Loving Sincereley

In his book, The Rise of Christianity, sociologist Rodney Stark chronicles how a tiny and obscure messianic movement from the edge of the Roman Empire came to dominate Western civilization in just a few centuries. He tells the story of the ever-growing band of believers that had, to the Roman mind, a ridiculous and absurd way of living in community and loving their neighbors…how they learned to love each other sincerely and literally transformed the Western world. And so, it’s important, as we continue reading through St. Paul’s letter to those same first Christians in Rome, to consider his instruction and ask the question, “What kind of community has God called Redeemer to be?”

This Sunday we’ll explore the essential quality of the life we’re called to share with one another.