1 Corinthians 1:10-17; John 17:20-21

World Communion Sunday

 

    One of the most frequently asked questions I've heard over the years is do we really believe in the catholic church? This comes up because of the Apostles Creed, an ancient statement of Christian faith which affirms belief in the" holy catholic church." And so many wonder. Does this mean the Roman Catholic Church?

    The short answer is NO. Catholic spelled with a small c simply means "universal." And so the "holy catholic church" does not refer to any one specific church, Roman or otherwise, but to all churches and Christians founded on faith Jesus Christ.

    Let me add some more background. In early versions of this creed the word 'catholic' doesn't even appear. The early versions affirm faith only in the 'holy church.' Not until roughly 700 A.D. does 'holy catholic Church' appear with catholic spelled with a small c and Church is capitalized.

    Now the Apostle's Creed came into existence...

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Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22; James 5:13-20; Mark 9:38-50

Sept. 27, 2007 - 17th Pentecost

 

    If you have gone up the steps across from the elevator recently you may have found it very dark. The stairwell lights are on a sensor and have not been working consistently. At times you may have noticed a rectangular box propping open the upstairs door so the light from the hallway could help you to see going down. This box was intended to be helpful, but actually it created another problem because if you didn't see it, you could easily trip and do a free fall all the way down the steps. This almost happened in fact. So now you know. A box is not a door stop.

    A physical stumbling block is one thing, but in Mark's gospel Jesus talks about putting stumbling blocks in the way of those who believe in him. Stumbling blocks to Jesus can take many forms but the common denominator is that they cause us to trip spiritually and lead or repels us away from Christ. Jesus gives a very...

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Psalm 1; James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a; Mark 9:30-37

 

    Dale was in his 60s and legally blind because of a stroke. One day he asked for someone to come and mow his yard. So I volunteered. While there he also wanted his yard trimmed, but the line on his trimmer had run out. No problem. Dale had extra line and a set of printed instructions and diagrams to wind it on the spool.

    I started with the instructions, but the print was small and the diagrams not self-evident. As it got darker it was harder to see. I wasn't having much success. Dale sensed my frustration and started coaching me. I don't remember his exact words but they went something as follows: 'Now you take the head off by loosening the screw on the side. Now wind the line on each side, but in different directions. See the arrows there to show you? Now you have to make sure you put things back together in the right order and don't forget anything, especially the spring. It won't work without it. And be sure to retighten...

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