeffer, 1n prison and t knowing whether each• dq would be~hia last,rwrote tnspirecl vtrds . .al:>ou.t participation the Mee ianic sutferi gs-·ot iOd·'tn J Ir •. ·a eilla u net to "ar • relig,· M said, u~·t.o lite,·& 11.te means e)a Ilg' in the sµfferinge ot Goel vao+aent·.his onl.T·beptten lo , to giYe hi• 11.t• aa a r oa 1' .any. The text ve have this moming pres1t}.lts us th• choice et l Yi.lag --.i.wrw • liYI o flew ry "9de of ,ease, as~the hymn.has it,~ the red. wo:cl where aufferiftg ia a ;part

~ of life, 2 C•r • T ill springlthe leason texts rare · lrmi the • lt.r• ssieurf: Paul wrote to th.Ch '~ i t . an.cie t. k uity e"t" ori t.h• I that MJ1be:rihip, mestJ.7 made 'clp • converted papa.a--as ~are tbe lllNt et us in the Ch today--there wen people w/~bl•s.t connee1ted·w1t the l1Tiag •t the

t it.hdfreterni tbe··ro-tine et the day. ftcnr·sb uld they lie Iil in a mecula:r world? thq aekedJ an the que tion 18 of e ntiauing co ce tor us! ··so ve read and at.ud7 what ~stions those '"9- li•Y eked, a 10lat answer• Paul prorided, to leam that t.he questiou J'ell&in c tant, am t reaponsea are cur t a heljtul. It • t WI up aeasage i one ••ntence, it wul• 'M, sutttcient. to yo - is 'Ule grace ·Of lod •. · It is a ~ that wa ought. ne 1ln' to ire t saying i For wh tDiut the prob • 'be':mJ"al, er social., el' ti.eelogical. we are all depeme ~ upon Go •s £org1ve­ nesa t t caes not tr a ou goodness ut frc!la Qod 's love an . care. Ill pr•Yious les a w ba'f'e dtl~ua d M general t.te.ri, such as how- tree are. w to l1•e ithout l'ule , • .h liga • ate we to l)eha ._ a as. t.. to aause a weaker perso to Ullblef what sh ul.d do .and Jsa1' wlae• we are t w llhip? at hope ._. we tor etern ttt ll'oda7_· the .. tes~ inn tes us t1t stand ill a pris• cell ln lerl11l a ae the meaning of · uf'teri111 as ~trioa I nheetfer knew it to be• .! Cor, tl- ~ T. fir ~ p ot thie ltr deals vita the prableu et Paul•s a thorit.7 toc,teae g p~! he

• 1preached,- .1 t as the lat COr l r disc MS matters o.f faith & lite 5. this OM ia a euit th& paetor and • flock, t achllr d the co gati n. ceue f this ltr w ~now mo al:K> t that ••rl.1'

· Ch than we ut any ·•the , tor c .n_.prtea ,afterward. :A.ppaTent~ ao•- people, ei t r in • Ch • Yi.a.it.rs. t ca ether cities, ca:lled· ift\0questio Paul's teachilt&l and threatened to cb.aq• th• nat of the- a tolic gospe • their o.W spiri ual w•lf'are 01!) def ended hi.a waobiag. I thi• passage he • ~ or the coatnt. that rt.be ho~ Spirt.t pro•ide.8· · e~en aa we suffer i it.be 'WO ld •

·" In t ese n. are<· \wo aul> ct r tor us. to c ns er. First. i8 greeting, 1-2. , Pa and T:iu 1' are as 1l ost.le1r, a Orie w rd meaning someone whe is sent o a mis ion, aet. of n eh i t. b7 the will God. It.. wu a ·direct response te · he teacher• ~ a tal•• de ndi.bg t the

. f'o1tnT V" .bG) fo {t{llf:SS xr.-event. · Paul had been guen the mission or preaching the geepel as it was re ~aled to the saints.~~ was a task he could·not zrefuse, even~though.it re41uired a complete rethinking or every­ thing he' thou~"".Jettled and true.· !!e knew he had· t.o &llSWti:t to unki d 'a deepest hunger, the sense of meaningles~'ilz> lire 1 the ·reeling t b ing vercome 'by to'l!ces t at are beyond our control. It was to hill a j ~ to·teach. the tr tbs of G<>Q as revealed in. thecauf'fering ae!"Yant who was Ood1e so~ Jlre d t. ch se that life; t was- pl"essed -upon ·im. It ne in the will & purpose ot God • The~ ltsr 'was to.be read· aloud to &be Ch at Oor :th, tor ·tt.,was~ tha Cb or ·Qod. It was not Paul •a creation

, ··or a human a11 ciation ter social or political purpose•• The address offers t a race, th ,u eri ' ted gitt .of. a J.onng. fatblr..Qodi and peace, which folws wbeti we know o nelvee acceptable to the God vho made us;. these gifts are from God the P'ather- and, the . rd J Ir. We need tb of these gifts every day w liYe, and both are freely ffered. Another part ef this is a p ayi ref than giYing for deliYerance from danger, and death, J-ll •. i (j§) ega not wlnatural 'bheo ogy, that we find God . 111·-- • world o-t nature; or w:i: h 1> ilosophy, r' at because we are tiu.nking creature• we are some w tree ot obl~ations to God • Instead, he began. w/lr, re••l.a t. ot li.Ying OOd, who made hiasel£ known not of'~ n:ighty worlas or pwr, but in waknese. o e who was like ours.el Ye to up e hie sh ulders the puni.Shment foweur sin and. guilt. :But note that the ley'WOrd ie c fort., Ir r it is Paul's argument that weaknaas·and auffering are c•bi11ed with power d tri • Te tiJMs 11l fiYe VY• aul used the word as Yerb or no n~·~ we use · same d to mean as oft. and cuddll\b8d orering ·'we· mq hear ·it· as somethitf.lg t:ti '1'tilt .Latin rd from which the J: lish co'iii/!if; fortis., -.a s 8 trong and robat,; b c ot that is. a w rct.·t t meant wh oould • dun much. Ve auch deri ati.Yes as rorti . ~ar.d 1111111 ·d n•t think t feathers encaiied in "elvet when we •se it. In_ n J _..and k we read that GSod ,is the Fa~her·· of me-re es, $ftd t od of AU com­ fort,, who calllforts ua J,'1 ALL eur, a.fflictiollf so t at ·• may. give contort to those who •• in A)IY a.f'flicti • We mi•a the point in tranalat, tor'ir.l the original the vord.:·u the same--AJ.l.. s w read it, once t w ord ANI i• used.. t • _.. •• whe Paul vrote it, t 11as a ho~ trinity t comfort. 'ome of you remember a tew we u ago we bad. a -text a out 1bip, fr l C r 1•, a d we noted the tri it:r ot worship, aga . 1•- word trans ted LL• repe ted J tilles. All are to par- ticipate in rsbip, ,9 that all aay·learn, and all be encouraged. He e w have the .t.ri ii.7 ot Old t, agai empbasind by the rd ·ALL. He 1B Qod of all comfort, who comforta_, us in~ atflicti , that w -·ma7 be a comfort to otba1"1n M!--the wordTe translated into any• but it is the eame rd tor all--affliction, w/com£ort w/which-we .oursel¥ea are comforted 7 Clod·. That com fort, tha.rt strengthefting, and encouragemt, and.power to :endure, is tor ALL ot , in Al.tL o_ trib-

< ulatione, ae wa can serve to apower othere in ALL their pain. As we k:ncnt rsel.fte."·te be, given st.rengttrby Ctod the tat.bl r, ee we share wti.b et.here t.be comfo.rt we have in God. It. i.8 o! the holiest of paJ'adozes .ft.hat ·in tn . ." ftT 1 hfW ··of ua ·who netcF.tha comfort. of God 1 s presence f r ur- i selY•a, ean .to •thirf tfitt· cOld'wt trMat,Ged u·to us ...... Coafei't ie re ha ·sJ'l'lpat~ to those

