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Sunday's Schedule
Can you love to much?
I had an interesting experience in the office yesterday.
First let me share the setting, I have a relatively nice, large office and I have a somewhat open door policy. Meaning people in the halls or nearby offices can hear most of my phone conversations. My door is only shut when dealing with sensitive issues.
I had called my oldest sister to wish her happy birthday and we talked for thirty minutes or so, and before hanging up, I said to her: “ I love you baby”.
Shortly thereafter, a co-worker entered my office and made the following statement. “Do you realize how many people you tell, that them you love them? “
It became apparent, I must do this pretty often, as another co-worker who heard the conversation and remarked, “he tells everyone he loves them.”
They laughed and went back to work. Well, if you know me, you know I'm a processor and can't let things go until I've thought through them and decided if it is something I need to address. So, their comments stayed with me for a while. I questioned the validity of my love statements and even questioned if this was appropriate. I've never told someone I love them and have them tell me not to say that, typically the responses are thanks or I love you also.
As this processing continued I was reminded of what Jesus said about loving one another and what Paul wrote about love.
“And he answered, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."”
Luke 10:27 NASB
“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 13 NASB
Ultimately, I came to the following conclusions, telling as many people as possible throughout our lives that we love them causes no harm. In fact when you're telling someone you love them you're not thinking bad things about them. If your heart is so full of love it flows over into your conversations without a conscious effort, then I believe that is what God wants.
Second to that, if you fill your heart with love, there's no room left for hate.
If I tell you I love you, you can count on it as being genuine care and love for you and your wellbeing.
I love you and pray you know God loves you more.
Bishop Jim
A pastoral word addressing the Charlottesville, VA tragedy that happened on August 12.
First we cannot stop praying for the healing of our nation and for the rhetoric generating so much hate to end.
No doctrine of Christian Faith can legitimately support the actions and events that happened and still carry the mantle Christian. No real Christian cleric/ minister can support or defend those actions, if you are a cleric and support any form of behavior driven by hate and fear mongering - please resign.
When we claim the mantle Christian, we are declaring we are followers of Jesus the son of God, messiah to the World and God incarnate. We become ambassadors for the Kingdom of God and as ambassadors we are to represent His principles and live by them. No our doctrine.
I was reminded of our deep need for soul searching in a devotional this morning.
"When a problem is hidden, there’s nothing you can do to fix it. Once it’s out in the open, the healing process can finally begin.
Until we can look in the mirror and come to terms with our own sins and our own desperate need for God’s grace, we’ll never be able to see ourselves or others through the lens of love. God wants us to have a heart for loving unlovable people because that’s what God did for us. He loved us much more than we could ever deserve, and he calls us to do the same for others."
Throughout Jesus' ministry here on earth he was clear on how we should love God and one another. Even at his arrest in the garden he rejected the need for violence. He taught love overcomes hatred and sin.
We are called to be peacemakers, thereby becoming sons and daughters of God.
“"You have heard that it was said, 'A N EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. "You have heard that it was said, 'Y OU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5:38-48 NASB
We can never stop forgiving those that have caused us offense and harm , we must continue to seek reconciliation , not retribution and we can only do that with the help of the Holy Spirit and personal submission to God's Will for us.
Pray for our country, our leaders and each other.
Bishop Jim
Sunday's Schedule and Readings