Sunrise Service at Ruhamah Methodist Church
Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor,
Paul wrote the letter to the Roman Christians late in his career. A few years before this letter was written, Emperor Claudius banished all Jews from Rome. This included the Jewish Christians. Later they were allowed to return. When they returned to Rome the Jewish Christians found that the Gentile Christians no longer practiced the Jewish faith in their Christian practices. This caused conflict.
In Paul’s most scholarly method he lays out the history of mankind and the Jewish people. He goes back to Genesis and points out that Adam brought sin into the world. Jesus was the new Adam and by his death he freed those that believed in him from the sin that Adam brought into the world. He speaks about how Christianity was open to all ethnicities. He speaks about gentiles through Christ are grafted onto the tree of life.
Paul’s presentations in the book of Romans shows us that he was more than just a pharisee who knew the law, but that he was able to take the knowledge he and use it for God’s glory. This is a solid book filled with sound guidance.
In Chapter 12 he is telling the Roman Christians to get along with each other and to be respectful of other backgrounds, and not attempt to override people with saying if you don’t practice your faith like I do you are wrong. He says how a person practices their faith such as teaching or serving. Let those people do how they feel they are led. Love must be free of all this infighting about who was best. In verse 12:10, Paul is saying we pull together in brotherly love and honoring them.
What does that mean for today’s Church? We need to be respectful of those that practice their faith differently than we do. Each of the denominations have their purpose and are part of God’s plan. When I worked in an office of mostly Baptists, I was the lone Methodist. Little cutting comments were made about my way of practicing my faith by one person in particular. I began to call myself a heathen Methodist to deflect the pain those words had landed on me. I grew up Baptist and it is a lovely way to practice faith, but to me I prefer going to the altar to pray before I take communion. It was where I was led to practice my faith. Do I agree with all the Methodist do? No, but the way I see it, I am where I should be, and when I am at that altar to pray before communion is one of the most beautiful acts of faith that I can do.
There will be conflicts in the church family just like there will be conflicts in families, but we must remember to love first and be devoted to each other for we are family.
Today’s question:
What does being devoted to your church family with love mean to you?
Ever in Christ’s love,
Mary Elizabeth Todd
February 12, 2024 & May 22, 2024
Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor,
Paul wrote the letter to the Roman Christians late in his career. A few years before this letter was written, Emperor Claudius banished all Jews from Rome. This included the Jewish Christians. Later they were allowed to return. When they returned to Rome the Jewish Christians found that the Gentile Christians no longer practiced the Jewish faith in their Christian practices. This caused conflict.
In Paul’s most scholarly method he lays out the history of mankind and the Jewish people. He goes back to Genesis and points out that Adam brought sin into the world. Jesus was the new Adam and by his death he freed those that believed in him from the sin that Adam brought into the world. He speaks about how Christianity was open to all ethnicities. He speaks about gentiles through Christ are grafted onto the tree of life.
Paul’s presentations in the book of Romans shows us that he was more than just a pharisee who knew the law, but that he was able to take the knowledge he and use it for God’s glory. This is a solid book filled with sound guidance.
In Chapter 12 he is telling the Roman Christians to get along with each other and to be respectful of other backgrounds, and not attempt to override people with saying if you don’t practice your faith like I do you are wrong. He says how a person practices their faith such as teaching or serving. Let those people do how they feel they are led. Love must be free of all this infighting about who was best. In verse 12:10, Paul is saying we pull together in brotherly love and honoring them.
What does that mean for today’s Church? We need to be respectful of those that practice their faith differently than we do. Each of the denominations have their purpose and are part of God’s plan. When I worked in an office of mostly Baptists, I was the lone Methodist. Little cutting comments were made about my way of practicing my faith by one person in particular. I began to call myself a heathen Methodist to deflect the pain those words had landed on me. I grew up Baptist and it is a lovely way to practice faith, but to me I prefer going to the altar to pray before I take communion. It was where I was led to practice my faith. Do I agree with all the Methodist do? No, but the way I see it, I am where I should be, and when I am at that altar to pray before communion is one of the most beautiful acts of faith that I can do.
There will be conflicts in the church family just like there will be conflicts in families, but we must remember to love first and be devoted to each other for we are family.
Today’s question:
What does being devoted to your church family with love mean to you?
Ever in Christ’s love,
Mary Elizabeth Todd
February 12, 2024 & May 22, 2024