Love and noisy gongs.

On Sunday, January 28, we'll read the text from I Corinthians often used for weddings. You know, "Love is patient, love is kind," and all that stuff about love never dying.

Can I have the rings please?

Yup. It's the oh-so-cliche wedding text. Now I'm not pooh-poohing it for weddings. But that's not what this text was written for.

It was written for disgruntled members of a congregation. A group of people who were fighting. The church in Corinth (these ancient letters were written to churches in various cities) was in an uproar. They argued about who was better and who had the better spiritual gifts.

And Paul (who wrote I Corinthians) responds by telling them that each part of the body is important (see I Corinthians 12). Paul also teaches them something about love: God's love.

So what can this text mean for you?

You are called into community. Somehow the Holy Spirit is leading you into a congregation, worship space, Bible study group, whatever. God wants to nourish you with a community of believers.

Then what? Well, you recognize that each have gifts. And you try to get along with each other.

How? By following all the rules of how to love? Well, maybe. But how about starting with God's love. God's love is patient with you, God's love is kind. God's love endures all of your good and not-so-good behaviors. God's love will never die.

A group gathered with these principles is in the best place to start living and serving together.

Anything else, and you're just a noise gong.

Lisa



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