Eating Solid Food

Some of my peers are reaching grandparent age. As they observe their siblings-siblings transitioning from being babies to toddlers they are reminded that eating solid food for the first time can be quite an experience! Some babies love it, some shudder, some cry... as this video amply demonstrates.

In our reading this Sunday, from 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Paul chastises the church for having many folk who, when it came to the gospel message, preferred spiritual milk to solid food. " Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready."

Paul's fear is that, unless they developed a taste for the meatier things of Christian life they would remain in a permanently malnourished state. Amongst the things he identifies as being immature behavior are partisanship, jealousy and quarreling. He is horrified by the fact they are still comparing this teacher with that teacher and never for a moment actually getting a grip of the lessons they were trying to teach them.

Of course, as the video above illustrates, solid food can make some folk shudder. I have heard people say that they didn't like it when preachers spoke about developing a deeper relationship with God. That wasn't what they were used to, and it made them nervous. They would rather just turn up at church, mumble a few hymns, put some money in the plate and go home for dinner thankful that another service had been endured. Solid Food? 'Not for me!'

We always have more to learn. We are never invited to a form of belief that is static, underdeveloped and going nowhere. We are designed for spiritual growth. Unlike physical growth, which reaches a plateau and then turns into a decline, sprritual growth just keeps  moving on up. There are greater levels of maturity ahead of us.

So... questions to ponder as we approach Sunday. 

• Are you growing in your faith? 
• Are there particular areas in your Christian experience that need more attention? 
• What are the fears or circumstances that prevent you moving forward? (And what can you do about them?)

And for some music MOVING ON UP (not entirely related as it talks about the breakdown of a relationship... but I hope you get the idea that our faith is meant to be something that is 'moving on up'... and away from things that are holding us back!)

See you Sunday? (And if not, check back or follow online. The sermon will be posted sometime Tuesday.)