Our sermons for the next couple of months will be exploring 2 Corinthians.
This is the most painful of Paul’s letters. He has to respond to people who had attacked him, thought the worst of him, and gossiped about him. This, along with the pressures from non-Christians, had led Paul to feeling under stress, weakened and vulnerable. The letter reflects on what it means to be a follower of Jesus in days like these.
Our hope is that we will learn how to deal with these sorts of situations, how to allow God to shape us into a more Christ-like life. The most difficult times can be the occasions when we are able to see God’s strength most clearly. The art of being a disciple in the most challenging days is to remember to allow ourselves to be cross-shaped rather than focussed on our own rights and demands.
This is of course totally counter-cultural. The lessons we learn with one another should enable us to live differently in the whole of our lives.
