Thanking God

The Christian Community Comes Alive
Seeds of New Growth

God Makes No Distinction

Romans 1:8-15  The Message

^8-12 I thank God through Jesus for every one of you. That’s first. People everywhere keep telling me about your lives of faith, and every time I hear them, I thank him. And God, whom I so love to worship and serve by spreading the good news of his Son—the Message!—knows that every time I think of you in my prayers, which is practically all the time, I ask him to clear the way for me to come and see you. The longer this waiting goes on, the deeper the ache. I so want to be there to deliver God’s gift in person and watch you grow stronger right before my eyes! But don’t think I’m not expecting to get something out of this, too! You have as much to give me as I do to you.

^13-15 Please don’t misinterpret my failure to visit you, friends. You have no idea how many times I’ve made plans for Rome. I’ve been determined to get some personal enjoyment out of God’s work among you, as I have in so many other non-Jewish towns and communities. But something has always come up and prevented it. Everyone I meet—it matters little whether they’re mannered or rude, smart or simple—deepens my sense of interdependence and obligation. And that’s why I can’t wait to get to you in Rome, preaching this wonderful good news of God.

For Reflection 

What Joy Paul has experienced in the midst of people of all kinds.  His joy is in the thrill of seeing diversity embraced as portions of a single body in Christ.  Have we learned so little that in 2015 we fear diversity?  Is there no longer room in the body of Christ for "different" people?  How many people have wanted to belong to Christian communities, but were discouraged from doing so because Christians were seen as inhospitable?  Do we not believe that Christ walked with prostitutes, lepers, women and other second class citizens in the First Century?  Were they not invited into the community of believers?

We hear little criticism of the false prophets of Christianity?  In our silence we are complicit in the practice of Christian hypocrisy.  Who do you exclude in the name of God?

Pray

for the body of Christ, the Christian Church.  Pray for each Christian to provide opportunities for all walks of life to enter into the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that those whose misguided and misinformed theology will realize that the love of God extends to all.