Know God’s Love Through Serving Each Other

Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48

1 John 4:7-10

John 15:9-17

Divine Inspiration

Today is all about one of my favorite topics – love!  In the Gospel, Jesus gives us his famous and only commandment – to love one another as He loves us.  And in the new testament reading, John says let us love one another because love is of God.  There seems to be all this love swirling around!  But what happens when we don’t necessarily, “feel the love?”  It’s great to hear how much God loves us – that He sent His only son.  And it’s truly awesome that Christ loved us so much that He died on the cross for us.  So, if we don’t really feel it, truly feel it in our hearts, does that mean that we’ve somehow, by some weird twist of fate, been left out of the loop?  Could God have accidentally missed us?

There is a very important line in the New Testament reading.  It says, “Whoever is without love does not know God.”  Think about this.  It is not saying that God only loves some.  It is not saying that only some have God’s love and others don’t.  I’ll read it again.  “Whoever is without love does not know God.”  The accountability here is on us.  God ALWAYS loves us.  That never, ever changes.  Ever.  God has told us and shown us over and over that He loves us.  But relationships go in two directions, not one.  And it is up to us to say, “OK, God, I want to know You and I want to feel your love.”  And, even then, after we say it, we have to do more.  We have to talk with God every day, multiple times a day.  And then, we have to take it a step further.  We have to – MUST – love each other.  We must look for ways to serve and see God in each other.  Because, in serving each other, we are serving God and building that relationship with Him.

I have one final thought on loving and serving God through serving each other.  In the very first reading today, Cornelius, upon meeting Peter, fell to his knees before Peter.  Cornelius was honoring Peter, his way of loving.  And, Peter said, ‘Get up, I am also a human being.’  Peter, who could have fed his ego, chose instead to love and connect with Cornelius.  Peter even went on to say that ‘God shows no partiality.’  This is how we need to be with everyone we know and meet every day.  When we are complimented and honored by others, it is important to keep the ego in check and return the compliment, honor and love that are flowing our way to the person from whom it is flowing.  And, as we focus on loving each other, we will feel God’s loving arms wrapping around us, too.

Amen.

Readings and Divine Inspiration from Sunday, May 10, 2015

What Now?

Acts 1:1-11

Ephesians 1:17-23

Luke 24:46-53

Divine Inspiration

This morning, in the first reading which is from the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles find themselves standing there, looking up to the sky as Jesus had just been lifted up.  And, I believe they were probably thinking to themselves, “What now?”  Imagine all that they had just experienced and been through – from Jesus first coming on the scene, to their leaving their jobs, following him, his dying and his return.  It’s as if they had lived an entire lifetime in a matter of a few short months.  And now, here they were, left alone to look up at the sky and say, “What now?”

Well, the “What now?” was that it was time to learn something new.  For the apostles, it was time to learn how to lead.  Whether they knew it or not, they had a job to do, and that job was to step up and start the church and lead more people to God.

When is the last time you learned something new?  I imagine some of us may feel like those apostles standing there, looking up at the sky.  We may be thinking, “I’m tired, exhausted even, and I’ve lived an entire lifetime.  Isn’t it time for me to just rest?”  The answer to that is yes and no.  It’s always important to rest and recharge.  But, we can’t stay in that space all of our waking hours.  We must say to ourselves, “What now?” and learn something new.  It can be anything – from coloring in one of those new coloring books they have for adults, to getting some flowers, whether fake or fresh, and arranging them in new and different combinations.

I think that, often times, we have a tendency to think that if we haven’t learned a skill by a certain age or point in life, that we’re not going to ever learn it.  But, that’s not true!!  It is never too late to learn a new skill.  There is so much to be gained from it, from the new grooves you put in your brain to the deep sense of fulfillment that comes from seeing the new creation come to life.  Imagine how the apostles must have felt as they saw people grow in their faith and the earliest church being to form.  They probably had no idea they had it in them.  After all, it was Jesus who had started it all and Jesus who had done all the miracles.  They were just the loyal friends who had helped and served and protected him.  But, no, they had an important role to play, too, and it was time for them to step into it.

