From the Pastor |
1 Corinthians 3:5-11
I have to admit… I truly felt that Paul’s words, from 1 Corinthians, were very appropriate tjis week. Not because he was writing to a church that was divided and bickering, but because we are in a time of transition… a time of change when one pastoral leader leaves and another will soon arrive. This is… as you probably know… my last Sunday with you all. After this week, I will be moving on to a new appointment and Pastor Yeon Shin will be taking over as pastor for the Olivebridge & Samsonville churches. It is this reason that I chose Paul’s words for today. You see… Pau had received distressing news that the church in Corinth was being divided and was fighting amongst themselves: For it has been made clear to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” [1 Cor. 1:11-12] It seems that the believers in Corinth had divided themselves by whose teachings they followed and then considered all others to be wrong… It did not matter who they followed… Paul, Apollos, Cephas or even Jesus… if you thought another teacher’s viewpoint took precedence… you were wrong. In fact… it had gotten so bad that Paul devotes the first 4 chapters of this letter to THIS very issue… and as the letter progresses it seems the biggest divisions are between those who belonged to Paul VS. those who belonged to Apollos… and that my friends is the problem… but we will get to that in a minute. Paul and Apollos… a Christian teacher who came AFTER Paul… have become the flashpoint of the conflicts… Two pastoral leaders who have been elevated to a “pope-like” status. Paul writes: “What then is Apollos? What is Paul?” and then he answers his own questions: “Servants through whom you came to believe…” [vs. 5] Paul calls for the people to reevaluate how they view these two teachers… What are they? SERVANTS! They are not masters… not saviors… not the source of power… THEY are NOT the gospel! They are servants! “Through whom you came to believe…” He reminds them that the power that brought them to the Christian faith... the message of salvation… did not come from either Paul OR Apollos… it does not reside in them… It FLOWS THROUGH them. They did not create the faith, they simply delivered the message given to them… “as the Lord assigned to each.” They were both successful in their ministries… Some came to the faith through Paul… others through Apollos, but neither man was the source… the power, grace or salvation. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” [vs. 6] God alone is the source of the message and the power… the reason that the seeds planted and cared for were able to take root and grow. This is what we need to remember during this time of transition. Our teachers… our pastoral leaders are given various and varied gifts and messages… assigned by the Lord… called to plant the seeds of faith wherever they need to be planted and ALSO to water those seeds previously planted. Paul reminds them… and us… that it was never about Paul… or Apollos… or Peter… or any other preacher throughout history. It has been and always will be about God. The biggest mistake the Corinthians made was believing they belonged to one of their teachers… they belonged to the Lord… this is what they had forgotten. Spiritual growth falls upon God. It is God alone who will make the seeds grow and flourish. This this does not mean that Paul and Apollos did not have a purpose… they certainly did… but their purpose was the same. “The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose…” [vs. 8] They were 2 very different teachers… with different methods, but they were still One… united by Christ for one purpose… to share the Christian faith… the glorious Good News… planting the seeds of faith… and when appropriate… watering the seeds previously planted. They were united in their dependence on the One Spring of Life that flowed through them both. They were united in their care for and love of the people. They were united in their basic message that Jesus died and rose again for the salvation of all who believe. Their words might not have been identical… their actions might have varied… but God would use them both to do the work God set them to do. We are reminded today that WE are all God’s co-workers… WE belong to God… not to Paul or Apollos or to any other pastor… but solely to the Lord. It is God that provides the seeds… it is God who enables the seeds to grow. It is when we work together… building upon the foundation that is Christ Our Lord… that God’s power flows through us. Bishop Bickerton, Our DS Rev. Dr. Karen Monk and the cabinet faced immense difficulties this appointment season as they found a large shortage of pastors able to serve. Through a LONG discernment process and a LOT of prayer… they have decided that it was time for a change to come to our little charge. Change is hard… and it is often unwelcome… but it is also necessary for growth to occur. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” Without the change of seasons the fields and forests around us would not flourish… change brings life and growth that would not exist if things remained stagnant… and change brings with it opportunity… an opportunity for New Experiences that also lead to new growth. Isaiah 43:18-19 reminds us that we are not to dwell on the past: “Forget the former things…” the prophet writes… “do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” God is always creating and re-creating… every single day. New life… new growth all come from change. Although we have struggled over the years with shrinking congregations, I truly believe that our missions and ministries have… indeed… planted seeds in our churches and our community. As Paul said… “I laid a foundation…” [vs. 10] and now it is time for someone else to build upon it. It is time for another… with different gifts and graces… different ways assigned by God to come among you to not only plant her own seeds, but to water the seeds we have planted together these last 10 years. Then… I pray… the through her leadership… with prayer and faith… we will be able to watch as God’s power will cause the fields of faith in Olivebridge & Samsonville to grow. I ask… simply… that you work with Pastor Yeon… welcoming and embracing her as you have me for so long. Remember that we are all different and we need to let each builder choose with care HOW to build upon the foundation that has been laid… the foundation that is Jesus Christ! Amen.
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Yeon Shin
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