Romans 14

I had been invited to speak to a group of business executives. I had heard about a new person that would be joining the group and I was looking forward to meeting that person. I was visiting with the group’s leader before the meeting began and asked him if the new person had arrived. He replied, “Yes, That’s Bill over there with those people by the coffee pot. He’s the one in the dark blue suit.”I looked in the direction my friend pointed out and identified the man in the dark blue suit. I also noticed that he was an African American. In fact he was the only African American in the room. I was impressed that my friend had declined to use that label to identify Bill. I think the Apostle Paul would have been impressed also.

In chapter fourteen Paul is discussing the various differences in cultural traditions, personal beliefs and customs of the individuals composing the church in Rome. Clearly, many of those differences were because some of the church members were Jewish Christians and some were Gentile Christians, some were people of means while others struggled for their existence. Yet Paul never used any cultural identifiers for the congregation. Paul was always looking for ways to encourage a sense of community within the churches and did not want to write or say anything that may divide the people or imply one person was better than another.

Paul is extending an invitation to join him in building community in our churches. The foundation of community comes through the acceptance of each person as a child of God and then extending them grace to work out their salvation with God. Some of the words from our Communion Liturgy are appropriate here:

Pour out your Holy Spirit    on us gathered here,    and on these gifts of    bread and wine.

Make them be for us the body    and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world
the body of Christ,
redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit make us
one with Christ,
one with each other,
and one in ministry
to all the world,

until Christ comes in
final victory
and we feast at his
heavenly banquet.

What word or phrase in these verses

attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

17-Dec-11     Rom. 15:1-21