Vice

"Bad company rots good morals," 1 Corinthians 15:33.

So. People often use this line to encourage young people not to hang out with other young people who smoke. Or vape. Or whatever vice. (It's useful wisdom, indeed!) But what's the context here? Hanging out with people whose worldview is: This life here and now is all there is. Whose worldview is: Eat! drink! you die tomorrow! No resurrection! Yeah, the context tells of believers who avoid fellowship with believers. And who fellowship instead with drunken stupor and pursuing sin. Such behavior just adds shame to our living death. Jesus, rather, leads us into communion with believers and into life. Resurrection life.

When we find a brother or sister today we share life in the living Christ. And together we thank God for resurrection and life in the eternal Spirit.

Grateful

"Christ has been raised from the dead," 1 Corinthians 15:20.

But. Were that not true, then. Then the gospel announcement is worthless. Then faith is worthless. Then preachers lie. They pervert God. Then faith has no object. Then we are under sin. Then the dead who had believed ... they're just dead and that's that. And then we, hoping in Christ, justly get the pity of all lost causes. But. In fact. Christ has been raised! He is the first indicator that God will renew the dead who had been faithful and grateful to life forever.

We visit a brother or sister today in the joy of hope. And we thank God that believing in Christ has great reward!

Fixing

"We preach and so you believed," 1 Corinthians 15:11.

You know, we really don't agree with the way God's fixing the world. In fact, we don't think he even gets it, what to do about wars, about human atrocities, about climate, about failed justice, about natural disasters. We ask: Why doesn't God do something about ... (fill in the blank). Yeah. So, if God loves us, he doesn't have the power to fix it; or, if God has the power, he doesn't love us because he's not fixing it. No matter: here's how God's fixing it, fixing us: Preaching the Word about Jesus and creating living faith in him.

When we meet a brother or sister today we share lives in the God who loves and does. And together we say, Thank you, Father, for the faith of Christ.

Stand

"I preached to you," 1 Corinthians 15:1.

What did Paul preach? the Gospel. Good News! Note: he did not preach how to vote. not what party to back. not which type of national social justice. not racism. not which laws to support. not economic system. not whether democratic or socialist or totalitarian government is best. No. Not any of this. He preached the Gospel. Death, burial, resurrection of Jesus. For our sins. As the Scriptures said. That's what his hearers heard. That's what his hearers received. That's where his hearers took their stand. That's the message by which they were being saved. (Unless their faith got misplaced into other things.)

We visit with a brother or sister today because we hold a common faith in Jesus, not in our stand on baseball. And together we thank God that he has been saving us in Jesus for sure, and in him alone.

Alive

"Christ died for our sins, he was buried, he was raised, he appeared," 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4.

All in accordance with the Scriptures. God had planned all this beforehand, and had talked about it in the Good Book long before the events. First importance. First things first. Foundational. Back to basics. In accordance with the Scriptures. Who saw Jesus alive after he had died? Peter. The Twelve. Five hundred at once. James. All the apostles. (And, Mary. And, Joanna. And, the other Mary. And, Salome. And, the other Galilean women.) And, last of all, Paul. The gospel message: received! The same message, intact: delivered.

We meet with a brother or sister today transformed by the message we heard. And together we give thanks to God for resurrection to the new world.

Green

"In your thinking be mature," 1 Corinthians 14:20.

Sometimes adults talk like children in ignorance and immaturity, don't we? But here is an imperative call to think (and act) maturely, not as children. So what does that mean? This: the congregation comes together to edify, to build up one another in the love of Christ. (Love bears, believes, hopes, endures all things, right?) The congregation does not gather to discover who's the most spiritual. Or most gifted. Or most connected. No. We come to help each other hike difficult ascents, to comfort each other in heart-braking grief, to enjoy each other's company in green pastures. All the while shepherded by Christ toward God, our father for ever.

We visit with a brother or sister today in the maturing of God's love. And together we thank God for leading us home.

