Greeting Tabernacle Family!This week is the 19th Sunday after Pentecost and Sunday number 4 of Romans.
This Sunday our scripture passage is Romans 3:1-20. I will again encourage you to read this passage in as many different translations as you can find. This passage reminds me of a time in my life when I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to get to the end of a sin chain that began with something good—–like I sacrificially gave a gift to someone who needed it which meant I had done something good, but then I was proud of myself for doing something good for someone which meant I had done something bad (Matt.6:3) —–so then I “repented” for being proud and ended up being proud of myself for regretting being proud in the first place and this process just kept going—-a never ending sin cycle which began with a good action.
Such is life under the law and it seemingly does you no good to be a religious insider in this situation, it just causes you to ask more questions. During this time period I also spent a lot of time with an old gospel song that goes like this “I am satisfied with Jesus, He has done so much for me, He has suffered to redeem me, He has died to set me free. I am satisfied, I am satisfied, but the question comes to me as I think of Calvary, is the Master satisfied with me.” (B. B.McKinney, 1926)
This song served both to remind me that I had responsibility to keeping thinking about that “sin cycle” so I did not get stuck in one of the “proud” cycles and that in spite of the “sin cycle” I had Jesus on my side. This seems to me to be a bit of what Paul is trying to express in these verses in Romans. So much sin and so much of God loves you!
Come Sunday and explore this chapter of Romans with us and discover what it means in your life. The following Sunday, Oct. 6, will be World Communion Sunday.
Judy
Dr. Judy Fiske
Minister of Worship/Music
