Religion, Ritual, and Relationship
Every religion has rituals that help people express devotion or remember a key event or truth. Rituals and religion go together. And yet, even though I’m a follower of Jesus, I don’t love rituals. I’m far more concerned with relationships than I am with rituals. But I have to be honest, Paul’s writing in 1 Corinthians 10:15-22 is making me question whether I have given ritual too diminished a role in my own formation. Maybe there’s more to ritual than immediately meets the eye. Maybe ritual is a pathway to the relationship.
In seeking to keep the Corinthian church on track and walking with Jesus, Paul wrote,
16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16)
Paul is clearly writing about what we call Communion or the Lord’s Supper. It’s a ritual or ordinance, and it’s usually described as a way to “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again.” (1 Cor. 11:26) However, here he suggests that Communion is more than remembrance or proclamation, it’s participation. The Greek word translated as “participation” is “koinonia” which literally means “shared in common or fellowship.” Paul is saying that when we celebrate communion, we fellowship with Jesus; we share in his life in a unique, real, and special way.
However, there is a second point he makes as well. Listen to 1 Corinthians 10:20,
No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.
So, it’s not only possible to have fellowship with Jesus through ritual, but also to have fellowship with demons through ritual. Pagan rituals would have been very well-known by the Corinthians as they were surrounded by them. Paul doesn’t want them to make the mistake of thinking what goes on in the pagan temple is no big deal. He wants them to realize the same thing that happens at the communion table can also happen in a pagan temple – only with a demon instead of God. This is a caution for the Corinthian church about missing out on the union possible with Jesus but also cautions about the way demons want to fellowship with them for the purpose of destruction. When we downplay the power of ritual, we miss the invitation from Jesus for union and the danger of opening our lives to communing with demons.
In all of this, Paul wants to open our eyes to the spiritual power of ritual. Both God and demons meet people as they worship. Are there any ways you have participated in demonic rituals that may have opened your life up to fellowship with evil? If so, I want to encourage you to confess and repent and even to reach out for prayer. The strongholds that have been created can be broken, but they must be intentionally brought down. Secondly, next time you celebrate communion, know that it’s truly an invitation to fellowship, not an empty rote ritual.
Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor
Too Close To The Sun…
As we were discussing 1 Corinthians 10:1-22 in our writing meeting, someone pointed out that this section feels like a footnote or an asterisk to Chapter 9. In this chapter, Paul makes some eyebrow-raising points about reaching people for the Gospel, but it seems in Chapter 10 he wants to conclude his point by making something very clear: don’t get too confident in your freedom. Don’t grow complacent. Don’t let your guard down. We can slip into sin so quickly and so easily; none of us are exempt. Even God’s chosen people fell, again and again, due to overconfidence or complacency.
In Monday's devotional, Lynette Fuson made some excellent observations about the Old Testament stories Paul references as warnings against this kind of fall that remind us to remain alert. But I kept thinking about another ancient story frequently cited as a warning against self-confidence, pride, and complacency that illustrates a similar theme.
Icarus was trapped with his father, Daedalus, in King Minos’ prison in Crete. Daedalus was an incredible craftsman and inventor who managed to fashion wings out of feathers and wax for himself and Icarus. He planned to escape with these wings, but for their plan to succeed, Daedalus gave Icarus a warning: “Don’t fly too close to the sun.” Icarus felt so powerful and invincible wearing his wings that he didn’t heed his father’s warning and kept flying, up, up, and up... You may already know what happens or you may have already guessed Icarus’ fate. Yep, he went too close to the sun, and the wax holding his wings together melted. Because his wings fell apart, Icarus fell to the ocean below and drowned.
The Greek word often cited when labeling the cause of Icarus’ fall is hubris. It has come to mean excessive pride or self-confidence, but one of the older uses of it meant pushing the boundaries or the limits of what humans can do (towards the gods or the ordered cosmos).
I kept thinking of this myth when I read verse 12: “Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” We have so many stories about “falling” because as humans, we’re prone to become easily complacent and overconfident about what we can do; we forget how weak we really are. This is also the warning Paul is reminding believers about in Chapter 10. The fact that we are not bound may let us slip into the illusion that we are untouchable or incorruptible with Christ, and that is why Paul is being so careful to add this footnote to Chapter 9: “Any of us could be an “Icarus,” so let’s not allow our freedom to draw us into lifestyles, habits and practices that could lead into destruction.”
