It took a year to read the Bible, then almost 9 months to read the Apocrypha. Now, I'm going to try to offer reflections on the Narrative Lectionary. But, I won't be posting daily--at least, for a while.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Congregating the Strata, a Reflection on 1 Corinthians 12:20-31

Society then was comprised of different levels. Some people were in categories not much respected or admired. Some people were regarded as being at the top of the social pyramid. 

Not only society in general, but also the church.

Paul instructed them to recognize their mutual need for each other's contributions.

I'm wondering about today's congregations. Some differences in all churches--somebody preaches, somebody teaches children's Sunday School (for churches that still have children), somebody leads the choir, and so on. But, do all congregations include people from different economic and ethnic backgrounds? If they did, what differences would the church experience? What differences would the church make on the world (or, at least, the community around it)?

At St. Luke's, in trying to help us figure out how to offer radical hospitality, we are reading and discussing Stephanie Spellers, Radical Welcome: Embracing God, the Other, and the Spirit of Transformation.

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