Foundation

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Foundation

Believers   Holy Spirit

Restore   Love   Unity

You Are God's Building

Dwell

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   First Corinthians 3:9c and 10

You are God's building.

Because of the grace God gave to me, I put down a foundation like a wise master builder.

Another is building upon it.

Reflection

Have you ever tried to build something?

When I was younger, my grandfather and I built a shed in the backyard for storing our lawnmower and gardening tools. Our very first step was to buy a bag of cement mix and to put down a sturdy foundation. We wanted to make sure that the wind, snow, and rain did not cause the shed to collapse. That shed stayed up for many years!

I learned from an early age how important a strong foundation was. I realized it also with my education. When we began learning about sentence structure in our elementary education, I could see how important this was for writing compositions.

Paul is telling the people in Corinth that he has given them a foundation in his teaching. He has spent a lot of time with them to help them understand the message of Jesus. 

They have become believers. As Paul proclaimed the Gospel, it resonated within their hearts. They were moved by what they heard, and it made sense to them based on their own life experience. 

The Holy Spirit helped them to accept Jesus and His teaching. They were baptized and joined with the community at Corinth in worship and service. 

This church tried to restore spiritual and moral values to the people of Corinth and faced many challenges in doing this. Corinth had a reputation as a "sin city" because of its wealth and the diversity of the people who called it home. 

The foundation that Paul built with the help of Jesus and the Holy Spirit was centered on love. Paul would write to the people at Corinth that there were many great gifts of The Holy Spirit, but the greatest of the gifts was love.

It was that love that bound the church together and made them one. That unity of purpose, that unity of faith, that unity of loving service made the Corinthians a strong and vibrant church community.

They became God's building because all who encountered them saw the presence of God in their concern for the poor, the lonely, the crippled, the hungry, and the homeless. They reflected the Love of God through their actions.

God dwelt in them and with them. Paul had given them a strong foundation, and it lasted when he moved on to other communities.

They became church not as a building but as the People of God. 

Time now for us to build foundations of love and unity to proclaim that God dwells in us today!

1. What are some of the experiences that have built your foundation?

2. Is there a certain part of the message of Jesus that resonates with your heart?

3. Are there any Gifts of the Holy Spirit that have helped you in your faith journey?

4. How do you see your role in the Church today?

5. What do you see as you look into the eyes of the people in Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)