"A Fair Balance" - 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Thank you all for coming to our Wednesday worship and picnic! We were blessed with 63 people in attendance and it really felt almost pre-pandemic normal.  Kids played in the dirt, we ate together, and we got to spend time with each other.  This time was gift and I hope that you will all join us for next month’s worship and picnic on July 14.  As we reflected on the day, I realized how easy it would be for us to try to pick up where we left off without changing anything.  It felt amazing to relax and gather with the congregation, we all need to re-enter into relationship with one another after having been apart, but if we want to follow Jesus we are called to do more.  This is a moment when we can decide to live differently, rooted in the love of God rather than the powers of the world.

This week, I invite you to consider Paul’s words to the church in Corinth.  In his letters we discover the ongoing conversations among early Christians regarding how one is to live if they believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  In 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Paul is writing about money.  He is encouraging the church to share money with the poor, that the transfer of wealth to make things fair is an appropriate response to the suffering that accompanies poverty.  God is calling us to an economy of grace: one where those who have been given much are compelled by their gratitude for the grace they have received to give as they can.  What does this mean for us living in a time of billionaires, outrageous income stratification, uneven educational opportunities, and low wages?  I’ll see you Sunday morning as we discern how Paul is speaking to us.

Peace, Pastor Shannon Smith