Ashley Carr
High School Teacher
Take Heed
“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13a)
Perhaps my all-time favorite critter our family ever owned was our son’s chameleon. When most people think about these lizards they probably recall the fact that they can change both color and skin pattern to blend in with their surroundings. That’s what I always thought about. But when we got the little dude, I was even more amazed by the fact that God designed him with eyes that swivel to look backwards. He could see what was in front of him, to the side of him and behind him without moving a muscle. Oh man, his poor lizard children! They couldn’t get away with anything!
In this week’s passage, one of the points Paul brings up is around the idea of resisting temptation and our need to “take heed” or “to see something physical, with spiritual results (perception)”. (The idea behind the word is that a person carries what is seen into the non-physical realm so he or she can take the needed action.) When it comes to fighting temptation there is a seeing and there is a responding. I want to think with you about the seeing part.
According to this week’s passage, being able to see all that surrounds us is part of what’s required to prevent us from falling prey to the schemes of the devil. For reasons known only to God, He did not give us eyes or heads that swivel. This then means we have to work even harder to pay attention to our setting and circumstances to avoid being overtaken. We must be vigilant. We must take heed.
But there is more to it than just seeing what is in front of us in our physical world. There is also the “seeing” that comes from perceiving what we are seeing. And this is what verse 12 is all about. All of this means we have a double challenge as we fight to live set-apart lives where we are continually experiencing growth in godliness -- we must see the obvious and we must perceive (“see”) the sometimes not-so-obvious so we can identify temptation and seek God’s help to endure it (v. 13).
I trust all of this sounds pretty cut-and-dried. We see something, we perceive it to be bad for us, and we avoid it. If only it were that simple, right? We know from this text (and personal experience) that temptation is all around us, and we have a tendency to downplay the likelihood we'll fall victim to it. That’s why Paul gives the command to “take heed lest you fall,” or to “pay attention” to what you see and to what it might mean in your life (and to then respond accordingly to prevent yourself from sinning).
Emmanuel Faith Church Family, I don’t know what temptations each of you are facing these days, but I think it would be good to pray and ask God to give us all the ability to see, perceive and remove ourselves from the things that could cause us to fall. I hope you’ll join me in praying along these lines today.
Scott Smith
Care Pastor
The Power of Story
"Now, these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come." (1 Corinthians 10:11)
When God looked out over all of the potential forms of communication that the world would ever see, he decided that the primary form he would use is narrative. That’s right … when God chose to communicate his most important message, he told a story. And that is what we have in the pages of Scripture: a lot of stories. Sure, there are other genres in the Bible, but the vast majority is narrative. God knew one day there would be an entire literary genre called "historical nonfiction" that would fastidiously document all of the pertinent details of historical figures with precision and detail. He could have chosen to communicate to us during a time when the Apostle Paul could have been live-tweeting his missionary journeys in real-time, when Moses could have had his own YouTube channel, or when David could have debuted the Psalms on TikTok. Instead, God chose to have his followers retell the stories of Israel’s heroes and villains, of great deeds and terrible mistakes.
Why would God choose to tell stories?
Maybe he told stories because it is the best way to communicate complex moral and theological principles that could stand the test of time. Think about the difference between a word and a picture. As the old saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” This is because, within a single picture, there are tons of details that you can observe with words. Then our minds can formulate conclusions and fill in the context. Many complex ideas, emotions, and stories can be captured in one good picture. Clearly, some pictures may be worth many thousands of words. But if that is true, how much more is a good story worth? Good stories populate our minds with images and scenes and concepts that are too big for words. Think about the simple story of the Prodigal Son. In the English translation, it is a story of only 493 words. However, how many words have been written about this simple story? Millions? Billions? Whatever the number, it would take more than a lifetime to read all the words that this simple story communicates.
So, this is why Paul reminds us that the stories throughout scripture are not just there for entertainment. They are there for our instruction. Let’s continue to study them and apply them, but let’s also read between the lines and fill in the gaps, imagining what the context of the stories of scripture was so that we can mine the depths of all that they are supposed to teach us today.