What new role or phase or activity will you step into?  What fun thing will you learn how to do?  Are you still asking yourself, “What now?”  You have the ability to answer that question.  You need only to listen to God, to that voice deep down inside your heart, to know how God is calling you to answer that question.

Amen.

Readings and Divine Inspiration from Sunday, May 8, 2016.

Conscious Love

Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41

Revelation 5:11-14

John 21:1-19

Divine Inspiration

In the Gospel today, Jesus asks Peter if Peter loves Jesus three times.  And, I have always wondered why.  First, Jesus knows everything.  He is the son of God and he has risen from the dead.  Surely he doesn’t need to ask anything; he is all-knowing, omnipotent.   So, why does he ask not once but three times?  Because it’s not about Jesus needing an answer.  It’s about Peter making a conscious decision and commitment to love the Lord.  The first time Jesus asked, Peter’s response was like ours whenever someone asks us how we’re doing – “Fine, thanks, and you?”  it rolls off the tongue without even thinking first.  The second time Jesus asked, Peter’s response was in the context of, ‘I just said yes, didn’t you hear me?’  There was thought behind Peter’s response, but not the thought Jesus was looking for.  The third time, Peter consciously and thoughtfully said ‘Yes, Lord, I love you.’  It wasn’t an automatic response or irritation at not having been heard.  It was from the heart.

Do we consciously commit to love the Lord from our hearts?  And, if we do, do we do it daily, or even hourly?  To consciously love the Lord with all one’s heart, mind and soul takes work and commitment, like a marriage.  It’s important because it deepens our relationship with God.  We can’t just assume He knows, because that doesn’t grow the relationship.  How much do we long to hear the words from a loved one?  It doesn’t warm us to simply know that the other one loves us, without hearing it and feeling it.  We must say it – often – and we must show it.

Maybe tomorrow, as we wake up, we can let our first thought be of the Lord, that we love Him and want to show Him.  And, maybe, if we start our day that way, the entire day and all of our actions will flow from that conscious love.

Amen.

Readings and Divine Inspiration from Sunday, April 14, 2013.

Welcome!

Matthew 21:1-11

Isaiah 50:4-7

Philippians 2:6-11

Matthew 26:14-27:66

Divine Inspiration

Today is Palm Sunday, and as I watched everyone walk into the church with their palms, the word, “welcome” jumped out at me.  Welcoming is and was happening everywhere.  The church had opened its doors and was welcoming everyone in, just as the people laid down their palms for Jesus and welcomed Him as He rode into town.  I also thought about how we invite and welcome Jesus into our hearts as little children, or when people convert to Christianity.  Typically, that happens only once in a lifetime.  And, Palm Sunday only happens once a year.  But, it is possible (and highly recommended!) to invite Christ into our hearts every day, even multiple times a day!  Think about it – we pray for many things – to heal others, to heal ourselves, to help us to make it through the day, to bless our food.  The list goes on and on, and they are all good things to pray for.  But, how often do we just invite Christ into our hearts, our minds, our souls?  How often do we say, “Lord, I invite you and welcome you into my heart?”  Such a simple prayer.  But, if everyone prayed it, it could change the world. 

Even though Palm Sunday only happens once a year, let it happen every day in your life.  Ask Jesus into your heart every single day, and watch how your life and the world around you changes for the better.

Amen.

Readings from Sunday, April 13, 2014.

Listen

Genesis 12:1-4a

2 Timothy 1:8b-10

Matthew 17:1-9

Divine Inspiration

The common thread in the New Testament reading – Paul’s second letter to Timothy – and the Gospel is basically, “Be still and know that I am Lord.”  Did that stand out for anyone else?  It’s subtle, but it’s there.  Paul writes, “He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to His design and grace.”  In the Gospel, Peter sees Jesus talking to Elijah and Moses on the mountain top, and what’s his reaction?  He immediately wants to take action, to do something, and he offers to build three tents.  God’s response is to say, “This is my Son.  Listen to Him.” 

