Two Cups with God

 

In the midst of the mess and the beauty of life, He listens,

 He enters into my world and I enter His.

 Two cups with my Father,

two cups with Jesus,

two cups along with the Spirit......

He sups with me and I with Him,

a window of Heaven cracked......

 

Prayer Journal

 

 

The devotional reading I picked for myself today was 1 Corinthians Chapters 1-3. It reads much like a letter from a grieving parent. Paul has spent his own time, money, and resources for 18 months in Corinth. He knew that there was a lot at stake. If the church could take root in Corinth, it could take root anywhere. A city of around 700,000, it was full of every kind of philosophy, thought, religion, as well as every kind of sexual morality you could think of.

 

Certain things were happening in the Church that deeply troubled Paul. They need to be reminded of who they were. It seems they had a case of "spiritual amnesia." Certain people were queuing up to follow the church leaders instead of Christ. Some followed Peter, some followed Paul, some followed the dynamic new person on the scene, Apollos. Still others followed Jesus.

 

Right now we are in the midst of an election year. We listen to the speeches, we hear who speaks the best, who looks the best, who is the most eloquent, who says what best matches our philosophies and beliefs. But no politician has the power to save us, and neither did any of the church leaders of Paul's day.

 

But Jesus does. He is our hope, no matter what happens in our economy, our country, our world.

 

Sometimes, like the Corinthian church, I need to be reminded of who I am and who I believe. I take comfort in Paul's words today.  It is so easy to get swept up in the worries of the world and all the different voices clamoring for our attention.

 

I need to be reminded that what I do matters and that wherever I go, I am taking God with me in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

 

I love how, even though Paul is brimming over with frustration, he is also brimming over with love and thanksgiving.

 

"To the church of God in Corinth (or America), to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together all those everywhere who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ--Their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." Paul