Josh Rose
Teaching Pastor
Lessons From Ancestors
Paul opens 1 Corinthians 10 with some lessons from the past. Long before Jesus walked this earth, Moses led the Israelites out of slavery, through the Red Sea, and into the wilderness in search of the Promised Land. Life was not easy but their needs were met. Their food may not have been tasty, but it brought nourishment to their bodies. They continually saw God’s wonder, provision, and grace, but did it truly impact their souls? God called them a “stiff-necked” people. They were stubborn, obstinate, and disobedient. God rescued them from captivity, provided for their needs, and called them into a new life, yet they were unwilling to live out their calling to love, honor, and obey God.
The Israelites were given multiple chances to behave and work on their attitudes, but their stubbornness always got in the way. 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 opens with, “I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.” Picture walking through the Red Sea with a massive wall of water and sea life on either side, only to then watch those same powerful waves descend upon their enemies and wipe them from the face of the earth. Should this not have caused them to trust their God who was leading them out of captivity. And he didn’t stop there. He led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night as a constant reminder of God’s glory, presence and provision. Paul reminds us that God led and provided for his people then just as he does today.
Consider verses 3-4, “All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.” Imagine wandering in the desert without a drop of water or a bite of food in sight. Then one night, after reaching a point of despair such that even captivity sounded attractive, discovering camps full of quail to eat each night and then waking up every morning to a substance that could only be defined as “what is it?” The sustenance provided for them on a daily basis traveled with them day after day and that life was provided through Christ. Again, God provided for his people then just as he does today.
This section sadly concludes with verse 5, “Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” Yikes! This is not the epitaph that any of us should aspire to! So what lessons can we learn from our ancestors? If God can free a stiff-necked people from slavery, lead them through the desert, and care for their physical needs, can he not provide for you? Don’t allow your stubbornness to get in the way of receiving God’s provision and blessings.
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director
Run the Race With Grace
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So, I do not run aimlessly…" (1 Corinthians 9:24-26)
In 2010, I trained to run the “America’s Finest” half marathon in San Diego. I had been bike riding and working out a lot, but hadn’t really run much since I spiral fractured my tibia and dislocated my ankle in the late 90s. They said they did not recommend that I run anymore because there might not be enough cartilage left. Well, one day I thought I’m just going to try running and see how it goes, and away I went. It felt so good to be running again, and I soon committed to training for the half. I had run 6K’s back in the day, and trained once for a marathon, but never ran one. (What was I thinking?) I ran a lot of miles each week (alone), ate only organic food, worked out, and read running books. Never was I so committed to doing everything possible to be able to finish that race. Not win the prize, just finish. (Hopefully not last.)
I thought of that experience as I read this Scripture in 1 Corinthians 9. What is the imperishable prize referred to here? We all know it is salvation, eternal life in heaven, and abundant life with Jesus each day. I love the illustrations Paul uses to help us understand scriptural truth as he did here.
So, is the Christian life a race or grace? It does require commitment; it should result in self-control, and it helps to have the knowledge that comes from reading and studying Scripture. However, it is only by God’s grace that we come to the place of understanding the sacrifice he made for us on the cross. It is only by God’s grace and the prompting of the Holy Spirit that our sins are revealed and with His help repented of. It is only by God’s grace that we can stay in the race of life at all.
My life verse is Hebrews 12:1-3 in the NIV and says: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer, and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
I did finish the half marathon (I was not last), but it was the journey that led to the finish, the training, and the self-discipline that I remember most. God’s grace is sufficient, and His glory is revealed in us if we commit to running the race His way (not aimlessly), always rejoicing in His unending love and great mercy.
Deb Hill
Executive Administrative Assistant
A Moment of Weakness
"To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some." (1 Corinthians 9:22)
I had only been a Pastor for a few years when I got one of the worst calls of my career. One of my students had a tragic accident that ended his life. Although I was completely heartbroken, I quickly realized that my role was to provide comfort to this hurting family. I was fine with that, but when the family asked me if I would lead their son’s memorial service I got really scared. When I told my Lead Pastor about it, I fully expected him to offer to do it for me, or to give it to one of the more “adult” pastors, but he didn’t. Instead, he simply told me to be there with the family in their pain and then reminded me that God would give me the words. I thought, what words? How could there be any words for a time like this? I felt completely inadequate.
