“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor. 13:13
We have concluded our series at FCC on the theological
virtues. A virtue is a positive trait or
quality deemed to be morally good
and thus is valued as a foundation for good moral being. The
church has traditionally practiced three virtues:
- Faith – A confession of trust and obedience in the One we know to be the truth. Faith is not a set of propositions and formulas, but is seen in a people who learn to trust more and more in God as we find him most fully in the person of Jesus! Faith is built by formation, especially in the practice of prayer.
- Hope – Our conviction of the end/goal/purpose that drives us; A vision of the world to come. Worship signals this practice of hope as opposed to a practice of despair. Hope forms the soul, while despair cultivates an attitude of the mind and becomes connected to doubt.
- Love - The root of the virtues. Love denotes a life transformed by the gospel of Jesus that is expressed in one’s relationship to God and neighbor. Love is expressed in hospitality which incorporates differences amongst people, whether they be of age, income, or social group. More concretely, the Christian practice of Eucharist exemplifies hospitality by opening a space for differences to commune with each other.
In light of what we have heard these weeks, how will these
virtues form our character, our worship, and our life together? In what ways do
we hope to cultivate these virtues in our lives? Does this understanding of the
virtues challenge you to rethink our lives together as the gathered body of
Christ? Are there biblical texts which help illuminate to you the meaning of these virtues?
