We don’t know how many churches those first apostles planted or what happened in them. They are, by and large, like planes that land safely, no news to report. The church at Corinth had issues, serious divisions and arguments.

Corinth was a busy seaport because it sat – and sits – on the western side of a narrow isthmus that connects the large Peloponnesian Peninsula to the mainland of Greece. (Isthmus is hard for me to say. Would you like to know the Greek word for isthmus? It’s isthmos.) When I say narrow, it is less than four miles across.

The waters around that peninsula are very treacherous with dangerous currents and lots and lots of rocky shoals just beneath the surface. Many merchants from the west would much prefer to bring their wares to or from Corinth whether for ground transport into Greece or portage across to ports on the Adriatic to go further east, or it would receive and ship cargo coming back the other way.

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This is a great time of year. I’m not referring to the cold but to the Youth Fair. A lot of Good Shepherd kids compete in various ways. A couple of weeks ago Natalie and Corbin Merson shared with me all about the pigs they were raising. As most of you probably know, this includes all that they spent to acquire care for the pigs, including feed, medication and all they had done in terms of feeding and training them. It’s all very impressive and teaches great life lessons.

One of those lessons is that no matter what they have to take care of the pig. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, or if it’s cold, or if the kids don’t feel well, or if they were invited to a birthday party or whatever is happening, they have to take care of the pig. Sometimes they could switch off or cover each other, but even then they are making sure the job gets done.

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We join Jesus this morning at the very outset of his ministry, after temptation in the wilderness. He has begun teaching in his home region of Galilee, and is gathering some early interest. He eventually returns to his hometown of Nazareth, to the synagogue, which literally means “bring together.” The people would come together much as we have this morning. The first half of our service, the liturgy of The Word of God (BCP p. 323 and p. 355), including everything up through exchanging the Peace, is modeled on synagogue worship, which includes prayers, a creed, perhaps sing a Psalm. Someone would read scripture and sermon.

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