~who· grieve, er cons&lation to those· who hurt.J it inclu.dea tindura ca, and e ncOW"apJllt, end the God­ ~\l.)gi~en 1atnngth ti)u.et whatever life deals to us. V .S is fundamental, ter it ties toge· er • ar- ~!fl'icticms of lite-with the comfort·-that God provides. In suf'feril'll there is relietH pa1 a eom- ~fort are partners i the. new life. we sha11e 'together. Paul 1aaid i in neJot e yeryone •s f'a.vorite chapters, Roa J, in o e •f every ne •s faver:Lt.e 11ea.017 Yerses:· ve_~gl•J7"ill tribulations (autfering• knowiq tba t suffering producee endurance, endurance produces character,. and character produces hope. id you hear that! ,.gin.ning ... w/sutfe ag w end wd.t hope.i~ i•trieh ~nb fltfer, who died SO

~~s a this month, knaw that the decisive difference between It7 a.tad all relige(lwa• that for all ~Vt;~era, ple i 1 distress look to the pwr ot God in the world. T 1ble directs s w God's pwr­ ~seneu and suffering,, 1'or"oal.7 a suffering God can help. ror as we share a bundantq i Ir'• aut-

fer11'1g~,...JK.> thru Ir w share abundantly in comfort too •. As the sufferings ·ot God abou.M.., so also in l!!bt--t.ur eomf rt abound. Tb.oee who wnl.d felv J"JllUllt. take up a c ee, they: au.at deny .tbem- eelYe.., an ia so doing know the joy & peace that ala a • In O.d there is a ty •f sutf er- 1 w.it cm.tort, and •f testing w/.itri • '•r Paul it wait D t · st a 1 erest the J'7J. 'M

it. in his o life-.. The ether part ef the· passage aaltee that .el.ea • iegin v.l he epote et a rOV.ble tbat v s severe that dnpaired r lit• itself. We can t know what it was, and pea-

: si~.;gef.s us n whe.re It was something maJer-, ·so that be -was u_tterly, unbearably crushedJ Jie was · undel" aatnttlnce f'daath. l.t.a effect was that< ·it compelled hi.a to put h:l.a trwst rwt in hbl.seJ.,! but

· ' 1 God who raiaes dead. ·What. seem to us the end ot «erythiag, i• •Yidence t d vine purpose. rt is -a tl"\ltb we need to kn w, and li•e By'--whatever comes to UI, God is Mater ot .th l.ife •

1 death, ·a 'the proof ie in Ir•a nsurrectiOWl. In enr,arisi* P , -.nc1 we(/ca s d fastJand trua · , 1hether rescue cams r not•- To t ose 'believe in. the reaurreeti n ot. Ir, all thlaga ·~ .,_ aco.pta · , a aurmounta bl.e, a net aurt"iva bl.e~· for it pr.ovea that. a di•ine pri iple 1e t. ·Writ in • ttie· world aftd· in the world ot spirit.~ It gifts joy, and ala pe. God has delivered, and Qed wil aga1• deliv•r; fianger will come again.., and death a.nit• u. !ut n despair'# et hopeleasneas, not ail ingleasneH. cThe upon vb.om we have qt,·our hope.' will never- f. reake us, r a a us. Be­ lie• it, and lift t.t. Let lift up eur hearts, and !ace tril>ula an with faith & co age, fer-.

we live in God-given and God-supported freedom and assurance. Kay God bf thanked. cc.o(f.)1}11&- b //o fw\<JN-tt11 IOt. N'~:("l\1'\S <At--1 ~[;:. Crl.vf:<-:/orlivSf w·ttv l-0\E:- Gl>j) 11\NDftllf' (Atlt:D l'h) f~1<S<Pf·

5-?-9!). With the Secular. 'As we·:·haYe eeen in thes~ lessons about the probleu· or being C_h in a world committed to th.J prcrsent and th~ J;iaesibg,'the understanding or Ch has changed, and changed drastically, in the centuries since' P4ul wrote' about them. When Paul poke of the ch· of God, be meant visible bodies, groups, or ainful ·~n &: women defined siaply by t~e nalltes ot°the cities ~n which they lived. 1'here v~s dfs congregation, gathered in the ttonbip of t~ one who sent his only begotten Son, ~n .The~salonika or Philippi, in. alatia or in Corinth. Paui also meut the'• tem to apply o all of such people in thoee citiee, since it was the s.., Q 1 am the~ 8 Son, who called belieYers.ov.t ot their pagan enYiromata. It was God who assembled 61ea, so the wtire assemblies ot God. ?at was not a title/ not a epecitie congre_gat; it included all lio lie~ed, 11 1iho trusted in GOd, all o assembled to wonhip the Oed whose tncamate S n · g~ e ~ self a

ra11Soa ti l" ..an,.. In title Jiblical afJnse, hen, in sense in which aul used tbe term, there can be- no denomination, coapeting group et belie't'ers on o e side o~ the etreet61ta their ~· from thelr t et Ch goTt, l' tr-Ora the chronol gical orde~ of their t matiti in the t&wn. It may be, as sooiologi ta t rel~ion teaeh, that d•nOJli~ationallsw. as we knew it is the l~ioils a:epe ot secularisation; it 1• the form rel g that e a into being in response to r ·preference tor-• private relig expression, o centered upon' the indi•id al. • sueh, it cannot con t''thl political at.ate am the secular society witb a d.early·proclaimed. alt.ematiTe to the ruhs &t nd- U'ds that dominate that world out there. 'This taet has ineYitably p ced accommottation11 ~

_that WOrld that haYe blurr d, it not totally eradicated, the distinctions between the .l:U°e Of faith in a livi g GOd who became •nflin erde~ to reveal vho God 1.a. We hear uch·!italk~about ld relig plurali•, · about; ur need to · g t giveneea tor uurp~ng the sac d texts or· Ui' lili=dlillfi..

-nei~bore and tor bear·e, al:x>ut simply dropping out t eur vocabul.al'.'1 the language _ot Peter and aW:, that there ts salY'ation in u otner na• _ rider heaven giYen -- i1g mortal• b7- lllhie~· we ~t

be - nut. So preaued ter in J erusai.a. ·And Paul wrote to the saints in Philippi that Q - big 7 exalted .le•u• and gaYe hiJll the naM that is a lD 18 ever.f ·raae; that _at • nae' ~ Jes every knee sho ld biW, in heaven and on earth and under th · earth, ind e 'rf-tongue should c' ~esa) that J Ir is Lord, to the glory et d the Fat.her. '-Or d - hims~t 'tiold'ly p cliiaed, I a t waylz the truth, . the lite; no M' CO II to thf F th.er, but Dy lle1 If you had k wn 118, 7 U . uld haYe known rq Father also.• In our secularisedraM denominationalised societ7·it·ts J'egarded ae impolite to utter suoh·words, .._.arrogant to-p claia s ch a faith. We no longer liear theolegia Richard Miebuhr•a pt that encminationali• repreae ta e moral· failure of t.y, I . r e faith that Ir 1• th~ final, and eomplete, re el.at et-Ood to ho killd, but net the orily · 'W the myste1'7 who is od.. It is the In ta ; h wever odem, una~ierrtiti , er due _ted •• it J1a7 eo , that ttftli-G i tu sacrifice of Ir on the cro e can fm us fr<lll our si•, and can mn the tre d~ to et- od e God wh is i centr 1, and is absolute'·le¥e. ~ absoi:ute ~sti e; It must not be a ~oast, tor·wbat God ~s done is if 's w rk. and net oursJ ~llllJet be.• co - ~as~n"' both as ittatemt t f•it~ ~nd ae repentance et eur s~ ot our'lac~ of faith, i the ~· 'briath. ltichard-lfiebuhr put it'welli: the line bet en Ch ad rld .rune t_br~ every soul,ni t. bet.wen souls. flow you' and I deal with t.hat 1i , demare tion determilies oiUy • rm. th, -. al.s our 11.Ying or ~hat- tai th. The text. we haY4' t ay asks us t;.o think serious~ bout the vv 1'8 un­ derstand our faith ~d cclllllit.iat, and the wrld' in lillic 1jl8 liYe it in lit' tblea l Cor '·, ''Todq W enter the final mo th of a J-mppth study t P~u1 •a ltra to the Ins ·at Co~inth, ~rt of a unit . llild8teriftc as a-<l eommnityl6audrwitb tlselDrld which is "8YOnd the val.l~ and th_e telwshp t that

