“Building on a Solid Foundation” with the Rev. Dr. Kristofer Lindh-Payne

St. Francis Spiritual Sustenance : September 6, 2022 =====================================

St. Francis Spiritual Sustenance - September 6, 2022 : "Building on a Solid Foundation" with the Rev. Dr. Kristofer Lindh-Payne =====================================================

In today’s video, Kristofer reflects on the work he has just begun doing as Canon for Congregational Vitality on Diocesan staff. He invites us at St. Francis to see a wider vision - grounded in scripture - for the work of building that we are called to do as the church. Many of Kristofer’s reflections in the coming weeks will focus on what this labor is looking like in our own context at St. Francis, as we are built up as a parish and community center.

Below are two assigned passages from the last couple days that he references in his video.

Luke 14:25-33

Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions."

1 Corinthians 3:10-14

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw-- the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward.