Monday, February 6, 2023

Today’s Scripture Reading 
1 Corinthians 3:1–9

And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building. (NRSV)

Reflection
While growing up, my family attended a United Church of Christ church in Chesterfield, Missouri. It was a very loving and nurturing church family. Our music director noted my interest in music and taught me all that she could about church music. I have great memories of trips to handbell conferences, Vacation Bible School, youth lock-ins (what youth doesn’t love a game of sardines in the entire building at midnight?), confirmation class, and the list goes on. When I was in ninth grade, our church hired a new pastor. All was well at first, but some congregants grew uncomfortable with the change in leadership. The church ended up splitting into two groups: team new pastor and team old ways. The new pastor ended up being fired, and half of us left the church, hired him, and started our own church. My family was one of the ones that left.

We would often encounter some of our former church family while out and about, and the tension was heartbreaking. Glares would be exchanged, and everyone did anything they could to avoid each other. At age fifteen, I was still very naive, but wondered how could my past and present church family treat each other like this? Aren’t we supposed to love one another?

The church in Corinth must have been going through some rough times. Paul reminds us that we are all needed in our church family. We all bring our different gifts and ideas to make us a community that strives to show God’s love to others.

Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for the gifts with which you have blessed me. Help me to use them to the best of my ability to show your love to my church family and to others. Even when I am facing conflict, help me to remember your grace and forgiveness. Amen.

Written by Briana Belding-Peck, Family Ministry Coordinator

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email