r cOll!lllunity. Last wk the sub4'•c1! was the ways in llbicb we can ·be comtorters· and helpere to an- other; today w consider w - are in relatehp to • eaeh. other am t '\Ohos•- who 11•• across the street, or ac •• the ttnm, in the world, and· t)l.• \Ud•eree·itself. r 9-:l·fa 1, .. '· a&)" raeab.er that two wss ago we read from 1 Cor t, a ~d that it va~ thi b!giiinliig of in .4'1xte ed. discourse abo•t l.n treed , a• eccasioned by uncertainties ri t)li Co~inthian·, about the eat ~t meat offer d to idols. That diacnssion, ve·neted then, l"lUia thru·l,J,l(?, and to l • T •r's text, then, is a continuation t What we read earlier.· Tliuvqueetioil at why _ the th ga that we do! I that, you may remellber the ld lt.OJ7 a ut the woman wh was showing her dattglititr the way ~ cook: a hall· r~st, 1be said1 you ·cut otr a ffnl inches at the , like th1 • 11 r daug ter 1tJ d ~' I . •t· ICnow, the ao _!'replied; that's the-w_·.y I•Ye alwqa do :t, an• I learn.e it troa .,. mother. · Wo eri cut Why, she c~d ~r0~ •th•r, who id k ew ither. It ia jl1St the ._,._to cook a i1 •, she exjJlained. Pi.naU,. . he got to her grana...Other, to ·~ why . muat c;v.t ott a t•w inches before ;You eook a;h ·• ~- explained, _•n:•, leg ago, I had a lllCh smaU.r •n, and a ~ler pan 1 ~ti1'it, ari I l\ad 'to cut •ft a p et the to get i int. th• P,.n. My pot was tOo saall.11 It ia a tunn,· *'-er.r1 but also a 1u•i• 01111. w repeat th• act ns because we inherited ·th•, without ianderetandiug 11hat they a 1 r e there rea 11, md methed; 1n what'• dot 'l'hi• passage tolws the words Ch I about gi• g. µp. som et ~ reed~m 1f what we do causes a weak brother 1- si1ter to stab». Paul said tbat.'lbe would t •tt:upon

-hie libert,. in x~J~e interests or building ,up the comunitf .of faith~l~t e wrote l'lere. 1• an aside, an illv.etration of his own willingne•a 'to giYe up his freedom le the ~nit7 W:ell'are. . . .

9u · Then, in an inspired Jparentbeaia, he reainded his readers. ot hie right~ I u also tree, .he eaid; I Ul also an apostle. I have,alao aeen the rieen l.qrd.J.Dd 70u, the meabera ot the a. in Corinth, are 111 rlananshit, tor J'.GU are the seal, the proof, ef hi• call to be an apostle. It hia call wre fict.itiou.a, er unteunded, he would haft won no conYerta. It waa net a delusion that he had ••en;

·it wa n t a;v.thical or iaagin1d. It wa the.IiJau of his_,., -. Mco• by the pvr •f wod the l.orc1 · o! •temit,-,. '?bi• wae Paul •s d tense t a117one vh• would question hiS rig t to preach and to teac S e might consider hut jaot, to be a aillister,_ because he WOl'Dd far hU liYiwg, 8ld W&S in DO ne' budget.. It was his choice, hJ saids e had a right '\o food It drink, eYen to wife and fai~, •• wita the ether.a st.lea and rot,bera ot.t i d. ut., lv.utari be gaYe up those right.a. Sol­ dier are id, workers in the Y.l.neyard eat of the fruit, shepherds of the tJ: ck drink of t.he llilk. It as hia icht as an apostle, but he vai•ed it, gaYe it u , t r he voultl endure anything//rath er tha t an. o tacle in the WJ'·•t the gospel of Ir, Y.12. Ke would rather die t. n depriYe hiu~t ot his ri~t to boa1t in tbe l..o • He oould do no et.bar than p ach the,g d nrtr• of God in Ir.. would preach ~t glad tidi 1 tre of dlarge, v.18. Kia·~ P•J' was in doing it v/o

• Then,. -gi nilag w/Y.l,, he conel ••his aeiJie renarka abo t giri.ng u the treedom t i is OUJ"8 i I.rH.t r the good t th• communiv. Here he wrote wor a ot e uri signUican •· 19 ia f • trom all reat.raintl and trea all Mn, but he has made h~selt a slave to· all, that he llight in the mor.. ftere the wrd will ill a technical term for deciaions reached in aiasiona17 p-eacbing. It is net the b n c• l(Uest Gt e preacher; ·it ia t.be Yictor:r et Vi Rol.7 Spirit Y•» tbe atu\>- ru spP-it or h11J118D rebellion against God • Xn freedom 11eana a new bondage t.o the n eds of aoula

a a irita. And •• hew Paui villincl.7 enslaYed billaelf, ·hew he gave u bia tnedoa to e u he pleued, because he had a hi . r lliuio , cd a calling. lie waa hillll!elt. liberated troa sYery thine tbat would i hia-aupei-1titien, falae theolea, the belie! t~t he c ld 1'r obeyiac t.he rule• wi• God' t1ffa wr, ait bec.~uae mt eY'e17 oDe Md bis maturit7 ot faitb', • wo1,1JA pat the chdM back up • d7, •• tbat he Wftld n.t oft nd those he waa called w win. T the Jna be· cue a J. , 1' mer to vi.ti J.,,.1 t t. e der the law, who believed tbat they a t obe7 the word• ot

' dlllta, ~ becae aa •t tha--alt.hougb., Y .20, be knew ,that the law had been tultille4 in t.he death It r,surrection •f J .. 'l'e these CNtaide the law, bl became like th•·-and he ado t tine diati•cti D, Y.111 •t bei v/o the lavtoward Qod but. under the lavot I.r, that he ai,pt win ao• ~o did ot. kil•p the eat ~'' er the coYen&\lt iD the flesh. To the wak becam weak, ·to the etrGD& • 1becae atronc, to th• rul.e-k:e pen he became a rule-aeper. ft• .,...d it p, v.12, I ha•• lleco• all -tbinp to ~ •n, that I llig t "1 all m ana sa't'e: aoae. Rote that here he use the tr nger Y~. $Tl. Ia tbe •tb•r e.xamplea, "20,111 a, he said, that h'! mg~ WU the more; here

