17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter! 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. 33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

In this passage, Paul writes to the Corinthian Church about how they celebrate Communion with each other.  He challenges them for their flippant way they come around the Lord’s Table.  How very glad I am that our Church asks someone from our congregation to pray, reflect and bring a word to help us focus on the enormity of communion and its purpose to REMEMBER what Jesus has done for you and me.  To remember the COST.

Paul challenges the Corinthian church for their divisiveness, competitiveness, critical spirit, greed, unforgiveness, and lack of awareness of the poor, etc.. He says that when we take Communion with unreconciled issues in our heart – we need to heed the warnings.  We carry THE message of reconciliation. 

Lord help me to continue to be a carrier of your message of reconciliation.  May I not just say this but actually live this.  May I choose always to deny myself and to take up the cross daily.  Help me to not be persuaded by my emotions but by faith and your word.  Amen. 

Written by Ps. Sue Botta

2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man,[a] and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

All cultures have signals that say things even if we don’t intend to. A first century Roman high priest would cover his head. The emperor Augustus was portrayed this way to show his unique status as “Pontifex Maximus”, closer to the gods than any mortal. A man covering his head in church, like the emperor, would also be saying he was closer to God and had higher status than anyone else. Except Jesus is our “high priest” (Hebrews 2:17), and he raises all his people to the highest status as God’s children.

Traditionally Roman wives covered their heads as a sign that they were married. But in the first century, there was a fashion for Roman wives to discard their head covering to advertise they were just as free as their husbands to have extra-marital affairs. This would shame their husbands. (Shaving a woman’s head was the punishment for adultery.)

The covered men or uncovered women may not have intended to give those signals. They may just have been following fashion to fit into their culture that revolved around status, honour and shame. But outsiders would undoubtedly have picked up the inappropriate messages.

We have different social signals (hats won’t be handed out at church on Sunday). But we need to be as careful in the messages we give, perhaps unconsciously, in what we wear or how we act or speak. It’s no less important for us to not diminish or dishonour anyone. We need to be especially careful not to dishonour God. This may mean standing out and being counter-cultural.

Jesus, please give us sensitivity and wisdom to know where we should be gracious and fit in with people and where we should stand out with a different message. Give us your heart to lift people up, and especially to honour you in how we act and speak.

Written by David Cornell

10 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Paul makes a point here reminding us that the ancient people of Israel witnessed amazing miracles from God – the parting of the Red Sea and the cloud of God covering them in the wilderness for 40 years to give them shelter and guidance. Even, so, many of them turned away from following God’s ways and did not please God.

We can be tempted to think that if God was more overt in displaying His power and miraculous deeds that people would follow Him. History shows us that this is not the case. The human heart is rebellious and does not easily submit to the ways of God.

“So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” (verse 12). Wise words! Pride can easily blind us to think that we are impervious to temptation and to rebellion against God, but of course we are not.

Today (each day!) I need to be reminded of my need of a Saviour and ask for the grace of God to keep walking in His ways.

Written by Shelley Witt

9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[b] Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Paul is defending himself here to be able to eat, live and receive offerings/wages for his preaching of the Gospel.  He speaks of the other disciples receiving food, housing and care for their service to the church and their ministry.  I am so glad that as a church we have so many people who give and tithe towards the ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

It is a blessing for us to employ those who have gifts of ministry and leadership.  It is a gift to have so many people who give of their time, talents and abilities free of charge as well.  I am constantly amazed at the generosity, love and care that exudes from our church.  The meals, funds, help, prayer, love, and care that people show each other. 

There is so much need in the world, and at times we all have seasons of need; however I watch how individuals sacrificially give of their lives to each other and it blesses me to see it – how much it must bless Jesus to see His Church in action.  We are called to Love God and Love Others.  Let’s continue to BE the CHURCH.

Father, thank you for the blessing of Christ, His example of how to love.  Help us to love and care for each other.  Show us what we can do to bless, encourage, and extend in your Kingdom amongst us and to our community.

Written by Ps. Sue Botta

36 If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. 38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better. 39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

Divided loyalties are very difficult and here Paul reminds us of them.  In this passage, it is clear that Paul believes we can simultaneously serve both the Lord and our marriage partner.  Of course, he would have known many who did including other apostles but at the time of writing there was a famine.  They were difficult times perhaps especially for newlyweds.  In times of social and economic distress it may be almost impossible to discover and obey God’s will, working for the gospel in whatever way one is called to do, AND to build a new marriage.  And if that’s the choice, Paul is clear: one’s service to the Lord belongs first.

Paul is not laying down a rule, he is trying to teach the Corinthians to think clearly, wisely and above all Christianly about delicate issues where there is no absolute right and wrong.  Paul is not opposing marriage.  On the contrary; if a couple finds that their desire for one another is getting stronger, putting them in an impossible position, then they should marry.  But they should be prepared to face the difficulties that will accompany the early days of a marriage, even and perhaps especially a Christian one, when life for other reasons is in any case hard.

Paul finishes with a short word to widows.  A widow is free to marry again, though only ‘in the Lord’, i.e., to another Christian.  But Paul sees, once again, that there may be reasons for resisting the social pressure that would otherwise hurry such women into a further marriage as soon as reasonably possible.

So, what do we learn from Paul’s musings here?  Marriage is a good thing, but it is not always the best thing.  Wisdom needs to be applied in a Christian manner to situations and we should choose the Lord above all other things, even marriage!

Father may we be more aligned to you than even marriage and family relationships – for you will provide all we need according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus!

Written by Ps. Richard Botta