Sure enough, the rest was a blur. The day of the service seemed to happen so fast. After spending almost every waking moment with the family, I barely had time to prepare what I was going to say. All I knew was somehow I was supposed to transition from the pain and sadness of this event to an uplifting gospel message.
Throughout the first part of the service, things went pretty smoothly. I transitioned from worship song to slideshow to people sharing. Things were going well… until the boy’s father got up to share. He planned to share a few prepared words about his boy and then turn it over to me to share the gospel and close the service. As he shared, he got more and more upset. Eventually, the pain was just too much for him to contain and through the sobs and painful tears, he blurted out, “This is just s--- It is absolute s---!” And he said it again and again as he finished his speech and handed me the microphone. It took every bit of effort to hold back my shock. I barely had time to think, but all I can say is God gave me the words, even though they were the last words I ever thought I would say… I put my hand on his shoulder, looked him in the eye and said, “You are exactly right, this is s---!” And I actually said the word! The “S” word in church! As I said it, I remember thinking, “What am I doing?” But sure enough, you could have heard a pin drop. And literally, with a word, I was able to capture the pain of over 800 people and lead them to the hope that we can have in Jesus. “This is not the way it is supposed to be…. God didn’t want death… our sin caused it… but Jesus gave his life on the cross to save us from the sin that will kill us!” I couldn’t have planned it better myself. In fact, I’ve done a lot of memorial services since and I can’t think of many that I have felt more used by God than this one. To this day, there is a family still involved in that church who tell me regularly that the moment when I cussed from the pulpit was the moment they realized this Jesus thing was for them.
I didn’t fully realize it, but somehow in that strange, awkward and beautiful moment, I was able to “become weak, that I might win the weak.”
God, thank you for using us in our weakness... may we learn how we can be all things to all people that we might save some!
Josh Rose
Teaching Pastor
Step Into the Mess
When I think of the phrase, “I’ll meet you there,” the first person that comes to mind is Jesus. Jesus didn’t remain in the synagogues, preaching from an elevated pulpit, expecting people to come to him. No, he went into communities, proclaiming the gospel and connecting with people right in the midst of their pain, confusion and sin. Jesus, a Jew, went to a well, asked a Samaritan woman for a drink and then lovingly revealed the agony that she felt in her heart. Jesus didn’t tell Jairus to bring his daughter to him, but instead made the day's journey to her bedside and healed her. Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus saw crowds gathered, seeking his teaching, so he taught them truth and fed them, caring for both their physical and spiritual needs. Jesus met people where they were, not where they thought they should be.
In The Message, Eugene Peterson communicates Paul’s heart in 1 Corinthians 9:19-21, “Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, the loose-living immoral ones, the defeated, the demoralized -- whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ -- but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view.”
Paul modeled his servant attitude and passion to meet people right where they were after the heart of Jesus. As stated in verse 20, he “entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view.” When we are struggling to connect with people who are confused, hurting, or deep in their own sin it may simply be because we are approaching them with hearts that don’t really want to understand. We may be scared, unsure, ignorant, or sadly arrogant. Paul “kept his bearings in Christ,” he remained grounded in the truth of Scripture, and he didn’t waver on his convictions. Yet in doing so, like Jesus, he chose to meet people where they were, not where they felt that they should be. No condemnation. No shame. Just simple and pure grace, truth and love.
Who is God calling you to reach out to today? Will it require you to step into something uncomfortable or messy? Can you recall a time when someone cared enough to step into your mess? How will you offer the heart of Jesus to those around you today?
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director
The Benefits Outweigh the Costs
"I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings." 1 Corinthians 9:23
I recently finished watching a rather lengthy documentary on the life and career of Tom Brady. If you don’t know who he is, let me just say he’s one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play in the National Football League. He is preparing to return for his 23rd season at the age of 44 and he has competed in 10 Super Bowls, having won 7. One other thing -- he was the 199th player picked in the 2000 NFL Draft. All of this is certainly impressive, and the reason I mention him is because of one piece of footage from a Super Bowl he won. As the clock winds down and the final whistle blows, among the first things he does is head for the sidelines to share the blessing of winning with his family. And among the first people he kisses is his mom who is struggling with an illness. To be sure, it’s a heartwarming scene to watch him with his parents, and wife and three kids as they soak in the moments of victory. Tom did what he did for the sake of the Super Bowl, that he might share with his family in its blessings.