1 '-• eaid,1~t. hie :VJCNSe ill ~t.iag thewr1• vher• it vaa, waa. t.ba°' he Jdglat. 111' all. ••• SAVI ~--· le did it all fe-i- the. sake •fr-th• goepel,/tbat ~ aight •haN :lrn it.a bleaainga.. In these •~mte .. ~ th re an ~D.J mat.tars tor u• 1;o t.e, and to think a ut. Upeermos't in Paul •s teao ing is bi willinguesa to do,an;rtbi~ tor g pel ex ept. dilute it, r c se it, or ebango its nat • 1n tbe hope of vinningEproval t•r it. As I confront a rel 11' pluralistie world we mq 'M teJiaPt,ed to redUine to •ke itme alatabla t,o those of ethtr traditions.I the•e rds . Paul 11akes no. such e. + owh rt does he say that Mong the idolaters he will worship an idol, er~ the atbeista ·he w:µ.l deft1' the_:reaJ.1it.7 et God, or am· the adulteren be will wi."4 gu8to practie polygallJ'. lo,; wbclt he s•1• is th~t he will _ all t.bing• ~ all ple, with in tlae boundaries or hi& r &c 1;heolflgieal c~i.t , and •t te be ball-tell w-well t -all peo le am t all .., ideas t God • nd he will be all thing in order to Wilf, and SA V!, s - •t them. An ther thiag t. rwte in. the elOl"da, nd to think amut, 1• that e d~. all fer the sake ot t pe l,. th• aig)at share in it blessings. It is~ phras ·.tull of •aning for us. 'lbe

0 • .aniag i.e ~bat-·in order t•r us to ahan 1n the bl1!u!11ift&a t.hat the gosp('l o ns to us, wemuat ~~ it witll the rs., It ·1~ not ao•tbing that w can l(eep to ~urselves .nd preserYe in its full­

, ness. Wbe I wa halt our age it was an often-repeated l!lteX"J':to d scribe the liYi et the In tait · · coapari it~ io th• '\.wo lalces that rder upon t.he d o! Israel. One is t.he sparkling

. lean sea ,r Galilee, the other the heaY,f and liteiess waters of· the Dead ha. The ditterenae be­ iwe n th9 11 that ne et t.~, the S•a of Galilee, receiYe vater froa the melting anows .and t,blt

... raintali upon t. near 1:tr untai 1 • · and then P•s~s that waf.er al.en ~t.; t. Jordan R1Yer. Jut the De d _ a raceiyes water, but is so ln that _ ne of it cau tt capo.. I tJM1 dry heat ot the

ertt th water v•poratea, leaving its lliaerala in high concentration. It ia therefore aalt7 o hat it 11 call,4td Dead. Y u d I li that.

0Aa 1'8 have t 'nte, and abilities, and in-

. sif tJ, a as we useth• tr t s~ke of the~s 1, SQ ve,,a . vibraat. and helptulJ- tit We ,take, andtaq, a~d take, and do n•t gi••t then ttie en.tire •spect of lite changes. To ~bare in ~ ~ I! il;'la t t.h• spel w J1USt share it vi.th those 'tlho need it. We can all things to all peopl,e (?~7 with~th t lliseion, and tor t.Aat purpose. Te take ava7 a si~l• ot, or ti~ti., ot ~ g ~ et God in ir, to win a eonYert to an incoaplete t ith, 11 to den;r j.ts bleaai s to ~as wll. So let us rejoiee in our liberties, and freel.7 li•e tho• up when 118.~c•n help a waker ~!"Other o.r aiater, and s•rve their needs in a world that cries out tor aeaning and plD' se in life \ that only the preirence ot God can provide. forever .tree, f'orever bound.

~IJ stLvE:(

: ,, o' o , ni: , " ) l

- -~tor show, ·.:te eaeyi to :seeJand. may·take precedenne G'f'er the inner being. v..l) suggests that Paul •a c J critin ctound fault because he d;id not spealc while in an ecstati.c swoon. · So he told them., when

he ·was btfside hills1f, .-when -he jwas out of his right llind, it 'W&l!I fol! .God; when spoke rationa~ Jalid.chilar11'p sobeJ", it.twas because the truth ot.iod•s reTelat needs no ·dramatic stage .. settings. It ·happened 111 h:l.8-torical time,, in a tlJ'ogr&phical place, .Ong peoJJl• 'Who wit ssed wha't no qtbar reye

( . 11 d seen" and o rties'ti.fied to ·1.ts truth. With Y.U. we came, to·one of the Mlgb spot in NT thlrology. 1!&re -U ·truth,' in cla.ar and ·unmistake.a e Language,- to tell ·that the ·torg1Yeness that God otters

. ;t siatul h\1IU ity is a git't of grace, ne we can near earn, or d serYe. WI owe our salva ion en-

. tirely arJd.. e ip te17· to :the l Ye f God. In other places, aa in 3, PaW. apoke Q.f t .legal ac- a ittal; as .i.n a eouri. 0£.cl.av,, of guilt,. people whose punishat·haa beeiBJ.'ti aaid·e. re he gc>es even

r .tul'tbtfr t.tJat\ jle ustif1cation; her.e he t\8 d that ·wha.t Clod in h1a iiifitlite .l.wft has giwnffis a new <a r 'fita1: personal' lat8hp with tha ; aµ?irit who made ua, an ·inn change that makes W!t -new <pe ple. I.t atty · is n I'; there ia a l!Jcreati n, haw t.a, Y.if',.· ifecause ~ died t r all, ·tlt$re!ore · n G •s ·' ig'ht ,we v .all i:li.ed to Jthe old creature. llo ·longer do ·wtr: live ti r ourselYes, ·a\\d Jllthle our liYes by tlW atandarda hemr ; xe live ~ r hi.a wh for ur sake 1ed and

- -' w raised .... J te agaia, 1n v Jik,1$, the tbree•tillles :repeated. word A.LL. . You ember that w saw tc. ·'1t.i in ·iii>;, in 1 Cor~., llbe ALL 11 peu1 and AI:.L l.earn, am ALL are ·encoui:aged J we also saw. it

in· the c ort t ·t· is ·ours when w su.ffe in rtaith, 2 Co l; the God or all onfort, 1 4LL our •vafflicti s, giYw us •]Nr to c or ALL others. ·H re, C-CIWlt the ALLs; the 1 e of Ir constra~n- ·~Ki, ue, r cnt: ls u , ' ause .bey any d ubt··ve 'are .convinced .'that ne died for Alt., tbere- .ifc> A.Lt. have d, and di.ad ro ALL, bat thos whO liYe becaae cbaftg ople •• 'the p urpo• <5r-J.tiis eath·w ·not:'jut to ·save .A.LL trom·sin and ,putgnt,,cm~ ev n re than that;. h&.t.·• De- e<>ine ehl. rt.s ,f God. Th •ntral.. id . iei- .that Jr 'a death wu ti r ot'.h.eUJ· it is ·open to those or 'all ·nat o , all rac s., ·liJ.l social or ec.on c classes, all.·people tn all time. It becomes et- tec :.t.•e Oh· Ui f 1th.· Wba we trust. ·premises and tlile g s of God ve become something

-.tJU'fennt; ·we die to the· old lit• and we w: le in riewne s of me. We bsc me mat w ware created - t:o , b ecauee or· r e hne an &l'll'O ·an e, v i i11ten pon doing things !• euraelveB we a:te something 4i1s&. We 'h&Ye vandali d.'the garden . t 0od 'that vas to our pe$ t bGme, w

I en ea 11the P• c• th.a ··wa haw been ·~I~ ~~M .in 11b.i lil ' 8 we Vere expelled li"cn it. ''ftle Ge sis stoJT is .a ut all r·rus, and the :Bible 'Storyria the record ot God •s e.tfart ·to

·get '1is back :into "the gaTden, kck:~n faith and t ruat in God'• prorl.d8nce. ()l.r salvation waa lest and saved (ift ~ @Jlrd n; f1'0ll Bden to G-eth ane)..:the dut nee in t1- s great, ut. in space it ie just d01m Ute street. Lubs and lions do mt lie down together ift. the l11Drld thait sin •de; the poet.ry Wfl th•· pr· beta tolls us how fa? from~ we baVe strayed. WiuJle eBs, delight, peiace•-

1 'theee 'are words we 8q ..:n t~deep h> , ter th87 describe ·what we were meant to be. Wherefore, Mncef'wt:h, v.'lJ , we ; m uclge people trCli a human pot.it of view; not. by external •J)pearan e;

·'instead we su thell f'rlaa God•s paint. ot rt • As applied t-o rr, it. 1188NS to thintc of •111MGPle as $1nrwtri t. whom Ir .di! • They-41n "·1aport t 'f , and· t be so to ue. Thia ia ttlt new

· creation 'th·a · f'aitb otters; t.be lang e deliber te]i relli • •~ the Genesia ato17, and the g ar n, ~m ·tb tall, Ir ent that l\l'ercomea a.at es, a makes us sOlllllthing new.

