Commanding Love

John 15, 9-17

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

Pasted from <http://www.sacredspace.ie/dailyprayer.jsp?lang=en&date=24&month=1&year=2007&version=full>


Somehow or another it just doesn't seem right to talk about commandments and love in the same sentence. We've all heard the expression, "If you love something set it free and if it truly loves you it will come back to you." This passage seems to be counterintuitive to that kind of love. Let's look more closely at the connections between love and commandments found in the passage.

Father has loved me (Jesus)
I (Jesus) have loved you
Abide in my love…(How do we abide?)
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love
Just as I (Jesus) have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

What does abide mean?

Definition of abide (verb)
forms: abided; abided; abiding
to comply; to obey; to submit; to conform; to stay; to live; to tolerate; to continue; to tolerate; to wait

Pasted from <http://www.english-test.net/toeic/vocabulary/words/209/toeic-definitions.php>

It seems to suggest that abiding is an active thing to do--it's not a complacent thing. It involves obedience, submission, conformity. It involves remaining and continuing to experience the thing in which we abide.

I am beginning to think that there is a much stronger connection between love and commandments. To abide in the love of God implies a giving up of self and a turning towards God's will for our lives. When this happens, then God's love will be with us and we will be in God's love. At least that's what it seems to be saying to me. What do you think about the passage and its meaning for your life?

Living with Tension

At the Council on Ministries meeting the other night I noticed that we began discussing the topic of children in the church setting. We talked about them in Sunday School and in worship services. In the conversation, I noticed that several different persons kept making a statement like this one, "Kid's today are not the same as when I was growing up." Several persons reflected on what it was like for them when they were growing up in the church. They described the Sunday School and the teachers. They also described the worship service and what was expected of them as children.
As the discussion continued, I noted another refrain in the conversation that went something like this, "We need to get back to worship or Sunday School like it was when we were growing up." It finally dawned upon me that we had a tension in the room that night that we probably would not be able to resolve.
I said to the group, let me tell you what I have heard us saying tonight. I then stated the two statements that I had been hearing. I then suggested that we would not be able to resolve the tension that we felt if we continued to try and do things the way that we had always done things. On the one had they acknowledge the difference in generations, but on the other hand they were still trying to minister in ways similar to their childhood experiences. I suggested that a new age of children might just call for a new way of thinking about how we do ministry with those children.
My revelation was pretty much met with silence. I suggested that we think and pray about this issue. The issue is one that rears its head in many different ways in the church. Too many churches still think in terms of a 1950's model of ministry. A lot has happened in our world and society since that time. Perhaps it is time to begin rethinking how we do a lot of the ministry that we do in the church.

Strange Noises from the Pastor's Office

If you have been to the church in the morning hours recently, then there is the chance that you may have heard some strange sounds coming from my office. I have been using the book The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle as my devotional book. Ms. Tickle is the religious editor for Publishers Weekly. She has created a trilogy of books that cover the entire year. Each book contains three daily prayer offices for use by the church. The material is based mainly on The Book of Common Prayer and it attempts to integrate the monastic prayer offices into a daily format that can be used by laity and clergy.

The readings from the Psalms are pointed for chanting. So, I have been chanting the offices. Currently, I am only using the morning office, but hope to include the midday and evening office into my prayer/devotional life as the year progresses. If there is anyone that is interested in learning more about the prayer offices or about chanting the Psalms, I would be more than glad to talk with them about it.

Beginning 2007

As I began 2006, I shared some thoughts with you about the year ahead. So let me also share some thoughts for the new year of 2007 that still lies ahead.

To begin with, the year began at Myrtle Beach. Normally, each new year begins in Michigan with Debbie's family. This year, however, I went to the Congress on Evangelism and took along the family for a mini-vacation. It was a good way to begin a year. The speakers at the event were very challenging and I look forward to integrating some of the things that they taught into my ministry.

As to what's ahead in 2007 let me briefly list some goals:

• The Natural Church Development Process: I am looking forward to beginning thisporcess and seeing the area of our church life that needs the most attention. I hope and pray that 2007 becomes a turn around year for the church as we buckle down and tackle some major growth issues.
• I see a rough road in trying to find Sunday School teachers. We have been unable to find the persons that we need to keep the Sunday School program moving ahead.
• We will undertake a stewardship initiative and ask everyone to make a pledge to the church in 2008.
• We are beginning the self directed Bible studies. I hope to begin hearing feed back from persons regarding how these are received and being used by the members of the congregation.
• I hope that we will continue to work on the area of communication within the congregation. The use of the One Call Now system might just be the link that helps to bring us closer together in 2007.
• I hope that we can have some classes that focus on strengthening marriage and the family.