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Citizenship in the Kingdom of God
I have been involved in justice ministry since 1958. During that time, I have known dozens Read More
Stephanie B. Dunn | Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
We don’t have to get too creative to imagine the community Paul was writing to in his Corinthian letters. It was a community in distress, chaos, and conflict. These seem to be regular marks of modern American Christian communities across all spectra. Our current emphasis on status and stark individualism...
Holy Spirit, open my heart to the gifts that you have given me. Help me to see and celebrate the gifts of others so that your world will come more alive in you. Amen.
The Epiphany theme of God-with-us in the chaos of the world is present throughout the texts this week. In Isaiah, the postexilic Judean community returns to its home and cries out to a faithful God for full restoration of Jerusalem. Psalm 36 looks to God’s steadfast love that surrounds all that is, even in the face of oppression. The apostle Paul writes to a community whose chaos is internal, reminding them of God’s abundant love expressed in a beautiful diversity. This diversity ought to inspire celebration rather than division. In John’s Gospel, we see a miracle that points to the inbreaking of God’s joyful kingdom on earth.
• Read Isaiah 62:1-5. Where are you experiencing the call not to remain silent in the face of injustice?
• Read Psalm 36:5-10. How are you experiencing God’s steadfast love in your life?
• Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. What spiritual gifts have you identified in yourself? How might you celebrate the gifts of others around you?
• Read John 2:1-11. How can you bear witness to God’s excessive love?
Respond by posting a prayer.
