Tag Archives: community

Nerve Damage in the Body of Christ

April 30, 2019 by MelisaB · Comments Off on Nerve Damage in the Body of Christ
body of Christ

3rd Sunday after the Epiphany; 1 Cor. 12:12-31

 If there’s one word that describes the Christian church the least, it would be the noun “unity.” This unfortunate reality seems to stretch all the way back to the earliest iteration of the Christian church. This lack of unity is the basis for Paul’s well-known metaphor, that the church is like one body. He creates a picture in which everyone can relate because we all have bodies. He’s appealing to them to see their relatedness because the Corinthian church had a variety of divisions.

Continue reading →
Share:
Posted in Devotions. Tagged with , , , , , .

The Peace That Transcends All Understanding

February 13, 2019 by MelisaB · Comments Off on The Peace That Transcends All Understanding
peace of god

3rd Sunday of Advent: Phil. 4:4-7

There’s a lot going on in this letter to the Philippians. I think it’s worth a brief overview, because some of the issues being addressed here are universal. If we cherrypick the nice sounding verses, we miss the depth of what Paul’s asking this church to do.

Continue reading →
Share:
Posted in Devotions. Tagged with , , , , , , .

Pure and Blameless

February 12, 2019 by MelisaB · Comments Off on Pure and Blameless
blameless

2nd Sunday of Advent: Phil. 1:3-11

Paul’s letter to the Philippians has a similar tone to his letter to the Thessalonians. Particularly in his desire to see them pure and blameless in the day of Christ. Our 21st century ears hear a literal call to be perfect in this call to action, and yet that doesn’t sit well next to other scripture—even Paul’s other letters. I zero in on this phrase because misunderstanding this it can cause us to do the opposite of what will help us grow in our faith.

Continue reading →
Share:
Posted in Devotions. Tagged with , , , , , .

Appeal of the Early Church: Love and Relationships

February 11, 2019 by MelisaB · Comments Off on Appeal of the Early Church: Love and Relationships
love and relationship

1st Sunday of Advent: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

The text I’m writing about today is from 1 Thessalonians, which is most likely the first of any of Paul’s correspondence with the early churches. This reading isn’t a list of generic instructions or theological topics, but rather Paul telling this church how much he wants to visit them. He’s also encouraging them to let their love for each other grow.

Continue reading →
Share:
Posted in Devotions. Tagged with , , , , , , .

Encourage Each Other Toward Love

January 18, 2019 by MelisaB · Comments Off on Encourage Each Other Toward Love
encourage each other

25th Sunday after Pentecost: Hebrews 10:11-14, 15-18, 19-25

Chapter 10 of the book of Hebrews has a lot packed into it. This text explains the significance of the crucifixion of Christ and how that event brings about the forgiveness of sins. It’s also a call for love and encouragement. Rather than being used to encourage others, it has been used by church leaders to hold people “accountable” for their perceived sins.

Continue reading →
Share:
Posted in Devotions. Tagged with , , , , , , , , , .

Will You Be There When I’m in Pain?

December 22, 2018 by MelisaB · Comments Off on Will You Be There When I’m in Pain?
comfort

How are you doing? Fine?

Of course the answer is “fine.” When people ask us how we’re doing, the automatic response is fine. Sometimes when discussing this sociological phenomena, people say they actually want the honest answer. I never know if I should believe them. In the past I’ve given a more honest answer and found myself in a really awkward moment realizing that I’ve just overshared. I’ve also had very real, impromptu conversations about real pain that left me feeling more connected to my friends. Continue reading →

Share:
Posted in Devotions. Tagged with , , , , , .
12next →