Read: Exodus 20:1-17, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 2:13-22 Community Marks
Every town in Iowa seems to have a town sign. Many of them have a town slogan which goes along with the sign. Minburn, Iowa calls itself, “The Little Town with the Big Heart.” My home town of Dexter, Iowa has the slogan, “A One Horse Town.” (Dexter was named after a famous race horse from 150 years ago.) One of my favorites is the town of Stuart, Iowa which has on their sign the slogan, “1000 Good Eggs and a Few Stinkers.” Slogans mark the towns and people take pride in the marks of their particular place or family.
Our Christian heritage is no different. We have marks and slogans with which define us. These marks offer others a glimpse of our focus and mission. Beginning with Father Abraham, the Jewish people were marked by circumcision. Moses offered the marks of the Ten Commandments as a way of life which was strange and different from the prevailing culture. Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple as a witness to a new lifestyle mark of his life and those who would be his disciples. The Apostle Paul shared with the early Christian church in Corinth the marks of God’s wisdom which appeared as foolishness to many. He argued for the courage of the people to let go of the marks of the world and cling to the salvation of the cross.
Today we carry many marks on our bodies and our lives. We are defined by those marks. Or even more important, we define the world around us from within the context of these same marks. Married or single, childless or large family, working or retired, young or old, healthy or battling illness, we all have marks and live within the space these defining marks provide. Most important are our marks as disciples. These are radical love, justice, hospitality, grace, and peace. If you were a small town what would be your slogan, your mark for the world to see?
Scripture: John 2:13-22
Sermon: “Community Marks”
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