Moving our expressions of love beyond mere words (1 John 3:18)

SCRIPTURE: 1 John 3:18 (TM) - larger reading 1 John 3:1-18

My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love.

STORY:

Looking for a gift or just a unique way to say "I love you?" What do you give when his dresser is full of cologne and you're both on diets? When she thinks flowers die too soon, and you've already spent next month's paycheck?

OBSERVATION:

It’s birthday time or Christmas or Mother’s Day or Wedding Anniversary or a hundred other possibilities that require something special to say “I love you” and we get stumped. Our backs are against the wall. Our minds are pulled in many directions. We just don’t know what to get, but we need to get something.

I have often admired people who have found creative ways to express their love for those significant people in their lives. The Rev. Dr. John Hock was the founding pastor of my home church. He and his dear wife Catherine were very special people. When they celebrated their 50^th Wedding Anniversary I remember Catherine sharing that John writes little “I love you” notes and places them throughout the house. In 50 years no two notes were ever the same. A few years after Catherine had passed away John shared that he is still finding the notes that his wife had written. He finds them stuck in his underwear drawer or between the pages of one of his books or buried deep in a cereal box or inside a bag in the freezer. After the grave their love still was being kindled… WOW!

The scripture admonishes us to “practice real love” – finding unique and meaningful ways to express our love for others – regardless of who or what they might be.

I remember one Lenten study the participants were challenged to do some act of kindness as a sign of love for someone in the group … secretly. The secret part became quite the challenge and some of the schemes were very creative. What impressed me was that when I returned many years later to participate in the dedication of their new sanctuary one member of that Lenten small group was still practicing the “secret act of love”, but now she had expanded it to include others in the church and community. The joy in her face was remarkable. I believe that she had discovered the meaning behind the scripture lesson.

So today pick one person and do something for them, an act of kindness and an expression of love without them knowing it. Let’s move our Christian commitment beyond the talking stage and let’s see what kind of impact we can have in our communities.

PRAYER:

Help us to become instruments of your Kingdom. Help us to become doers of the word. Help us to move our love from words into actual living actions.

Living in the light of God and loving who He loves (1 John 2:9)

SCRIPTURE: 1 John 2:9 (TM) – larger reading 1 John 2:7-17

Anyone who claims to live in God's light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark.

STORY:

Catherine Booth was the "mother" of the Salvation Army. "Wherever Catherine Booth went," said Campbell Morgan, "humanity went to hear her. Princes and peeresses merged with paupers and prostitutes."

One night, Morgan shared in a meeting with Mrs. Booth; and a great crowd of "publicans and sinners" was there. Her message brought many to Christ. After the meeting, Morgan and Mrs. Booth went to be entertained at a fine home; and the lady of the manor said, "My dear Mrs. Booth, that meeting was dreadful"

"What do you mean, dearie?" asked Mrs. Booth.

"Oh, when you were speaking, I was looking at those people opposite to me. Their faces were so terrible, many of them. I don't think I shall sleep tonight!"

"Why, dearie, don't you know them?" Mrs. Booth asked; and the hostess replied, "Certainly not!"

"Well, that is interesting," Mrs. Booth said. "I did not bring them with me from London; they are your neighbors!"

OBSERVATION:

This love your brother, sister, neighbor emphasis of the Christian Gospel is bothersome to us and if it isn’t, it should be for nothing else is at the center of the love of God.

Here is a question that I ask myself often… way too often – when I see an interracial couple do I see their mixed race or a couple? When I see two men kissing or two women kissing do I see homosexuality or two people that are in love and committed to each other? When I see a person with a lot of tattoos and/or multiple piercings do I see the ink and studs or do I see the person? When I see a Muslim do I see a person or a terrorist?

How does Jesus see them? Someone who is different or someone he was willing to die for? Does he see someone who he might be ready to reject because of their lifestyle or someone who is the apple of God’s eye?

How can we on one hand say we love God if we hate with a disapproval attitude the men and women of his creation? Truly this is bothersome. It actually gives me headaches at times. It is a struggle to love and accept others. We want to change them, get them to repent of what we see is their wrong doings … but alas, it is me who needs to repent because it is wrong – flat out no apology given wrong – to fail to see the person and to love that person for who they are. Besides, what right do I have to say what they are is wrong?

To look beyond the outer reality and deeper than their skin is a challenge at best, but with God’s guidance we (I) just might do it, after all He does.

PRAYER:

Boy, God, we really need your help on this one. It is much easier to measure a person’s behavior and find them wanting. It is totally and completely different to see them as you see them. Help us Lord!

Becoming shackle-busting freedom fighters (Galatians 5:1)

SCRIPTURE: Galatians 5:1 (TM) - larger reading Galatians 5:1-15

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

STORY:

Mark Twain tells a quaint story of the man who spent years in prison, only to walk out one morning when he discovered that the doors had never been locked.

