In this last week of Ordinary Time, the Daily Office gives us an Epistle reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. In all likelihood, it was written before the Letter to the Romans, probably 2 or 3 years before, thereby putting the date of this letter around the mid 50s A.D. Paul is writing to a community that he founded, and after his departure, some strayed from the Gospel as proclaimed by Paul. In an effort to get them back on track, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, so the letter is concerned with the doctrinal and ethical problems disturbing the Church in Corinth which was situated in near the center of the Roman province of Achaia.
Paul writes:
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness”, and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. (1 Cor. 3: 10-23).
Paul’s point is clear, the foundation of any community of faith must be Jesus Christ. The community’s foundation cannot be a person; it cannot be you or me. It must be Jesus. Our very existence must be grounded in Christ. If we are not grounded in Jesus, we will not be able to stand the winds of worldly whim when they blow.
Being grounded in Jesus means that our outlook on life must be seen through Christ’s eyes. Then and only then will you and I become the stones that stand Jesus as our foundation, and you and I become God’s temple, a building of living stones.
Let us pray: Glorious God and Father, take us and place us as living stones firmly planted on the foundation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and make us a living temple where Your Holy Spirit dwells. As a living temple, give us the strength to serve others and to show them the wonder of Your life giving love. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
Please remember to sign-up for Sunday Fellowship.
Advent begins on Sunday 28 November. The liturgical color will be purple and we will switch to Rite I as well as begin Year A in the Lectionary.
Join Lee Runion who will offer an art class on making Christmas decorations on Saturday, 4 December from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. He is a wonderful teacher and it is a great opportunity to be creative even for those of us who may be challenged in that area.
The day is drawing near, Big Mista BBQ fundraiser for the Community Garden, Saturday, 11 December. Melva Pope has tickets, so please pick some up for friends and family. There is also a Facebook page for the event. Here is the link to the Diocese’s website where Neil Strawder is featured front and center: www.epicenter.org. We are now officially on the police calendar, so the people in blue will be out in force.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Carol Freeman who is undergoing an outpatient procedure today, and for all of those who are traveling this holiday season.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
Paul writes:
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness”, and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. (1 Cor. 3: 10-23).
Paul’s point is clear, the foundation of any community of faith must be Jesus Christ. The community’s foundation cannot be a person; it cannot be you or me. It must be Jesus. Our very existence must be grounded in Christ. If we are not grounded in Jesus, we will not be able to stand the winds of worldly whim when they blow.
Being grounded in Jesus means that our outlook on life must be seen through Christ’s eyes. Then and only then will you and I become the stones that stand Jesus as our foundation, and you and I become God’s temple, a building of living stones.
Let us pray: Glorious God and Father, take us and place us as living stones firmly planted on the foundation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and make us a living temple where Your Holy Spirit dwells. As a living temple, give us the strength to serve others and to show them the wonder of Your life giving love. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
Please remember to sign-up for Sunday Fellowship.
Advent begins on Sunday 28 November. The liturgical color will be purple and we will switch to Rite I as well as begin Year A in the Lectionary.
Join Lee Runion who will offer an art class on making Christmas decorations on Saturday, 4 December from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. He is a wonderful teacher and it is a great opportunity to be creative even for those of us who may be challenged in that area.
The day is drawing near, Big Mista BBQ fundraiser for the Community Garden, Saturday, 11 December. Melva Pope has tickets, so please pick some up for friends and family. There is also a Facebook page for the event. Here is the link to the Diocese’s website where Neil Strawder is featured front and center: www.epicenter.org. We are now officially on the police calendar, so the people in blue will be out in force.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Carol Freeman who is undergoing an outpatient procedure today, and for all of those who are traveling this holiday season.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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