This week’s passage points to a different game, if you will, and to a different motivation, and to a different kind of blessing. As Paul talks about his perspective and priorities, and exhorts us to adopt them for ourselves, one thing that stands out is the unspoken charge to follow him in making sacrifices for the sake of the gospel, and to do so with an eye to the fact that we will share in those blessings personally and corporately; that is, in our own hearts as well as in shared joy and connection with the others who have had their lives changed by it.
I know Emmanuel Faith to be a church filled with people who make regular sacrifices for the gospel. We give and go; we serve and strategize and sacrifice; we pray for and form friendships with those far from God. But if you’re like me, sometimes you lose sight of the reasons for the “Why?” of it all. And if you’re like me, when that losing of sight happens, your joy diminishes and your commitment lags. And so what do we do when that happens? We do what this passage calls us to do -- we remind ourselves that a reason we do what we do is so we might share with others in the blessings of the gospel. We remember the joy we have in our relationship with God through Christ, we remember the joy of seeing others come to faith and we remember the joy that comes from fellowship. We remember that while the “what” of getting the gospel out is of vital importance, so too is enjoying the “who” who are changed by it.
This week my encouragement to us all is to spend some extra time in fellowship and connection with those whose lives have been changed by the gospel, and to then let that time both encourage us and help us deepen our commitment to doing all things for its sake.
Scott Smith
Care Pastor
Holy or Hypocrite?
I’d like to begin this devotional with a disclaimer: 1st Corinthians 9:19-23 is Paul’s unique approach to reaching people for the Gospel. We have the freedom in Christ to follow his example, and Paul calls us to a mindset few of us operate under on a daily basis; however, what he proposes is something, in my opinion, not all of us can or should do. This mindset requires a vibrant interaction with God’s Spirit and (as Paul even says) a very disciplined life; it will call for subjective decisions from each person as God moves in their hearts. Please keep this in mind as you continue to read!
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve always thought God called me to be "set apart." If everyone around me is making decisions to go off the rails and do things that fly in the face of God’s heart, I’ve always felt perfectly justified in standing up for my principles, lifestyle and values when others don’t. In fact, isn’t this what it means to be a Christ-follower?
But recently, I had a revelation after reading this passage. Here’s what brought it on: I’ve personally made the decision to avoid alcohol. There are multiple reasons for this decision, but it’s become a comforting principle I fall back on whenever the option presents itself. This is who I am, and this is what I do, and it’s never been a very difficult decision for me to keep. But if I’m honest with myself, part of the reason why I choose not to drink is because I’m afraid. And this is what Corinthians challenged me on; it laid bare my motivations and my heart.
What’s radical and eye-opening about verses 19-23 is Paul basically says to be an intentional chameleon. He’s not saying we are to live willy-nilly, like a leaf in the wind, mirroring all of the behavior people exhibit around us under the pretense of “reaching them for Jesus.” But he is saying we need to be willing to carefully, thoughtfully, and intentionally “be all things to all people,” and I’d like to gently suggest this even means that when God calls us to, through the moving of his Spirit, we are to relinquish our principles for the Gospel if we can reach people we wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach.
I realized part of me isn’t abstaining from certain lifestyles simply because I think it’s the right thing for me to do. I’m abstaining because the thought of giving up my principles actually makes me afraid.
But verses 19-23 reveal that Paul is saying our freedom is for just this kind of scenario; not for aimless law-breaking simply because we can, but so we can be what people need us to be to reach them with the love of Jesus. There are obviously things God would never call us to do, but those aside, can I trust God, if he calls me to give up one of my principles, that I won’t slide down the slippery slope to a dark place? That’s the question these verses made me wrestle with. I hope this devotional will give you something to think about as well, since “God [has given] us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7).
Ashley Carr
High School Teacher