~& · 1...-. ot G (llrgea t.o accept, a d t t t, · and to kDo1f 11b0la ss and peace. I tb.ia is the · ne ss of. the • YJ.tl.8, all this is r rca Goo, who thru Xr reccmciled us t.o himself, he broke d · the d1Y1.di walls b t-.n us, walls that he strong human inp constructed, ao ve woul

-manage our wor ti r l'sel • It; c t God t beat tha~ he· ha to serid, t it rescue 'li8 trom our in a c .uaat. :It the great.est gi:tt. the human rade was ever offered, d all !it aa a of us ts t1 •• ac pt t.f.t., , 1 grat ude .and th ka iring, and th new:1i eaa is ours. . t Oed' a ntrn gitt., P 1-~ , al fll7S poi :ted ~ a . .Usion, a jab to o. v.1, ia r JITfs kq nrua. Wb)" did QOd.:.bec haaaT. people· ha-ie asm t.hru tbe •1••, •st. .clearly i• a ok by Anselm .ef Can t•i'bur7 in 11th Ce'n--cur de a hoaot, or..:.A.ugustt of Hippo in 5 C•.- Here we read the answer tba P ga t God vaa i h nco cili g the w ld' to iuelt, not c ntiag their trespasses againwt t •· ·'l'be.ti-analat is.net as'clear u it.sh uld be. Thesub~ec.t is God; let us read it God, 'in Xr, was· reoonoil.1 thew .orl•·. o · , lt J r Ji&Jlles Moffatt, in Xr God recOl\Ciled :the world• W aut kee God at. the center, CJod' at ; jactilll in 'the. llJ it is • d la t ab t wat God did. Knd w· ft~od ac:ted. Ir, to ke all 1binge niw, he ·then entrua~d -lo u i1sg· reconciliation, •t peace-ma g etwn our11elvee and G«J; we .are ambassadors ·'fit Ir, Qod aalting his appeal ru u, ,v.f-0. Thi1 'i past 'in God's work. Isn't 'it :remarkab ';tan.Oed, mo ia all·pwr l, a c . d u· tturt ·1 eded, attn it.es .• to. .- ·a ?art of wo1'kt hlbns dora to ti reign· .l&d• ·to sent t a· ca•e •t t.hei own c u ry. The illage i.a ·t a c lo117 er beaY• on rth, ae · inc a­ b ssadore to·t· iod:tai wol'ldj t resent.God's ease to peop~ wtie do 11et lcnow 1t ••• repre entatif

·;or 1 11o•er.ign N!ler, acting, ii be plin• efc:Z:r. [ .OUr mac- is, we eeeech you, w pra;y 70V, ia Ir•a . stead; be ·reco 1.led.to Ood;.God aaq~ hia to be sin Who knew sin, eo that in 1a all old na ...

·twe 1e Oba 1ilit. 11ollething new,\\ao that in bia w Jdgllt lte made the righteousness of God•a.. ldm B7' G 's will; Ir t" CXllfll:ete~ be:came hua , ad I sinful~ t he . c ld ercome our ·SH\ eYen u we contin118L~n our s!n, s,o, that God accepts our ~s wh~laness and rightiSJusnese.

' 0) 4 1~ V\".A:J'-'l~• ~IM «~~-

~ 5-21-9). Offerings". In orui or his books; published ad::>tlen years o, :popular noveliatf Jann D. M.:foDonal.d wrote a 'e autionart' tal'e ·of what Jlligbt happen ill one ot those gigantic elect1tomic: relig­ iOus --operationli that ·were strikingly evident at the-·t:tme. ·It told f a dramatic and impres&iYe

. preacher who onee a welc broadcast· on the SJU.11 screens -a~o1ls the lam a Worship serYice ·that was little more t._han an ilitGmercial--a ·word-I hear latei,-, without tully unders nding its meming•- a commercial·· for ·s ministry and its need r r funds. · ccesst was · t t th9'r8 lias i his office ilding -100-yard bank t computers j' busy aro th 'dlock: listing contributora and JQk- ing deposits r gifts, and a team ·r women on :too l.er•skates keeping wa'tcm on those mathematl\eal machiftesjto see that they were ~operly tended d : \irished. · Receipt were e e s. , ThMmiDis

·' tryconstructed an enCl!'lllo worship center, with s'tained glass. am .sp&tie for a large professio'nal choir and ausicians to peiefonn, ith an:lsOllle we and olored.'earpets in-t.be aisles. Sur""1Jlding ·the sanctuary were lobbies 11here potited plants welcomed worshippers, a recept sta took :the names or visitors, and invited them ·to p rchase books and record Jliessages ... T.here n1knearby ·• re·sort village to which contributors t rge ot.feringa wet-e vitedi; to llYe in t otel, .xer cise in the gymn and to pla;r on the ·ti lets &l'id the • lac evening that welt •a congreg ion wt tnes,_d ad ynamic s rviee of. so and sel'RlOn. ·MacDo ald d w an r gly picture of ea etUied- greed ,<t.,mutual~y exclusiY m~d~) ~a_gge'rated and ~ist rted ~or the purposes or fiction, bu.t- corrobo

·rated a tew years after(the-novel•s Pllblication by th arr.est. &··conriction f r.& ud'and sa ropr ., ~tion of fu. .sftot a ~ ?ersonality t exactly-· tit ~ iJlagined pattern. In the climax to IV'~ stor;r th re is a scene in ~i.P~\f wealthy rsonallty t.allt d to ~ sil'llple pars wh was of­

f'ered a position on the staft~A'Ht' man should be flattere to bergf.wn·a c han e :to Y)l"each all· th• ' people with the Word of G d~ Ride all 'o er the world in those p:rett7. airplanes. -stay i the best p~ces. , Own 50 suits of clothes and 25 pair·of sh •. Get ont !i'rst.inames wi the eayt hit- ters. SeJ18'tors ~d Amb ,.s~dora ·and all such. Bu~ land, buil et.ut.t. . "ee!" '!But,- tm p~s '

went on, I got 'into this ·line of wol"k to tote souls to •Je• l ·I1Jt te the :my own personal seU v/o mill.ion-dollar satellitJes 1and lid.l:lion-dollar ail"p lanes ~1ano1,goo ipounds. of compQter fo:\11•.i _·What this iihole placed ees is.'separate' 'you from your people; amf 'th&t'Siparates· you from God and Jesus Christ•" _People are confused:, the parson said; they know they need thing tbat'gives l:lfe.-mean- ing, and leap at evfirY, and here I u te again: every-freak: relig It dication &t diet. that comes down the pike j)ramising themrieveeythtng:tt · I am aoprivate person vhofbelongs to the LordcGai; "he said·; Iccannot do ..,. wor~.;:d.n 'the b1g· §to-re wind w onjKain street at High Noon." Anctfas he"tallred, and after he had_.lett, the high-powered evangelist's sis\er began to cey • ..:He asked her wbf she wept; just gd aifay; ·she ·said; ust-go"'away •. ' What;rmlghteha e ~ n was·.swall we up in human,cussed­ ness and greed and ambition. 'It is a1temp tt,.totaU ot us; ·,to mild ·with the beat of .intention• 'somethi tor t.he welfare'. of humanity, and then sea it perverted into the most· ancient··•f ... si • We +iYe with Q8 f t in the' present world, tor it is all the wor d that • have-while W8·' b:e .. Its allurements are strong andr att~active 1 · and diffic t. to· resist. But wdess·we do~. we ar no 41.f­ rerent 0rram. all th se other am.bi tioua chatacters ho drive big cars and ll.Ye in pal oea and. eClllll8nd

