Journey Together

Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Some of the people in the Corinthian church were engaged in excess while others did not have enough. In the name of worship and celebrating God, some of the followers were having lavish parties where eating excessively and getting drunk were common. All the while, other people of the church were not getting any food. Paul points out this is a problem for the church.

It does not require a great stretch to our imagination to see we have the same struggle in the church today. Not that people are gathering to overeat, though that has happened, or to get drunk on the wine of communion and fellowship. There are people in our churches who live with great abundance while others are not even getting by with their daily bread. As a result there is a hierarchy in the church of those who have and those who have not.

To be faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ this kind of disparity cannot exist. There should not be people celebrating excess while there are people without enough. This is not to say people cannot live in abundance. In fact one person may have an abundance to care for the people who are in need. Further we must remember that today's abundance can easily become tomorrows place of need.

In marriage this dynamic can happen. Often the division is not money or resources but in relationship with God. Everyone has a relationship with God that ebbs and flows. There are times of relative ease to the connection with God and there are times when it is challenging. During the challenging times it can be difficult to see someone else in a time of ease. This is even more difficult if that person is your spouse.

Therefore, it is essential in cultivating a healthy marriage to make sure there is a sharing of the journey. In marriage when one person struggles, the role of the spouse is not to highlight how they are experiencing excess. The role of the spouse is to join with the struggling partner so that both may experience God more deeply. In Christian Community, of which marriage is a primary experience, there should not be excess for one while the other struggles. We are to make every effort to share the journey God has us on.