For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

–1 Corinthians 12:13

As I sit in my office typing this (desperately trying to get it done before the deadline so I don’t mess up Elizabeth’s plans to get the newsletter out) I cannot help but notice the sunshine that is pouring in through the windows of my office.  Quite frankly seeing that sunshine makes me want to be outside doing just about anything besides sitting and typing away at my keyboard.

But as I sat losing myself in another momentary daydream I found myself looking at the words from 1st Corinthians seen above.  Those words stood out to me as day after day I see news reports and headlines that speak of anything but oneness.  We live in a time of disagreement and discord.  A time where too often people see anyone who disagrees with them as wrong, or worse as the enemy.  Often as the church (locally, nationally, worldwide), we like to think that is true of those people and situations outside our doors, but not within them.  Sadly that is not the case.  We often find the same squabbles, same disagreements within the church as well.

I don’t begin to suggest that there is an easy way to bridge those gaps, after all we hold our convictions tightly for a reason, but I do hope that as the church we can also remember those words from 1st Corinthians.  “For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…all made to drink of one Spirit.” Jesus did not come to set up a network of denominations and churches and all the things that we have created since his ascension.

Jesus came to offer love and hope and the promise of eternal life to all people.  Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, man or woman or child.  He did not pick and choose those whom he deemed worthy, we picked us all as one people, the human race.  That’s who Jesus loved, that’s who we are called to love.

That sunlight is still pouring in through my window and to me, at this time and in this place, it is a reminder that God put that sun in the sky to shine on all of his creation, all of his children, all those that he loves.  Let us bask in the warmth of that light together as one people, as together we work to share that love and warmth with the world.

God Bless,

Pastor Devin

Click here to see the rest of the June 2017