The Rock Was Christ

Hi COTC Family! 

1 Corinthians 10:4 is a strange verse in the New Testament. In it, the apostle Paul points back to the story of Israel’s wandering in the desert and how they received water from a stone by a miracle. In Jewish tradition, it was held that this rock went with the people of God in the wilderness. Strange enough. Here, Paul alludes to this tradition and names the stone as Christ himself. Stranger still. 

This Lent, we are specifically focusing our sermons on the Old Testament passages we read on Sundays. These texts include some of the most well-known in the Bible. As we look over these familiar passages, our intention is to follow Paul’s strange example in 1 Corinthians 10:4. To find Christ in these texts. 

Jesus, as the Incarnate Word, is the very center of Scripture. More than a lesson of history or a story with a good moral, we read the texts of the Bible, including the Old Testament, with the expectation of encountering Jesus, the living Word, in the word. This expectation is one that we share with the early church mothers and fathers. It has been the expectation of Christians throughout centuries ever since two disciples felt their hearts warmed as the walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus and He opened the Scriptures to them. 

In this way, our preaching and reading of the Bible this Lent coincides with our corporate spiritual practices of prayer and fasting (join us next Thursday for an extended time of prayer and worship in the evening at church). We are seeking to encounter Jesus, and to become a people who long and hunger for Him more. Jesus is the one who satisfies. He is the strength of our hearts and our portion forever. 

As we move through these sermons, approaching Easter, and as we read Scripture in our own time during this season, join me in praying for a true encounter with Jesus.

Looking to meet Him,

Peter+

Ps. If you made a pledge in our TBTG campaign you should have received an email this week with an update regarding your progress in fulfilling that pledge. If you didn’t receive that communication or have any questions please contact the Parish Council or Treasurer. Corporately we are at 59% of our goal. We’re grateful to God for His provision and the spirit of generosity at work among us! If you wanted to learn more about the campaign or contribute and make a pledge of your own you can do so here.