THE END IS HERE

Tonight at ikon we finally reach the end of our walk through 1 Corinthians. (I think it's been seven months of study?) Brian will close the book tonight after teaching an overlooked passage about an offering.

Paul was the father of the church not only in Corinth but also in Philippi, Galatia, Ephesus etc. And he didn't view them as separate entities but as households in one family. This aunt lives there. That uncle down the road. You get the picture. As the Pointer Sisters once sang, "We are family." (Actually, I stand corrected by the comments section. It's Sister Sledge's song.)

And one of the duties of family is to share - to take care of those inside the family who don't have enough, to help each other out, to sacrifice for each so we all stay alive...no matter how far apart your house is from mine. If my sister were to call me and say she couldn't feed her kids I'd sell everything I have to save their lives and hers. I'd rather do without than lose someone I love. That's family.

So Paul writes to every household in the family of God asking them to begin saving up for an offering he'll come by to collect on his next visit to them. The offering is for a church far away who's more than a little needy.

Weeks ago Brian and I began asking those of you who come to ikon to save up and prepare yourselves for an offering to be given to a household in the family of God today in need of our help. We'll take up that offering tonight and tell you who it's going to and why.

Also, tonight will be the last ikon ever. This is the end. If you've been coming to ikon lately and reading your e-mails you know why but we'll talk about it again tonight and field any new questions you may have about it all. (If you're a blog reader who doesn't come to ikon, I'll tell y'all the story soon.)

See you tonight.

-Shaun