1Corinthians 1:10-18

The Bible has two books in it that are letters by Paul to the same church, the church at Corinth. Scholars believe that he actually wrote 4 letters and only two of them survived. He wrote more letters to them because he was unusually concerned over the amount of quarreling going on in their church.

 I want to speak with you this morning about disagreements among Christians. Two hundred years ago, Methodists and Presbyterians were deeply divided on religious issues. If you were Methodist, it was unthinkable that you would give up your opinions on free will or freedom to fall from grace. Presbyterians had the five pillars of Calvinism and Methodists answered them point by point.

 Today, the major differences between these groups has more to do with the efficiency of their administration and their financial viability. The real differences among Christians are more being defined by radio and television and internet where the differences are in each congregation.

 This is highlighted by the unparalleled turnover in churches for the next five years. They predict that 50,000 churches in the US will close in the next five years and new churches will be born to take their place. This is not a prediction that Americans are more opposed to Christianity, but less patient with structures where people fight and run a club atmosphere.

 In cars, when a lot of moving parts are next to each other, they apply grease. Wheel bearings are packed with grease because they would burn up in a minute if they were left untreated. And grease is one of those wonderful ingredients that you can’t get rid of easily once its been applied. When I travel now, I take baggies and zip lock any bottles with liquid, but I did not always do that. I still remember a trip years ago when oil got loose in my luggage. Who knew that such a small bottle would have such a big impact?

 So we are going to look at Paul’s letter to the Corinthians today. And I hope you get more confidence and more peace about the struggle to live together in a community in a way that blesses all of us. This is a great church and this morning will help us keep that wonderful spirit as we grow.

 Paul places a great emphasis on unity in his letter. If historians are correct, he returns to the problems at Corinth again and again to try to bring peace. And the first lesson we see in this passage is that the spirit of unity is greater than agreeing with other Christians. What we have to agree on is that Christ’s death and resurrection is what makes freedom, salvation, and justice possible.

 So we go into church life knowing that sometimes we will hear things that challenge us or things that we think are flatly wrong. And let’s face it, part of church life is the transformation of each of us into the women and men that Christ wants us to be. Transformation is painful at times. Part of transformation is reexamining our beliefs in light of the Scriptures, tradition, Spirit, and reason. The results are wonderful, but the process is sometimes not. When you go to the dentist, the day after, you feel terrific.

 This week I went to hear Jim Wallis speak in New York. He started the Sojourners and I respect them more than any other Christian institution. His talk was fascinating and he had just spoken at the annual Democratic Senators retreat on faith and politics. So I’m listening and suddenly he says something with which I disagree. At first I just didn’t feel happy. But then I realized that the same principle is operating. I can’t separate from every Christian who has a different idea, because on some issue, we each would disagree with each other. The only perfect church would have one member in it and it would no longer be perfect after you joined it.

 So our unity is so dependent on a holy grease, the Spirit of God coming among us to help us with love and patience, and the other fruits of the Spirit that allow us to live together.

 Secondly, there are times when our differences are so strong that Christians cannot stay together. The man charged two weeks ago for Ku Klux Klan murders in the 60’s was apparently a Baptist pastor. Some of the most racist and hateful speech on the Internet comes from people who say that they are Christians.

 Paul has a word that helps us in these most difficult situations. He says that God chooses the weak of the world to confound the strong. In other words, oppressed Christians who are not in power have a clearer insight into the heart of God than Christians who are closer to power. In our world, the powers and principalities seek to keep things the way they are. Put bluntly, there are hungry people because it is in someone’s best interest for there to be hungry people. We have a war in Iraq because someone expects to profit from it. So Christians who also have money and good jobs may have trouble sorting out what is God’s will from the influence of political party, corporate guidelines, and class pressures.

 So if you are listening to an internet evangelist or radio preacher and it doesn’t match what you hear in church, ask who is closer to the weak of this world. Paul does not offer it as a guarantee in every situation, but as a general guide.

 And lastly, each church is influenced by the work of the pastor. Paul claims the apostolic gift at the beginning of this chapter, the power to interpret the gospel with authority. In the generations since, Christians have tried to validate that energy through ordination or licensing and many times, people have just started things and claimed it anyway.

 As I am about to give my 500^th sermon at Community Church later this year, some of you have a comprehensive view of how I apply our faith to the important of issues of our world. I have given you the seven lifesaving principles and they are on the internet so that you see the center from which I start.

 I have tried on issues of war and peace and other questions to stay with Methodist guidelines from our Book of Social Principles. On those and on questions of becoming a Christian and our understanding of God, I am coming to you from that apostolic tradition. It does provide a context for each local church.

 As our church grows, of course more people and more ideas get involved. What keeps us together and loving? It is the holy grease that Paul discusses, the ministry of the Holy Spirit among us, the witness of the oppressed church and the apostolic work of the pastor. I pray that each of these will be a blessing and a help to you in your own spiritual transformation into the face, hands and feet of Christ.