Dearest e-votees-
This Sunday there are two sets of assigned readings for worship. One is for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost and the other is for Holy Cross Day.
For our devotional reflection we will use the epistle reading for Holy Cross Day.
Peace,
Karl
------------
18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18-24, NRSV
Paul seems to freely point out where others have their hangups with the cross.
For Jews:
a stumbling block
For Gentiles:
foolishness
For those of us who have been saved (our redeemed selves, our new Adam or our new Eve):
the power of God
What is the cross for that part of us that resists God's work and God's salvation? (our sinful selves, our old Adam or our old Eve):
???
What about the cross scares us? What about the cross puts us off? What about the cross causes us to look down on it rather than look down from it? Jesus clearly calls us to take up our crosses and follow after him. Why do we resist? What do we value more about this world and our old life rather than the our renewed life in this world that God is renewing? If Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God than we would do well to put on the ways of Christ (isn't that what being a Christian means in some fashion?). When we lean into the foolishness of the cross and allow the stumbling block to knock us off of our cocksure ways we find freedom and salvation.
We don't have to figure it out. We don't need to walk without a misstep. We have been saved. Period. Done deal. When Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross he meant just that. The cross makes us holy. Thanks be to God.
God, shape our faiths by the shape of your saving work for us--a cross. Amen.
This Sunday there are two sets of assigned readings for worship. One is for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost and the other is for Holy Cross Day.
For our devotional reflection we will use the epistle reading for Holy Cross Day.
Peace,
Karl
------------
18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Paul seems to freely point out where others have their hangups with the cross.
For Jews:
a stumbling block
For Gentiles:
foolishness
For those of us who have been saved (our redeemed selves, our new Adam or our new Eve):
the power of God
What is the cross for that part of us that resists God's work and God's salvation? (our sinful selves, our old Adam or our old Eve):
???
What about the cross scares us? What about the cross puts us off? What about the cross causes us to look down on it rather than look down from it? Jesus clearly calls us to take up our crosses and follow after him. Why do we resist? What do we value more about this world and our old life rather than the our renewed life in this world that God is renewing? If Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God than we would do well to put on the ways of Christ (isn't that what being a Christian means in some fashion?). When we lean into the foolishness of the cross and allow the stumbling block to knock us off of our cocksure ways we find freedom and salvation.
We don't have to figure it out. We don't need to walk without a misstep. We have been saved. Period. Done deal. When Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross he meant just that. The cross makes us holy. Thanks be to God.
God, shape our faiths by the shape of your saving work for us--a cross. Amen.
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