OBSERVATION:

“Christ has set us free” – what a glorious declaration, but here’s the rub: do we realize it? Are we living as men and women who have been given this incredible freedom? An individual who is free walks differently, thinks differently, acts differently, but we… well, not so much. If we only see ourselves as the world sees us.

Somehow we just can’t wrap our gray matter around this concept. And here is my way of looking at our problem with this idea – maybe it will require a paradigm shift for some – to live and act as freed people we should be granting the privilege of living as free men and women to everyone else. Once freed from the shackles that held us we become shackle-busting freedom fighters. Hmmm, but we like placing harnesses of slavery around the necks of others, i.e. think like me, act like me, vote like me, believe like me or you are not “one of us”… group think (whatever that is suppose to mean).

It probably could be a control issue. If our political party or our subgroup within society needs to dominate then are we really free? To be a free person is to allow others to be free. If Christ has set us free then we shall be free indeed. As the latest Facebook poster states: “It is the Holy Spirits job to comfort, God’s job to judge and my job to love. Billy Graham.”

If we are resurrection people then we should be transferring that resurrection to others and not to just those who give a verbal adherence to our particular and peculiar set of beliefs. Strange world we live in isn’t it and it’s getting stranger by the minute… and the stranger it becomes the less freedom is experienced.

Thomas Huxley got it right when he declared: “A man’s worst difficulties begin when he is able to do as he likes.” It could boil down to one thing and one thing only: We are all controlled by something – be it our conservative idealism, our structured belief system, our animal instincts and urges, or Christ. We make a choice and pay the piper, but be careful because we just might be relinquishing our God given joy and the freedom that God offers.

Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free.

Force me to render up my sword, and I shall conqueror be.

I sink in life's alarms when by myself I stand;

imprison me within thine arms, and strong shall be my hand.

PRAYER:

Yes, Lord, make us a captive because we desire freedom above all else.

Having spiritual grandchildren (Psalm 128:6)

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 128:6 (TM) – larger reading Psalm 128

And enjoy your grandchildren. Peace to Israel!

STORY:

An 8-year-old wrote, "A grandmother is a lady who has no children of her own, so she likes other people's boys and girls. Grandmas don't have anything to do except be there. If they take us for walks, they slow down past pretty leaves and caterpillars. They never say 'Hurry up.' Usually they are fat but not too fat to tie shoes. They wear glasses, and sometimes they can take their teeth out. They can answer questions like why dogs hate cats and why God isn't married. They don't talk like visitors do which is hard to understand. When they read to us, they don't skip words or mind if it is the same story again. Everybody should try to have a grandma, especially if you don't have television, because grandmas are the only grownups who always have time.

OBSERVATION:

Being a grandparent is a special blessing. I praise God every day for the three beautiful and bright and energetic and loving and caring and happy grandchildren that grace my life. But that is not the kind of grandchildren the Psalmist refers to.

The “grandchildren” the Psalmists speaks of are the offspring of those who we have had the high and holy privilege to bring closer to God. Those men and women who have decided to embrace God’s reality for their life. These are individuals who have entered into a meaningful and grace filled life with God. We are talking about those individuals who we have nursed in the faith and celebrated their union with the Almighty God.

It is always humbling to hear from those “boys and girls” now men and women who have been influenced by something that we might have said or might done over the years. I use the word “might” because we often receive credit for something that we had very little to do with. Often we are not made aware of who they are or the impact that we have had on their life.

Seating across the table from a fellow clergy at breakfast one Monday morning he shared a conversation he had with a young woman. It was after a recent funeral he held for a member of his congregation. A young relative of the family asked him if he knew of a particular minister in Florida. He said he did indeed and then she went on and on and on as to how this particular clergyperson had impacted and influenced her life. His tagline was: “She thought this pastor had hung the moon.” We then discussed the unseen influence we have had over the lives of others. But shouldn’t we all have that kind of influence? The Psalmist wasn’t talking about just clergy, but rather of each believer. There should be a large wake of “children”, “grandchildren”, and “great-grandchildren” left in our spiritual wake. At least that is the hope of God in calling us into a relationship with himself.  

Little do we really appreciate what influence we have on lives as we live out our faith. These young people or young adults are our spiritual grandchildren. Though we might not know their names, my colleague could not recall the young woman’s name, but the impact we have had on their lives is immeasurable.

I thank God every day for the miracle he is performed in my life as I marvel at what He has accomplished with what He had to work with!

Take time to be holy,


Speak oft with thy Lord;


Abide in Him always,

And feed on His word.


Make friends of God's children;


Help those who are weak;


Forgetting in nothing


His blessing to seek.

PRAYER:

May we each be worthy of the praise placed upon us. Humbled by the honor. Motivated to produce all the more offspring. May we be highly producing holy people.

Friday's inspirational story: Grandfather's Table

Grandfather's Table – author unknown

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law and four year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table, but the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about grandfather," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he sometimes had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four year old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Momma to eat your food from when I grow up." The four year old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no words were spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days, he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the message they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day the building blocks are being laid for the child's future.

Let us be wise builders.