Humans are action oriented.  Action seems to be our natural response to anything.  When someone is hurting, we ask, “What can I do?”  When someone has something great happen for them, we automatically think about planning a celebration.  In every area of life, we are constantly looking to do.  But that’s not what God is telling us.  His instruction was very clear – to listen.  Just listen.  It’s not through works, but by His grace that we are saved.  Never underestimate the powerful good that simply listening to God or to one another can do.  It’s also one of the most difficult things for humans to do.  It’s in our nature to fix things.  But that’s not our job; it’s God’s.  God will fix everything in time (His time!).  He doesn’t need our help.  What He needs from us is stillness, quiet, space to listen and hear His guidance in our lives.  It’s the same between friends and loved ones.  The most precious gift we can give someone is our full, undistracted presence to simply listen. 

The next time you’re tempted to do or take action, take a deep breath and pause.  Listen.  Focus.  And pray.  The outcome will be far better than anything you or any one person can do.

Amen.

Readings and Divine Inspiration from Sunday, March 16, 2014.

Scrutiny

1 Samuel 16:1B, 6-7, 10-13A

Ephesians 5:8-14

John 9:1-41

Divine Inspiration

Today is the 2^nd Scrutiny.  The word scrutiny tends to conjure up a negative feeling.  We may think of our words and actions as being scrutinized by others, and the possibly criticized or judged.  And few of us like that.  But the word scrutiny here isn’t about looking with the purpose of criticizing.  It’s really about looking deep, deeper than you typically look or see on a normal day.  In the Lenten Season, it’s meant to encourage us to look deep into ourselves, our hearts, our words and our actions. 

In the reading from the Old Testament, the Lord said to Samuel, “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart.”  God sees into our hearts every day, whether it’s Lent or not.  What does he see?  Do we know?  Have we looked into our own hearts recently to see what’s living there?  And if we have, do we like what we see?  This is what scrutiny is all about.  Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and the Gospel are all about seeing, coming out of the dark and the blindness and really taking a look at ourselves.  And then, once we see, it’s time to make the change that we want in our lives.  It’s not about changing out of fear of judgment.  It’s about making changes out of a love of God and others that helps us to love ourselves. 

Lent is half over.  But that doesn’t mean we can go back on auto-pilot.  No, we need to take this time to ask God to open our eyes, to give us the courage to really look and see deep into our hearts, and the strength to work on the dark areas we want to clean up.  Only God can help us with this.  It’s a reminder to us of just how much we need Him – with all our hearts, souls and minds.  And through this time of scrutiny, of asking God to open our eyes and work on what we see, we will come through with a deeper, richer loving relationship with God, with each other and with our own selves.

Amen.

Readings and Divine Inspiration from Sunday, March 15, 2015

Breathe Out Compassion

1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a

Ephesians 5:8-14

John 9:1-41

Divine Inspiration

Today’s reading from the Old Testament involves Samuel making a judgment about Eliab.  It says that, “Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.’  But the Lord says to Samuel, “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature.  No man sees as God sees.  Man sees the appearance, but God sees into the heart.”  This is a tremendous reminder of the old adage not to judge a book by its cover.  It seems logical, and we all may be thinking to ourselves, ‘Well sure, I know that!’  But knowing and doing are two different things.  How often do we hear about political or wealthy figures in the news coming upon a hardship and we think, ‘Oh, well, I’m sure he or she can afford it?’  Or, the opposite can happen, such as what happened to Samuel – we see someone who appears to be great at what they do or beautiful or just have it all together, and we think, ‘Wow, that person must have a great life!’  And again, it’s just our perception.  We don’t know what that person is dealing with inside, in their hearts.  But, God does.  He is the only one who does.  Even those who we call our closest friends and family have issues on their hearts that only God sees, not us.

When we feel that moment of judgment coming on, you know – the eyebrows start to go up, a sigh of exasperation starts to form in the back of our throats – we can catch ourselves in that moment.  We can give compassion instead of judgment, even if the other person looks like they’re not in need of any.  Take a deep breath and replace judgment, any type of judgment – for better or for worse – with the belief and mindset that we DON’T see everything, and breathe out kindness and compassion.  This continual practice of giving kindness and compassion to everyone around us will make us softer, gentler, more accepting and loving people filled with God’s love.

Amen.

Readings and Divine Inspiration from Sunday, March 10, 2013.