Please note: The flag flew at the church today in honor of Patriot Day, when we remember to those who were injured or died during the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, and the first responders who rushed into the center of catastrophe to help others.
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Greet also the church in their house.”
— Romans 15:1-5a
This Sunday in worship we wrap up our series on Pauls’ letter to the divided church in Rome. When I teach Romans I always start with the ending. It often shakes up our assumptions about Paul to remember that at least in this instance he did not judge leaders on the basis of gender. It is also a reminder that Paul is writing to a church which he has not started. He is sharing his bona fides (or name-dropping, depending on your perspective).
What is most striking to me in these days is to remember that Paul is writing to a church which meets in people’s homes. “Greet also the church in their house.” We know that Jesus and the disciples preached and taught, healed and fed, in whatever place they could find. This continued in the early church: sometimes the people gathered in synagogues and marketplaces, and often in the homes of believers or friends. This sometimes led to factionalism (as in Rome) and favoritism (as in Corinthians).
Of course, as the movement grew in numbers and wealth, believers began to seek and build spaces dedicated to worship, teaching, service and fellowship. This ideally helped ease factionalism and heresy, but it sometimes led to the professionalization of belief. (Much later the Christianity was central to the rise of centers of education in the Western hemisphere.) This hasn’t really prevented us from judging each other, we just do it on a larger scale.
Church buildings were never meant to supplant the center of worship, which is in the heart of the believer. They were never meant to replace the center of Christian formation, which is the home. They were never meant to be the sole place of service, which is the world beyond our buildings. The large gathering of the believers can never replace the one-to-one sharing of faith.
I was thinking of this as we sent our kids to school this week. On Wednesday morning Kathy led the kids outside for their “first day of school” pictures. Then they made their separate commutes to school: the children to their bedrooms, and Kathy to the dining room. Thus it is for many of us with school or work, and most of us with worship. Instead of going off to school, or to church, we stay at home. THEN, through individual reflection or family fellowship, bring home what we have learned and practiced.
Gracious God, with all that we have lost in this time apart, we still thank you for the blessing of our hearts for worship, our homes for learning and growth, the world for service, and one-to-one communication for true fellowship of believers. Help us to rejoice in these blessings, and make use of them to your glory. In the name and work of Jesus we pray. Amen.
I greet the church which is in your head, your heart, your home and your hands.
George
Your questions for Sunday’s message:
1. What distracts you from living out your purpose?
2. What are some of the ways Christians judge each other today?
3. Where is our next mission field?