Our view of where life is going (its’ ends) has profound impacts on our attitude & actions in the present. The Resurrection calls us to a life of Joy, Purpose and Hope–impacting our work and relationships and approach to every experience.

Paul confronts the disunity caused by members of the Corinthian church who thought their gift of speaking in tongues made them spiritually superior. Paul says he would rather speak prophetic message – intelligible words – than in tongues because what matters is loving others and building up the church community.

In the famous “Love” passage in 1 Corinthians, Paul poetically exclaims the highest calling of love–a challenge and calling to the Corinthians to turn from their divisions and live for love of one another. All of us long for love and the God of love–we are made to know and live in both.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul is correcting division in the church based on expressions of giftings from the Spirit that caused some to view themselves as superior. All have the same Spirit, who gifts all in different ways, but no part is more important in the Body of Christ–in Christ, all are equal. Rather the greatest gift and highest calling is to love one another.

1 Corinthians 11 & Matthew 5

On the 8th Anniversary of CCV, Johnny Kurcina looks at Paul & Jesus’ vision for the people of God and applies it Christ Church Vienna and its identity and calling as a church community.

Paul addresses the issue of meat sacrificed to idols and calls on the “strong” of conscience to constrain their rights and freedoms out of loving concern for the “weak” in the church. Christians are to willingly give up what is theirs for the sake of others and the gospel.

In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul addresses singles and married people, calling them to faithfulness to their current station in life and devotion and service to the Lord. The way he elevates singleness challenges the modern church’s emphasis on nuclear families and calls us to find ways to cultivate deeper friendships and extended family community in our church.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sex is an issue that the church has handled poorly, and many have been hurt. But sex is an issue about which Christianity is clear.  So  how do we decide what is good and right and true with regards to our sexuality? Paul calls the church in Corinth to turn from sexual immorality–which he grounds in Creation design, the Incarnation’s elevation of the body, and the already but not yet Kingdom of God that is our calling and destiny.

The Corinthian church has broken into factions–seeking honor and status by their associations and exclusions. Paul admonishes them for thinking humanly and following the culture to achieve status, rather than letting the cross of Christ be the source of their worth and the foundation for their community.

Paul writes to a church in Corinth who is a relational mess. He calls them to the gospel in order to re-orient their relational unity.

In the coming years, Christ Church Vienna is being called to cultivate deeper and wider Community–friendships with one another based on the gospel.