· large tc>rtunes and large armies' Ilihabiti g the wrld where success is measured .i~ square tootage and· a multifude of things, we' are called to deny ourselves, and liYe with our eyes- .fixed on the goal tor the." prise of ·the- upward· callc r.11)~ .Xr J.. It is not easy; and to many .of U{I-, 1in every generation, unnecessary f and a b~~ foelish · otta1 the text is about iving, alid generoeit\f • and what we put first in our order f· preferen , 2rCtJr 9. ·:: After<t oday only one more lesson remains

. :in 1uyring term seH.es b*sed upon the NT ltrs tC> the ·Corinthians. Beginning in Jun•, and continu­ ,_ ing ~hrough the sunmer, the scripture texts continue thb historical rec rd f h• Kgda;~f Is1'8el that-,re·b9gal'i in the.ta'll a year ago, about what happens to· a,,nation that 1 ;·chOse\'loof~Uodi 1but

0de~idea to go its own way to its own· future .r 1But tor· now we .have a' lesso about the material· things that exist aroutd U1J, and threaten- t 6isplac~ 1fi our-1 ner beings the· e·temaa." God o '.Jhade us tol- him.self.' It is about·money, Whose is."it? an'5 ho¥ shall we e it? 2 Cer 9.il-lS. Honay is al\.rays an mpb%-tant ii!sue , in the comm it Us t faith. Contributi , o llection11, ofl'eringe,, we

' call ~hem, and n.i·many churches it- is a corust'aht' embarraeSm.t to m ntio <;;J COngregat.s set ambit.ious goals-' for themifelves·; they make budgets that ca l ~ large EIXJ).emit res11tor heat Ir light, and let- terhe~d sta~ionery, and 'Comp1.'lcated ctllft.p\lter's tG-: p cords, and the ,of'ten diseoftr·Shat. ~he same.members who •oted to approve the year s spendi s- i-e.t\lse 't contribute the neceMaryt1money. Defici s are as com:mb · 1.n t e· local congregat as 'they are n the political & ed>nordc insltituta around us, and co6sumer cre~crease's as O~lEf o~(I th~ props for .. . fi'U.bh enterpm-d.lSe'e I l)J.riftg the dl pledge campaigns in the Chst/some pew-s-1.t'ters-r are' sure to1 oilJ)lain' t'hat: the prea r talks too much about money· and' n t about t.he Bible' I.t ts:· a contradicti n, 1 cour ; it re•ea · Yast ignorance about the Bible, which has ch to ·PY' bout teri l wealth. D 'DOt store up treasures on earth, where moth' It rus cort"Upt·j nd•thievee reak i Jand te·al; Jes said. Ile t.old a story about a- 'tarmer whose crop was so b~unttiful 'that he· to d wn his barne1. to' build greater, ·to bOld the harvest tor himself; th u tool, said of hu;· this n:tght ,-.our soul i.S demand.ed t y · and fill the 'things· tha_t. y-u h e j)repared, who · will · ey ? . Je pr.aind the poor w.idow wh01put • • 0 • 'I • ')

. Thi\\,S ~ be.. vI&4..., ~r le. 1o bt. 4fi./~- .an dafiniit&si.mal sum in\o ,'tthe collection; but i~ was ~he greatest gi:f~11 for .it was all ~hat she !Tossessed. And in his t.eachings ,j;he-.rLo,rd 1 demal)ded · ~ ·C a~egorical choice .en our part.;; you cannot serve .God and Mammon, the a~c~nt ~ord .fQ~ riches, meaJ).ing the~~th or ~is world .aa an alterna-

1tive lifesty e , ;.In his pense_ Qf:-prtoritie-s, wber~ _our trea.sqre is, there also will Q6 our. · hearts, GUr.l)rimary allegiance~ rWeiUth, matter, Jl')One,-, Jl)hysical entitie~ W&•QSQn(?-t Uve nthol,lt, ~ ampl

,treated in Bibl teachings.- I this pre~enttext thersubjeqt is a colle(?'t~on * ~inth and in other - :of Paul •·s gentile chlll"Chee to rel.d.ttv~ the hunger, and depti ati~' f th ir fellow 1~n~ i the first dh'lJr''ch. t J eruaalem •. c Note tha.t the sentence •~ut ~e offeripg follows ilqmediatel:y' 11<;-ter a ~sage

-~rabout the .preaching or the geepel; .in aneitlllt wri.ti.nga there were no periods, or conn.as, o,r para­ .igraph indentats.-' NowJ ord'or, it- is superfluous tor Paul te> write a bout. the collection, the minis- ~ ·t.o the aaint11-re·uov believers who were mostly converted Jews. The s~bje¢ of money was part.()£ thll 'tieaehi abo the9)spel; there was no break in the thought f~m t word of eternity to the appeal f r contri butio s. · r Note also ·that the · nly a1 l method ot ma etµig the ·needs of the .-po , .and <hungry, , artd the· - siclc, was by tithes and· offerj.ngs; we h~ve. ,dosens of .tund-raisings, from •1*rti sale·s -and:ba e sales Ito ames of chance, and l ttel!ies. I ~ve no doubt thsti they perfoim a meritol"ious ser.vice, ·but I also have no doubtt''th1tt they are unBibl, and pr vide evidence that we bel:n,vers do not give as we should; ·but daum something Yi.able i return, .Paul had boasted to members of other Cha,. to the north, in Macedonia,. about- the liberality of the Corinthi91 cb,u,rch.

, H• ·nted the gitt to go tr former ge'\'ltiles -to foriper J •vs as.-~ symbol of that. \:broken t;lividing · wal~_ ~ween ~.,, and Grk:J and also as a way the C rinthians couJ.d make visible ·their ·conyersion · by ~oly Spirit• It-,would ;be ·a concrete ~ontrib to needy aQd :\llp"ting people, ,and ·at the same ti.Ile it would be.a tie that bound all .believers into a.holy and cart ,unity., So he implored thmn

· tO give gen.erousl;r, s his toasting about .t em would ~n t 1::8 in vain .. ?:'hen, at v .6, he taught them thlr m;yster;y Qt~Xn giving, a lesso JW'e all need·to }}ear, and to think about. The.point is 'l!hia, be began; but this I t!Jl!J,;y, in,IJV;.·tbose ~'Who give, muoh wlll-ireoejve m ~hJ. tb,ose whe: glve,litt~e will get little:,"and lose much.~Be WJe<L·the tdtyar(:l.gardenel''e-.la~ge;: if,~ plant few seeds·you get dittle ,, but to rgi•ve sbounti.Ml.7 to the. Wl1l' ld oi nee,d will yi,eld ~a t~s ov.er. It is not eas7

n,· ·for lis to learn that~·lesson. Charity begi,ns a.t hOID$; we hear; if we give recklessq we -.Y ourselv ·hungry. We must be prudent io. tbe$~ things. ]iut Paul knew so•t.hing we. do not believe, and,

''Will•not1rust; .that God will1prosper those.who aregenef()"ll·and irovic;te t~~ mec11s f~ them to help others. Their rewal"de will be rich in spirit, and it t~10rd e tru~i ~lao in bread and maybe a little dab of something to put upon it. V. 7, 1ea9h of us must make up our Oll'l •inde, as we pur.pose 'in Our'hearts, t<L g~Ye., notgrud-g~l;r, r.Or of JM!C•Ssi~y .. ~der comp-y.lsi~n--for God loveth 8 Cheer­ .tu]: giver. Those six WOl'ds ,a:Nr alftOng t.he fir t(memoJ'l'nV"rses we le{U"t}ed in the prillary dept, and tl'Wj reaaiu ,among the basic. t•xts of the ln faith. Those who will no1ftilie e inlc.,it .,asy, turne

