Something Is Amiss
Something Is Amiss
Something is amiss in the way we come to know things.
The Jewish people had Torah, God's own guidance and instruction for them. They had the prophets who interpreted Torah for their unique circumstances and called them to repentance. And yet, it wasn't enough. Jesus had to to challenge and correct their interpretation. He says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
The Greeks and the Romans had philosophy and rhetoric. They had a tradition of wisdom literature that we continue to study today and masterful expositions of metaphysics and politics. And yet, it wasn't enough. Paul had to challenge and correct their expectations. He said, “When I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.”
Neither Jews nor Greeks—gifted in their own ways—arrived naturally at knowledge of the Gospel. None of us does. The sort of knowledge that Jesus and Paul invite us to discover originates from elsewhere and expresses itself in different, surprising—perhaps shocking—ways. Paul says that Gospel knowledge is not “of this age,” not a “spirit of this world,” “not taught by human wisdom,” not understood by “the natural man” or “the rulers of this world.” Rather, its source is the Holy Spirit, its content is Messiah Jesus and him crucified, and its location is in his followers.
This Sunday, we'll explore a passage from Paul's letter to the Church in Corinth. There, we'll see that the way we know is grounded in who knows us.
I will be glad to see you then!
Shalom,
Steve E+
Ash Wednesday Service—February 22, 7:00 PM
Joy Together Sundays
One Sunday per month beginning in February and continuing over the following three months, we are taking a different approach to our worship service. For about 40 minutes or so, we'll pray the Daily Office (Morning Prayer service) together. For about 20 minutes, we'll break for some refreshment. Then for an hour or so, we'll focus on one key theme from a book our Small Groups studied last year called “The Other Half of Church” (having a copy will be very helpful). This book is meant to help us experience facets of the Gospel together in a “relational” way that helps us build joy together. The authors, following current brain science research, define joy as the feeling we get when someone is “glad to be with us.” This is a great description of Jesus' name Immanuel, "God With Us”—even when it meant enduring the cross on our behalf. On Joy Together Sundays, we'll learn and practice different ways of experiencing that joy.
Nursery and Children's Formation will be provided during the teaching/experience hour as usual (though not during Morning Prayer) and we plan to finish by noon.
We hope you'll pray for Redeemer during this season of becoming more mature in our experience and expression of the Gospel individually and together. And we hope you'll be engage in our Joy Together Sundays.
Here’s the Joy Together Sunday schedule
February 26
March26
April 30
May21
Morning Prayer—10:00-10:40AM
Brunch—10:40-11:00AM
Teaching/Experience—11:00AM-Noon
Picture credit: Daniel Mingook Kim on Unsplash