Getting Lost in the Woods

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is quite intriguing. Some of his letters offer general counsel and teachings to early church communities. A bit like when Bishop Doug writes a letter to all the churches in our diocese.  Other letters, like this one to the early church in Corinth, are written to a single community facing particular concerns. It really gives a vibrant picture of what was going on in the community, which has been an insightful gift to other church communities throughout history. What we are reading is Paul’s reply to a letter he received from the Corinthians, where they had identified several issues their community was contending with: marriage, food sacrificed to idols, and spiritual gifts. The latter is addressed in today’s passage.  There was tension within the community, as some members were placing a higher value on certain spiritual gifts, particularly the ability to speak in tongues. This was then exasperated by the fact that some members with the gift to spe

In today’s gospel lesson, Jesus is now twelve years old, and on the cusp of adulthood in his culture.  It would not have been unusual for a child to be separated from their parents, while traveling back home from Jerusalem in a large caravan of family and friends.   Yet when  an  entire day   goes by without   any sight of Jesus, Mary and Joseph’s gut instinct was triggered -- something was wrong.  They began to search for Jesus among their family and friends.  On the first day of searching there was concern; by the second day there was downright worry; and by the third day they were searching in great anxiety.  Worry and anxiety are routine parts of life.  Sometimes they can shift from a momentary feeling into a debilitating and painful frame of mind that prevents our ongoing growth, health, and wellbeing.  They can play an active role in interrupting our relationship with God.  It’s a bit like a loud electrical buzzing that limits our hearing, or a fog settling in, that then limits o