Mindfully

"Whoever speaks in a tongue speaks to God, not to people," 1 Corinthians 14:2.

So, it says: Do not forbid speaking in tongues. It also says: But not in church (unless someone understands the language and explains it mindfully to the rest). Why not? No one understands a tongue speaker. Tongue speaking benefits only the speaker. For the congregation, it's empty talking into the air. It's pointless for the mind. No outsider can say Amen! to it. Nobody gets it. Five words of instruction understood by the mind are better than 10,000 in a tongue. Tongues are a sign for unbelievers (who will say the speakers are out of their minds). But teaching God's word with the mind, clearly, understandably, convicts unbelievers that God is here and builds up the believing congregation. That's what's to happen in church. That's what it says.

We meet with a brother or sister today and share God's word mindfully with each other. And together we praise God that he is here.

Purpose

"In order to excel, you must strive for building up the congregation," 1 Corinthians 14:12.

It's not a suggestion; it's an imperative: Must. When we get together in church, we've got to do more than just average for helping each other out. So just what builds up the congregation? What builds up each other? An insightful message. Clear, unmuddled speaking. Patient, careful teaching. These types of activities build up, encourage, and console us in the fellowship of Christ. That's how we excel. We, each and every single one of us, have excellent purpose in his kingdom.

We visit with a brother or sister today and share a good word from the Lord with each other. And together we thank God for providing the grit that moves us on in love to his good work.

Strive

"You must strive for the spiritual things," 1 Corinthians 14:1.

Must? Well. in a word? Yes. Must. Imperative. Gotta do this. Do what? pursue spiritual gifts. Who's got to do this? Us. Us, who? Us who want to go to heaven when we die. That is: Us who belong to Christ. Us who expect to get fit to live like Jesus did. Spiritual things. First and foremost spiritual thing: Love. Pursue it. Then, the more important spiritual things, like, prophecy. Prophecy? Yeah. That is: to speak God's word in a way that builds people up and encourages people and consoles people. Strive for these kinds of spiritual things. (It's what it says.)

When we meet today with a brother or sister, we speak edifying words. And together, we thank God for outfitting us to join in Christ's saving work.

Enigma

"We're looking through a mirror now at an enigma," 1 Corinthians 13:12.

We can barely see dimly at present. Like looking through a mystifying mirror. Prophecies just give momentary glimpses. Our knowledge is so fragmentary. Our explanations are children's immature reasonings, cute, but inept. Yet. When perfection comes we will understand, we will speak, we will reason wholly, clearly, face to face with God; we will know maturely as we have been known. The perfection of maturity: God's love nurtured in our intents and actions.

We visit with a brother or sister today abiding in God's perfecting work. And, together, we thank God who clarified his love in Jesus's life. And death. And resurrection.

Persists

"Love never ends," 1 Corinthians 13:8.

Sure it does. People talk about it all the time. Fell in love. Fell out of love. Used to love somebody, but no longer. Well. Yeah. Love no deeper than passing passion comes and goes. But. But this love: Patient. Kind. Humble. Attentive. Forgiving. Affirming good. Sustaining truth. Tolerant. Faithful. Hopeful. Prevailing. This love has no end. Depends upon deliberate intentional choices we make. Not upon fleeting, though deep felt perhaps, wandering emotions. This love persists. Like God's love in Christ.

We meet with a brother or sister today to see God's love working in each other. And we thank God together that Jesus loves us so.

Best

"I will show you the best way of all," 1 Corinthians 12:31.

The best? best over what? the best over all ways of living in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Better than tongues speaking. Better than prophetic, mystical powers. Better than knowing secrets of the universe. Better than mountain moving confidence. Better than any philanthropy. Better than consuming oneself in fiery passion. Well, what is it? This most excellent way. It's the way of love. Of course. All those other ways come to their end. But love presses on beyond the end.

We visit a brother or sister today enveloped by God's love. And together we thank God that we have the most excellent life in Jesus, lover of our souls.

