@FirstChurchofJerusalem
Today's Early Church Wisdom
“I shall not hesitate also to put into ordered form for you, along with the interpretations, everything I learned carefully in the past from the elders and noted down carefully, for the truth of which I vouch. For unlike most people, I took no pleasure in those who told many different stories, but only in those who taught the truth. Nor did I take pleasure in those who reported their memory of someone else’s commandments, but only in those who reported their memory of the commandments given by the Lord to the faith and proceeding from the Truth itself. And if by chance anyone who had been in attendance on the elders arrived, I made enquiries about the words of the elders—what Andrew or Peter had said, or Philip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and whatever Aristion and John the Elder, the Lord’s disciples, were saying. For I did not think that information from the books would profit me as much as information from a living and surviving voice.
~ Papias of Hierapolis (c. 60–130 AD) From the Preface to his lost ‘Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord’
This week's Psalm is Psalm 31 'My Rock, My Shield, My Song'

Firm Foundations

Folllowing the Maker's instructions

A building is only as good as its foundations. If the foundations are weak or inadequate, the structure may fail under certain conditions, bringing destruction and loss. Work can be done to strengthen foundations, but it’s a lot easier to build good foundations in the beginning! Human institutions, like physical buildings, have their foundations. They’re built on something, whether it’s the vision for a particular product or service, or to further inflate and promote someone’s ego, or to satisfy human greed, or some other driving force. The Christian Church is no exception, although it is unique in the fact that it's not merely human, but represents a collaboration between God and man. Its foundations were laid by Jesus Christ in the years of His earthly ministry and clearly demonstrated the nature and character of loving community. Through His teachings, healings, and interactions, Jesus modelled a community centred on love, service, and mutual support (John 13:34-35, Matthew 20:28). His example provided a blueprint for the first church to follow, ensuring that their fellowship was grounded in the principles of compassion and unity. If we are members of a Christian community, let us regularly compare our ‘building’ with the relational blueprint of the Gospel records. This will enable us to make whatever changes are required to build our fellowship Jesus’ way.