Ezra 3:11b (NRSVue) - And all the people responded with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord had been laid.
In Ezra 3, the builders laid the foundation of the temple.
The priests made music.
They then sang songs of praise and thanksgiving.
Then all the people gave a great shout as they praised the Lord.
In Paul’s first letter to Corinth, he addresses division within the church.
He even addresses the confusion concerning his role.
He likens himself to a master builder who laid the foundation.
Yet others will build on that foundation.
He reminds these to build on that foundation with care.
Yet, Paul reminds his readers of who ultimately laid that foundation.
1 Corinthians 3:11 (NRSVue) - For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.
In our time, we tend to think of church as a building.
A building perhaps made of wood, stone, or brick.
The reality is quite different.
In fact, there is only one church.
That one church is, in fact, the entire body of believers with Christ as the head.
And we, as a body, have a responsibility that goes beyond worship alone.
Just as a human body has parts, the church body has parts as well.
We are told as children that God wants our hearts.
That is only partly true.
God wants all of us - our heart, hands, feet, and our minds.
He wants our hearts to love Him and our neighbor.
He wants our hands to serve.
He wants our feet to take us where He wants us to go.
And He wants our minds to tell the world about Christ and to discern the truth.
It is important that we remain open to God’s leading and to respond accordingly.
This is how we carefully build on the foundation that is Jesus Christ.
And we can take comfort that future generations will continue to build upon it as well.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, June 28, 2024.
I will be back here on Friday, July 5, 2024
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