Integrated

"In one Spirit, into one body, were we all baptized," 1 Corinthians 12:13.

Doesn't matter where we came from, Jew, Greek, slave, free. Whatever kind of pagan we were, we, all of us, drank one Spirit. As we were being baptized into Christ, Christ's Spirit introduced us into Christ's one body. Whatever gifted differences be among us, we each remain one integrated body together in a common care, common suffering, and common honor with each other. We pursue together the singular way toward excellency in the Spirit.

Meeting with a brother or sister today we affirm becoming mutually integral parts of Christ's one body. And together we give thanks to God who made us belong.

Incoherent

"How ever you were led astray, you know that you were being led to voiceless idols," 1 Corinthians 12:2.

Yeah. That's when we were pagans and sloppy feelings led us to incoherent idols. But God's Spirit never leads to feelings that curse Jesus. Rather, the Spirit of God ever convicts that Jesus is Lord. Sure, there's a bunch of different spiritual gifts, ways to serve, actions to take: but all these manifest the will of God's one Spirit. His Great Spirit empowers us for the one common good, to love each other no matter what. Like our Lord, Jesus, loved.

We visit with a brother or sister today empowered to honor each other in God's love. And together we give thanks for his Spirit leading us to forever life in Christ.

Sharing

"When you come together it is not the Lord's supper that you eat," 1 Corinthians 11:20.

Hmm. So we got together Sundays to remember Jesus' body and blood together. At any rate, that's what we thought we were doing. But it wasn't. What made it not the Lord's supper? Eating their own food without taking time to share. Some went hungry. Some got drunk. This showed they despised God's church. They humiliated the poor. Such profaned Jesus' body and blood. It became an existential problem - drinking and eating judgment to death. So. Now we examine our hearts and remember the whole body of Christ as we share with all. In this manner we eat the true Lord's supper. Together.

We meet a brother or sister today and we commune in Christ through sharing as there is need. And together we thank God for giving us Jesus as our share in eternal life.

Redeemed

"The head of a wife is her husband," 1 Corinthians 11:3b.

So, just as a husband's head is Christ, similarly, a wife's head is her husband. The Good Book is not talking about women generally to submit to men generally. And, it's not talking as though Christ were not the head of women generally. No. It's talking about a husband and a wife, specifically. About a specific wife and her specific husband. About a specific husband and his specific wife. And not about any wife. But about a woman redeemed by Christ. When this woman prays or prophesies she must wear a hat. It's a symbol of her authority to pray or prophesy. If she doesn't, she dishonors her head. That's what it says.

When we visit a brother or sister today, we do so in honor of Christ. And together we give thanks in deep respect to God and his Christ who leads us into glory.

Technical

"The head of every man is Christ," 1 Corinthians 11:3.

Man. That is, the male human being. This is starting to get a bit technical. In this verse, the Good Book's not referencing man in the sense of a generic human. It's about males (not females), specifically. But more specific, it's about husbands. And even more specific, about husbands redeemed by Christ. This man is not footloose and fancy free. This man must submit to Christ. Christ is his head. Just as God is the head of Christ, so also is Christ the head of this man. Head of every one of these men. And this man, when he prays or prophesies, must not wear a hat. Because if he does, he dishonors Christ. Because this man is the image and glory of God. This man must not cover that image. It's what it says.

When we visit a brother or sister today, we do so in honor of Christ. And together we give thanks in deep respect to God and his Christ who leads us into glory.

Scruples

"Not all things build up," 1 Corinthians 10:23.

Permitted? Yes. Up-building? No. Talking about freedom again, the liberty we enjoy as people redeemed by Christ. We've got freedoms in God's presence that we did not have before coming to Christ. And we will not let others' cultural scruples limit our own liberties. But. In Christ we join the greater call to nurture the work of God. Salvation of all humans. So. We seek our neighbor's good. We yield personal rights to give no cultural offense to Jew or to Gentile or to God's church. Indeed, we build up each other to glorify God.

