Tag: Corinthians

Pastor’s Notes 2/6/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“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

Pastor’s Notes 1/30/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.” 1 Cor. 1:26

I don’t usually pay much attention to my wife’s double-sided make-up mirror in our bathroom. It happened to be flipped to the extra magnification side. Out of curiosity, I took a look.

Whoa! I was taken aback by what I was seeing. It was my face but had I not known better, I might have guessed I was looking at the surface of the moon! That was harsh, and a little more than I thought I would see. Moisturizer definitely needs to be in my daily regimen.

Our scripture for Sunday is 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. In this passage, Paul invites the church to take an honest and closer look at itself to remember who God is calling us to be. It is important to look deep inside and remind ourselves of how we respond to God at work in us and in the world.

The Corinthians, like many communities, were tempted to measure faithfulness by cultural standards: influence, wisdom, success, and status. Paul gently but clearly turns that thinking upside down.

“Consider your own call,” he says. God did not choose the church because it was impressive. God chose the church to reveal what truly matters.

Paul reminds us that God’s wisdom is often revealed through what the world overlooks. God works through ordinary people, shared life, humility, and trust. The strength of the church is not found in prestige or performance, but in belonging to Christ and living faithfully together.

As a congregation committed to serving and praying together, we’ll consider how thriving may require letting go of cultural expectations so we can trust more deeply in God’s wisdom already at work among us.

I look forward to worshipping with you in person or on YouTube this Sunday.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 6/20/2025

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 
– 1 Corinthians 1:25-27

In preparation for the General Assembly of our denomination, over the next few Sundays we will explore scripture texts to go with the theme “Beyond.” On Sunday we will continue our journey with God’s grace, the movement of the Holy Spirit, and the call of Jesus as we wonder “Beyond Strength.”

 According to Lizette Acosta in her Bible Study materials on this text:

“Paul insists that salvation is not by merit. The wise do not have greater access to salvation through their wisdom. The rich cannot purchase it. The strong cannot, by their strength, attain it. God’s salvation was solely the work of Christ on the cross.”

God’s ways are not ways. The people of Corinth weren’t powerful, nor were they nobility and few would in society would label them as bearing wisdom. They were just regular people. But God has a way of using the ordinary for extraordinary acts of love. God desires us to be who are made to be and Christ’s calls us into action, just as we are. With the Holy Spirit’s guiding we are capable beyond anything we feel equipped for.

Many blessings and I look forward to worshipping with you in person or on YouTube this Sunday. I close this reflection with a poem by Rae Karim:
 

Beyond what makes us think we know
Beyond what makes us believe we can do
Are the mysteries of God, revealed in ways that…
sometimes leave us wondering
sometimes leave us wandering for answers
Questioning the hows and whys of God’s choices
But it’s not meant for our understanding
It’s meant for us to trust God’s plan is always in order
God always thinks bigger and goes farther in the Divine Strategy

Yes! Yes! God chose you and God chose me
Regardless of what the world thought of it
God chose you and God chose me
Knowing we’d be good for the part
Good for not simply playing the role
But being the role,
We…the ones who put the powerful to shame
We…the ones who disconnect the lights of notoriety & acclaim
We…the ones who remember God called and calls our names
Not for us to boast in the Presence as if we made it on our own
But to indeed boast about the Presence
That transforms and renews
That redeems and sanctifies
That is and will always be…wiser.

Rae Karim

Pastor’s Notes 11/22/2024

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God”
2 Corinthians 9:11

As we prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving Sunday, we are reminded of the abundant blessings that surround us. Gratitude often comes easily when life is good—when we gather with loved ones, share meals, and recount the joys of the year. Yet, scripture invites us to go deeper, to recognize and give thanks for God’s presence not just in the joys but also through the brokenness, trial, and loss we experience in life.

The apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 call us to a life of generous thanksgiving—what we might call “thankful living.” Paul reminds the Corinthian church that generosity is not only about giving material goods; it is about living with open hearts and hands, spreading blessings that glorify God and bring hope to others. This is the essence of a harvest rooted in faith: sowing seeds of kindness, grace, and support even when resources or strength feel scarce.

As we spread blessings, whether through acts of kindness, words of encouragement, or material gifts, we participate in a cycle of grace and gratitude that draws us closer to God and one another. This is a huge lesson Paul was hoping to teach when encouraging early followers of Jesus, like the Corinthian Church, to support the congregation in Jerusalem that was finding itself in need.

This Thanksgiving Sunday, let us gather as a church community to reflect on how we can embrace “thankful living.” Let us remember God’s faithfulness in every season, the joyful and the sorrowful, and commit ourselves to sowing seeds of generosity and hope in the lives of others. As we give thanks, may we see a harvest of gratitude spring up around us, glorifying God and drawing others into the blessing love we know in Christ. I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday in person or on YouTube.

Brett