Dear friends:
Remember those days when, as children, structure and sharing were baked into every aspect of our lives? The grown-ups responsible for us hung chore charts on many of our refrigerators, delivered us to school each morning, and encouraged us (for what felt like the 100th time) to take turns.
Now that I’m mostly tasked with managing my own schedule, space, and relationships, there are times when I feel a bit nostalgic for such prescribed order. While it may have meant I couldn’t go to bed whenever I wanted or eat chocolate ice cream for dinner (though I can’t promise you I never did), it also freed me to enjoy my childhood, an experience I try not to take for granted.
There is something liberating about limits. They help us know how to relate to one another and create some distinction between our days.
The Apostle Paul understands this truth and is convinced that it will transform the life of the church in Corinth, where people are more prone to indulge their every whim than live according to any given order. In response to the community’s challenges, Paul lays down some ground rules for worship, rules that aren’t meant to restrict so much as to expand everyone’s experience of God’s love.
I encourage you to read more of that story here, and we’ll explore it more this week as a continuation of our sermon series entitled “Beautiful Mess.”
In preparation to celebrate communion together, you might also take a moment to gather whatever simple supplies you have on hand, whether tortillas or a piece of toast. As we continue to worship together/apart, this meal is a powerful reminder of what binds us and builds us up, even at a distance, so consider inviting a friend, whether they live around the corner or across the map.
I look forward to sharing the feast with you.
Peace,
