URC Weekly 2/13/2011: On Singleness
Happy Valentine’s Day Family!
Valentine’s Day originates from the legend of Saint Valentine who supposedly refused to deny Jesus Christ before the Roman Emperor Claudius in 280. Valentine is said to have miraculously restored the sight and hearing of the daughter of his jailer before Claudius ordered him to die by decapitation, giving the source of this day which now stands for romantic love.
In Korea, singles celebrate Valentine’s Day by eating Jja-jang-myun (black bean paste noodle), somehow comforting each other for their socially unwanted status of singlehood symbolized by the color of the dish. This is pretty racist and definitely unbiblical.
Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, “I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.”
Clearly, there is great value to being single; I would say that it gives you more freedom to serve the Lord in ways that being in a relationship does not. Yet this does not mean that being married is evil, for Paul instructs both men and women how to submit to each other in God-honoring fashion in Ephesians 5.
The key then is the last few words of verse 35: devotion to the Lord. It really doesn’t matter if you are single or married, as long as you are devoted to our God. As we continue to discuss spiritual growth, let’s devote ourselves to the Lord every day, and help each other to do the same. God bless you.
- PLEASE START MEETING IN YOUR SMALL GROUPS
- PLEASE TRY TO SIT IN THE FRONT FIRST. PLEASE.
- SOFTBALL PRACTICE: 2/20 (SUN) @ 1PM
- HILLSONG CONCERT: 3/1 (TUE) @ Staples Center; Show starts @ 8PM
- SAVE THE DATE: MADELEINE IS TURNING ONE!!! 3/5 (Sat) See Evite
- LENT FASTING: Church-wide Relay starting 3/9, sign up coming soon
- HOMECOMING: 3/27 (SUN) Church-wide Day to bring back your homies/girls
- SNACKS: Eunice Choi
- SCRIPTURE READING/OFFERING: Michelle Jung
- DISCIPLESHIP: After Service
- DEVOTIONS: Matthew 12 – Matthew 17
