Background: The Bible is meant to be the story of God’s people, but how would we describe its impact on our lives? Today’s scripture emphasizes the life-changing aspects of that story. Do we read the Bible expecting that it will change us?
Think and talk: In our Old Testament reading, Jeremiah finds himself called by God to a life-long vocation of speaking God’s word as a prophet. Have you ever felt like there was something that you alone had to do? Do you think all Christians have vocations? How do you know what God wants you to do?
Looking around: St. Paul’s words about love are so familiar that they may have lost some of their power. As you read them carefully, does this seem like a fair description of what love is supposed to be or does St. Paul go too far? Keep in mind that Paul is talking not talking about romance, but about the relationships within the Christian community. Paul is concerned that members of the Church in Corinth are more concerned with impressing one another than caring for one another. What might be the implications for our church? What does it mean to “love” other members of the church?