“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.”
–1 Corinthians 2:1-3

This Sunday we will continue to navigate our way through the first couple of chapters of Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. The theme of this series is “Called into Partnership,” which plays directly into the focus this quarter for our participation in the “Thriving Congregations” project sponsored by Lexington Theological Seminary and Disciples Home Missions.

Here is what we have learned so far from Paul about being in partnership together as the body of Christ.

Partnership begins with God’s call and not human preference. God chose us whether we wanted such a blessing or not. And as a congregation, we are called together in the life and way of Jesus, first and foremost. Unity in Christ is our common bond and from this center we have paved our way together.

We have also learned that we move as one, but more like a blob than anything else. Some of us are quicker to grasp our mission and purpose, some rest longer in prayer in reflection, and some of us are natural doers while others focus energy on Sunday worship and fellowship time. But the good news is, we still move forward together.

Paul was also instructive in teaching the church in Corinth that partnership means moving toward the same horizon, even with different perspectives. When ministry becomes about “who leads” rather than “why we’re here,” the body pulls apart. If loyalty is no longer centered around Christ but in their case, Paul or Apollos a shared vision is harder to share.

And last Sunday Paul’s words encouraged us to rethink what God holds to be strength. There is more strength in humility than the power humanity seems to value. God redefines what faithfulness looks like, and partnership thrives when humility leads.

This Sunday, we will center ourselves around 1 Corinthians 2:1–5. We will find that our shared ministry is rooted in trust rather than control. Paul knew this with his relationship with the early church, and he worked hard to model restraint, not dominance. Leadership must invite and not overwhelm. It will also be good to remind ourselves that faith deepens when power is shared.

It will be a good day to worship together in person or on YouTube. See you then.

Brett