Epiphany

January 23, 2020

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. –1 Corinthians 1:10-11

My experience is that most of the quarrels that happen in the church are not dealing with the real problem. They are signs that people are not on the same page that there is not a clear shared purpose. The use of the phrase “Chloe’s people” is a sign that the church in Corinth was dealing with a power play. I do not know if “Chloe’s people” were involved in the power play or the innocent people caught in the middle who are often the loser in such situations.

I remember as a child the fight that occurred in my small rural church when a disagreement broke out regarding whether it was appropriate to have upholstered chairs at the communion table rather than wood only chairs. It was considered a grave theological issue by the wood group who thought we should be more austere. We lost one family from that brouhaha. The deeper issue was probably what of cultural changes are benign and what are not in sync with the teachings of Jesus Christ. That same type dispute split my denomination at the turn of the twentieth century over whether organs could be played in churches.

The phrase in the above scripture that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose is critical to the furtherance of our work as the body of Christ active in the world today. When disasters occur, people work together doing whatever needs to be done because lives depend on them. The Body of Christ depends on our working together as we identify and work through those issues on which we differ.

Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. Matthew 12:25                                       

Prayer: Lord, the world is particularly challenging right now and we do not know how do deal with things outside our control. Forgive us when we turn our frustrations on ourselves and each other. Help us see the opportunities you place before us to be a light to a world in chaos. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.