We meet with a brother or sister today attentive not to offend each other in exercising personal liberties. And together we praise God who did all things to build us up into Christ.

End

"The end of the ages has come," 1 Corinthians 10:11.

Yes. It has come upon us. On us. Us! Talk about time, a day, a thousand years, an era: but the end is upon us. Urgency. Urgency to live right. To live as good boys and girls. Because if we don't, we die like all the others who thought they'd get away with sin. But didn't. We don't pursue evil. No idolatry/greed. No sexual immorality. No grumbling/whining. We don't fellowship with demons. We be careful not to fall. No giving in to temptation: God will help us endure it. God is faithful. God provides escape from sin. We don't put Christ to the test. Rather, we commune with Christ.

We meet with a brother or sister today free to live Christ's victory to the end. And together we thank God that he carries us through forgiveness and mercy into holiness and glorification.

Enslaved

"I am free from all," 1 Corinthians 9:19.

Paul, sent out by Christ to preach, owes no man anything: he is free from everyone. But. He made himself a slave to everyone. He enslaved himself to all. Why? because. Because of the Good News of Jesus. Enslaved so as to give up the rights of liberty. Why? so that by becoming a slave to Jews he lives like a Jew. So that becoming a slave to Gentiles he lives like a Gentile. So that to the weak he lives weak. So that he becomes all things to all people. But, Why?? So that by giving up liberty, maybe he will save some and together they will share with him in the blessings of Christ.

We visit with a brother or sister today blessed together in Jesus' run. And together we thank God for the prize he promised at the end of our race.

Ordered

"The Lord ordered those who proclaim the gospel to live from the gospel," 1 Corinthians 9:14.

Jesus ordered and commanded a lot of things, but the Scripture does not often highlight the notion. But here it does: The Lord. (That's Christ Jesus, right? yes, it is.) Ordered. (That's an imperative, command form, right? yes, it is.) That gospel preachers must get paid for their preaching of the gospel. Pay the preacher. That's what the discussion here is about, oddly enough. So, who's to pay? We who get taught; the congregation. Well, what if we don't? Then, if we don't, it's like we're mocking God. (This is so weird!) And God will let us harvest the rot we deserve. It's what it says. So, instead, we will invest in the Spirit. And receive eternal life.

We meet a brother or sister today aware of the fellowship Christ calls us to. And together we give thanks that we share for real in broadcasting the message of Christ!

Certified

"Am I not an apostle?" 1 Corinthians 9:1.

Ever wonder what it takes to get certified as an apostle? Well, here's part of it. a. You have to have seen Jesus. b. You had to be chosen by Christ. c. Jesus had to send you out as his messenger to preach his gospel. d. You had to have people hear the message and believe in Jesus to follow after him. e. The believers must have seen your (miraculous) signs as his true apostle. The big idea: You had to have been there with Jesus directly instructed by him. Failing that, we don't get certified. But! We can become followers of Jesus. We become disciples by heeding Jesus' teachings given to his apostles. They wrote it all down in his Good Book.

When we visit with a brother or sister today we listen to Christ. And together we give thanks for the life-giving message of Jesus' Good News.

Required

"If somebody thinks to know something, he still doesn't know what he's got to know," 1 Corinthians 8:2.

Why not? because logical, rational deduction cannot deliver the whole of required knowledge. Right thinking brings us along the pathway, but it has no capacity to lift us up all the way into God's realm. No. What completes the path is love. To know for sure that there is only one God, our Father, Creator of everything; to know there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom we exist; to know idols are nothing and multiple deities are human imagination. This knowledge, true and essential as it is, does not quite get us yet to the place we must be. Love completes the journey. To forego privileges of knowledge so as not to wound the weak conscience of a brother or sister, this is love. This is to be known by God.

When we meet a brother or sister today we receive each other in the love of God. And together we praise God for gifting us authentic life in Christ.