,+ •'PSicie d.ovll} we· shoUild be 11Dre ,cheerful if :NB kept· what. we ~ve f oi'OUr own( enjoyJqt. But tl)at is not r th& wq God works, as this and other texts make clear, Th', Grk w:rd transl a cheerful is hila rioa, .trom · ich we gn' our ward h1Ja rious, .. eaning gleeful, mer?'1', llirthful; it ~ do Qet gi.Ye ii.th a laugh,, ·we miss tbe.:-point or giving._ It we gi~t sadly, nqtt ~eally wanting to,do. it, but un­ der compul:Sion, or perhaps ao we will look good to the neighborhood; even_ it we give away all that

- ve havt,' even give( our bo4iea to bebrned,.but hl,ve not love, it profiteth us not.bi~. Gi,-ing must now from an attitude 1toward God, @d toward our neighbor. It ~gins with the understanding that

' all possessionsobelong to God, not us. in -whose, name the titl~ i,.s registered;; the cattle upon a .thousand hilils are hi.S. We are. t~mporaey useJ"s ot it, we are stewards in God's nuie, and accounta­ b e to.hint for the· way w handle what is entrlJsted to ws. v. expresses the faith in Gpd's loving providence"ot all tha't we need. In this hort sentence Pa'4. used thewrdl all, and every, five time The promise is complete. God makes A.LL->gr~eeound. to you., .that 7ou ALL wa,.s have ALL sufficiency

·1 ·in ALL it.hing8"; .for· IV!Rl' cood won:. a'hu is the prelli. .. e that we have from God; please read it, & el thi k about it,~and understand, and beU.~ve, .the _.iraclel ot giving. You and I C!!D never out-gi'f'e

God; aild ·we make· ourselves look as selfisti as we real).y: aref}bY' retuaing to· g1 ve it?. t . name t God . ·,that wM. God i his 10\'e.'has giYen tc. us. To prove,. the P?inj.; he "10ted a line tran Paa 112, how

those lilho.' trust God·.g1.ve liberally. It comes down to a natter of :faith. Do we really- believe .that God taus· care tor- us? r that we need our .-'lings- account, and aore b blrs and ships and boJllbsT'

. Me who proY.l.des seed to t e sowe..t" will -supply AND MuJ..tiply 1i1a t we have1 tor he enriche in e'IJoery way f. r igeneroelity, which produce• t)lanksgiving to God;, what ve gi 11, vll,12, helps those in need, and overfiows irl thankagi.Yhg to-God. J:t acknowledges our obed~•, and glorifies G~, as.we live by. be gospel in faith lieving.. Our liberality is a test t )low far the gospel has poss snd our wills and· mi ds Jr every ti• ve. deny our .eelt apd show trust in God 1 s goodness we enhance t•e..­ ioYe •nd power of( God to. those a.bout us. It expresses t.he su~ssi~ grace of Ged in us. People who are c.bnfused• 'Who •re hull(lry and lone1'", nee~ he).p. T)la'!i help should now from hearts. filled

,l(to tbe.bria with1 God •s loYe, and· forgive"'ss, and the_ contidenoe that God will supp~ ow every needr according to his H.chee -in glo17 iJ>. Xr J. Tbe supre8"_4' gitt. of God ~o us la his o'Gly begotten

, Son, who. gaYe bi.Jnself fer our needs. Kay we show ourr thaPka by gi'ri.ng ourse.lv~e, and of what we have. For as we give, we receive, over and over. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gittl

And Yet, Paul could write to Timothy that the love of money is the root of all evil, a malignant grvwth wbose tentacles reach into many- a heart. G.K.Studdert-Kennedy, chaplain to Britishtroops in WWI, said: If any- man says to me that he has no love of money, I immediately begin to wonder whether he is a madman, a millionaire, or a tramp, those being the only types of people I can ima­ gine s aying it with •• sincerity. Most of us belong to none of those ~oupings, but even if we did, we might still confess to an a biding love of material things.

David L. Smiley, 1060 Polo Road Winston-Salem 271C6 .5-26-95. tJ.ove. With today we come ,to the ·end of a s_pring-term series or lessons based upon Paul 1s ltrs to the Xns at the Grk c;ity of Corinth. We have listened--in to a dialog between apostl~ and

· his nock.," bearing only one side of the conversation, as if e were on the t3lephone speaking to a distant questioner. From that information we can imagine what that very early Ch was like•-brawl­ ing, cantankerous, quarrelsome, and ye:t beloved. They disagreed li>out nearly everything, about who should be their leader and teacher, about the. moral standards of the Xn lit'e -and about a:rriage & celibacy as a way, of that life, about Xn freedom from discipline which came from outside the com­ mitted believer, abo t worship and the Lord's, Supper and whether death is the end of o~ existence. To these-questions and in uiries Paul gave answer- The re~t is that n these ltrs ~e have the clearest insi.ght into the workings of- a lat Cen Ch to be found anywhere. It comes across as a \'8ry democratic assemb~ where there was not one pastor or teacher instructing the congregation, but where an entire .Spirit-filled gr.oup _eng·ag~ in sharing experiences am understandings with each other. The hierarchy that .emerged among l.ns came ch later, for in the be inning each member of the .group was accorded the right, even given.the invitation, to f-ree and open speech. One major probl that the Ch referred to Paul the.ilf pastor .and teacher was, the relative ranking of spirit­ ual gifts·. Which sh'Ould t akie precedence? they asked; some who _ware inspired to speak in ldlat were oalled tongues, gibMriah to the uninitiated but held to be. the Holy Spirit of God speaking thru the vocal chords and1.:.the ~tongues of human media. < It sa_ems that those who possessed such powers took the position that their gift stood higher in God's sight than did any other. So Paul wrote t,o them about spiritual gifts, beginning at Ch 12; his point was that there are uny gifts of the one Spiri , and ea.ch is of -equal value in building up the body -r Ir, \Jlich is t.he Church. If ev­ ery pel'son in the group possessed the same ability, then the body would suffer; it requires many gifts to operate as a healthy community. Some teach, some prophesy (Wf1 would my preach, or pro­ clainl), some ·utter wisdom,· some heal, some have faith to encourzge Uie group •. But along the way he was s trliek by an inspiration, which was his 01'1 gift--among others; desire the higher gifts, he taught; the ; but waitl there is ane-..en better way to answer the uestion. What folwd is one of everybody's favorite B'ibil passages, one most otten memorised, and repeated, in song and in text, at weddings and in Chs 'at worship. It is the hymn or love which caps Paul ~s teachings to his div-

• ·i:ded congregation; it tells in ten sentences how to live with one another, how to share different gifts in the same congregation and how to know the deep-down peace tba't mlt-giving love can produce in a home and a !amily. So tOday, as we come to the conclusion of a series, and as we come also to one of the high points of Bibl literature, l Cor·l3. Next week, for ur summer study, 1f8 begin a series ot lessons that begin where we lett 'the dramatic story of Israel •s histo1"7 at the em of No• last yr, withtext.e from thetke o:t.Kgs and f'romrthe prophets Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah. You are inrlted to join us here, in the Chapel on campus, or·wherever you are, beside your radio, w/ Bible in ham. Today we have insp:\,red words that are both poetic .anct theolQgical, l Cor t2:3.1J:l3. With theselDrds Paul caues to the words, am the ideas, that he had when he began this ltr. It ex­ presses the truth .t at no talent, no gift, whicha'JY' of us possess is of any value unless it is pre­ ceded, anda::companied, and illuminated, by the spirit of loYe. Golden-tongued orator~, gifted teachers and singers and counsellors andsaartyrs, are f no help -unless they are mot.ivated by love. To understard what he meant, we must first define the word itself. ·We are all victimi11ed in our expressionsf{by the limitats of the language we employ; among us in our time the word love has been used to describe so many different aspects of human and divine attraction that it has been stretched beyond recognition. I am myself a lover of words--hear the word lo~e in a very epecial sense--that I must resiist the effort to, talk AOOUT words instead of using them to talk about the subject. But. here ab riet excursion into the-·-voca tulary may not be out 1Qf order. In Grk there are tour"°Bd& that express the feeling. In 1960 the British vriter c.,s.unds publ a 'book ent~tled the 4 loves, which cdntairis extended discussions of these words. One is storge, affect.ion, the natural lo e of parent fr child, of lcittens and puppies.to their nurturing ~others; another is philia, friendship, l.Ove between those who are like us, .or whose differences make us complete.; another is eros, sensual attraction, passion, delight in the beloved, and this is what most of us mean by the word love. But beware; it is the ],.east pennanent, the most fickle, of a1T l9ves. Will you love me in Decembel' as you ve me in May? is the question that roe puts ~~· he·,·toui7th Grk word is the one Paul used here; it is agape,. in Latin charity· (which KJV uses), love that is uncaused and seeks no reward or pleasure;·it is self-giving and exists not because its object is attractive or loveable, but ·because that is the nature of tbe one loving. For God so Loved the . .Jorld, we read, '7no ):16, not because thew:'>rld was beautiful, or its people obedient and worship­ ful, but because God i love, and pours out His l.oYiDg in bis giving to us, and his forgiving us, and his providential care over us. In this is 1 ove, not that we loved God but that he loved us & sent his Son to b8 the sfioning' sacrifice for our sins, Jhn wrote. It is this love of which Paµ]. wrote in this poem; as we worship- and give thanks to a God who loved us in our sin and ugliness, ao let us confront the quarrels and d~visions and dissentions within the J3h. in the same spiritQin which we go to God in worship. This is the supreme gift, and as you and I lctv>w it, and accept it, and act upon,~t, all our probl sand our dsiominational squabbles fade into insignificance.

1 It may be that wre Paul to come among us in these yrs he would -say, in se.lf-giving love. let ne , one be moderate. But let us look more closely at these 10 sentences. The poem is in three cl arly defined parts; we shall consider them.in order • .t'art 1, vvl-3, tells of the superiority of l~ve. Love-1.s -t.he catalyst, the honey in the spcon th.at helps the medicine go down •• If we have the best organ in the county, but play it with vengeance,. or to show up some other perfpnner, then it might as well be a locomotive whistle that is out of lcey. If the lessons we teach, or the sermons we preach, are composed of prettyW>rds that are delivered to provoke or to divide, or to get even with a critic, then we may as well strike a gong ..... and in some pagan cereinoni-es the Cori thians were fam­ iliar with, gong-sou~ding was coinmon--or be a clanging cymb&l. KJV translat 1s not helpful here; cymbals never tinkle; they split your eardrums with loud noises.: The tongues in v.l are the same ones that Paul spoke of earlier, and will retum to 111 Chlh; some were of men, some of angels, but they were equally worthless unless they were spoken in love. To have the gi~ of prophecy, and un­ derstand all m:yster:i!e, and have rail ·knowledge under heaven, so that I am ascholar w/o peer. in a 'family of scholars, and have not love, even with all faith, Iain just an~tber babbling fool. If I give away all that I have to feed the poor, and -to .clothe the naked, and house the homelesEr, even if I give '1!l::f body to be a sacrifice to whatever cause I prefer to life itself, b~t do ,it for any other otive than sel£-giving love for God &nd fellow man, i~ is nothing but a painful burning. No gift, no philanthropy, no self-sacrifice, no .pu»l±e litany of fait;k, eans anything w/o love. Part 2 of the poem, vv.4+1, tell us what that kind of love is like. Note that afterv.l Paul used not a single adjective in his description; he used verbs, Vigorous, active verbs. On the human level·we prefer an adjecti~ love; at the dynamic, divine level, it is active, something that does. Our translats conceal that fact, with adjectives_; JCJV sticks closer to the original _hepe. Note-­ that the-re are two positive characteristics, folwd 'by e .negatives, and then 4 poeitivea f,hat re­ peat the woril AIL. · To Paul, love is a chain .'composed of :mahy links; it is liilite_lig..lit that ·has been refracted by a prism into its maey dif'ferent c.ofers , Negatives 8l"e more numerous than are the positives, because .it may be easier to say what love is not than to d~fine what ·it is. Patienc and kindness go together, for they ~re two sides of the same ~ct; as God_isopatient wiith us, so must we be to others. Then come the NOTS--not jealous or boastful; is not easUy provoked , thinks no evil;: it means that ·1ove keeps no books, and will not remember the wrongs it has been dealt ••• itdces not sit in the corner forever remembering how it has been mistreated. The wrongs wed o to each other cannot be the cause of rejoicing; we take delight only in the good things that we do. In v.61KJV, truth is·not the opposite of .error, but of iniquity, evil-doing and acting. In whai do we rejoice, deaiy beloved? in the-triumph of our side in a hotly-disputed quarrel over the control 0£ Ch or seminary or convention or synod? or of-the unity of the brethren and sisters, in the hous of God in our tow~? Let love be without d issirnulati:on, Pau1 would tell us ,Roml.2, hate wha~-is ev-

. 11, ·love the ?arson~ 'Iben, v.7, 4 positives, love's greatest qualities; each of them a sermon­ text, filled with meaning for us all. Love bears all things, believes all things--and in context it means ta accept the best about people; translate it, love trusts humankind, even if often dis­ appodntedv-hepaa all things, endures all things. The first clause say 11;. a ll--love bears all ·things; the other three are extensions and details. Love believes the best and hopes for the best,

"and endures whatever the world serves up. Here are the four ALLs; underli e them in your Bible, for they extend in every direction, and do not stop until they reach the end of the age, the end of the map, the end of the world. Finally, part 3, the permanence of love, v 8-13. This passage begins with a topic sentence, but !CJV may hide- from us the mean:iing, It does not mean that love al­ ways succeeds, or is sure to win evel'Y battle. Instead, it means that love will never fail in the sense of •come tG an end.' Other gifts ot the Spirit cane and go, R!)ine and fade; prophecy will fail, tongues will cease, knowledge will pass away, to be replacedD~e 8 latest joumal al"ticle or the most recent paper read to a scholarly meeting. All of that which many f us prise the most is impermanent, transient,.mortal. Let us not put our trust in leaky vessels, r our treas­ ures in vaults that will rust and decay. Paul contrasts the indirect vis!on \d.th the face•to-face, and the perfect-with the flawed, and the childish with the mature. Let us n t miss these d1ffer­ eneies. Knowl and- prophecy are not perfect, but thati.wtiilch is perfect will eome, and push a side the incomplete. \ohen we were children we thought and acted like children, but when we became a­ dults we put away childish things•-or.;.DID we? is it possible that the disputes and dissentions be­ tween us in these days comes from grown people with minds of small children? but we should put away childish thinking.and speaking. Now we do not see clearly or directly] it is like looking in-

1~to a clouded mirror, a glass darkly. But the time will come we1111 we see and know as we are known. ~So the cohclusion--now abideth fAith, hope1 love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. ~And 'in that "Pa~evealed his breadth and di.l;n.ension. It is a familiar saying that John is the apos­

~ tle of love, and Paul the man who p t faith foremost. But John could ll"ite that the victory that - overeomes the woirld is faith; and Paul could write that love is greater than faith or hope. It was

in the conteJdi of his experience w/a quarrelsane and divided Ch; they had taith, what they neeqed was the kind yf love that God had shown them. In a church.'that was a parody of the ideal (as are · many· of our o'Wtl), he refused to deny them, or stand·~art from them. !Dved he· shouted to them; for love is the ;;victory that overcomes the world. Tlia t which served the ors is also good foifs.