Tag Archives: Loving Like Jesus

Caste Systems

Living in the Spirit

July 23, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.

This prayer is an astounding commentary on a world ruled by people whose fragile self-worth teeters tenuously on their place in the caste system they let define them. Caste systems are human creations contrived for evil gain and passed to generation after generation, accepting them as the norm. We are all God’s children, loved and cherished for who we are and what we can become. Paul states it this way: For this reason. I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.

God’s original design of the world was based on this premise. Whenever we chose to alter this vision of oneness chaos always ensues. God created us with the ability to live in oneness. God gifted us with God’s love and the ability to Love others. Indeed, we are never alone in striving to live God’s love. We will never find any shortcuts or rationales in the ways of the world that will ever supersede God’s design. We do waste a lot of time and energy trying.

Prayer: I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

A Renewed Life

Living in the Spirit

July 22, 2021

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

The mail deliverer failed to pick up an important letter I had placed for mailing. He had already disappeared by the time I saw the envelope still on the mailbox. I grabbed it jumped in the car and immediately took it to the closest post office. As I was leaving the post office my former exercise trainer crossed the street ahead of me. While I keep up with him on social media, I cannot remember the last time I saw him in person. It was pre-COVID for sure. I wheeled into the parking lot, and he came over to the passenger side window. We had a great reunion for a few minutes. I love these blessings that appear amid angst.

I credit my trainer for giving me back my life. My knee got so bad in the 1990s that I was barely able to walk and had to use a cane. At that stage in medical history, I was not considered old enough to have a knee replacement. I gained a lot of weight. When I finally reached the magic age (I do not think there is an age limit now), my knee was replaced and after physical therapy, I could walk with no pain but that was just about it.  I inquired of the physical therapist if there was nothing more I could do to get in better shape and got a vague answer. Frustrated, I got in my car and drove directly to the exercise business owned by my future trainer, and began the road to fuller recovery. As I read the above scripture, I thought that is exactly what Paul did for the Ephesians and what we are called to do to all people thirsting for being rooted and grounded in love. He introduced them to a new way of being. This letter was his continuing support of them.

My sister and I used to sing a popular religious song in the 1950s. It Is No Secret What God Can Do. We need to share that message with a world that seems to have lost sight of that truth.

The chimes of time ring out the news, another day is through
Someone slipped and fell, was that someone you?
You may have longed for added strength your courage to renew
Do not be disheartened, I have news for you
It is no secret what God can do
What he’s done for others he’ll do for you
With arms wide open, he’ll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do
There is no night for in his light you’ll never walk alone
You’ll always feel at home, wherever you may roam
There is no power can conquer you while God is on your side
Take him at his promise, don’t run away and hide
It is no secret what God can do*
What he’s done for others he’ll do for you
With arms wide open he’ll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do

Prayer: Lord, grant us the gift of helping people know your love. Amen.

*It Is No Secret by Stuart Hamblen see at https://www.google.com/search?q=it+is+no+secret+what+god+can+do&rlz=1C1CHZN_enUS922US922&oq=it+is+n&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j35i39j0l3j69i60l3.4008j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Saying Thanks

Living in the Spirit

July 21, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 145(8-9), 10-18

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
   and his compassion is over all that he has made.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
   and all your faithful shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
   and tell of your power,
to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
   and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
   and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

The Lord is faithful in all his words,
   and gracious in all his deeds.
The Lord upholds all who are falling,
   and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand,
   satisfying the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is just in all his ways,
   and kind in all his doings.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth.

I added verses 8-9 to the scripture selection recommended in the lectionary because I had trouble understanding what the phrase in verse 10, All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, means. How do God’s works give thanks? In reading verses 8-9 it seems to make more sense. The works God does for God’s children result or should result in the recipients giving thanks to God. Jesus discovered that does not always happen when only one of the ten lepers he healed returns to thank him. (Matthew 8)

Most of us were probably raised to automatically say thank you to be polite when someone holds a door for us or sends us a card or flowers. How do we thank people who have done something so extraordinary that our whole life has been improved? Ratchet that up to the gifts God provides of love, salvation, grace, and more, what can we say?

Prayer:

How can I say thanks
For the things You have done for me?
Things so undeserved
Yet You gave to prove Your love for me
The voices of a million angels
Could not express my gratitude
All that I am and ever hope to be
I owe it all to Thee

To God be the glory
To God be the glory
To God be the glory
For the things He has done*. Amen

Prayer: Amen.

*First verse and chorus of My Tribute by Andraé Crouch see at https://www.google.com/search?q=how+do+i+say+thanks+for+the+things+you+have+done+for+me+lyrics&rlz=1C1CHZN_enUS922US922&oq=how+do+Isay+thanks+for+the+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i13j0i22i30l8.7063j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Feeding the Hungry

Living in the Spirit

July 20, 2021

Scripture Reading:
2 Kings 4:42-44

A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, ‘Give it to the people and let them eat.’ But his servant said, ‘How can I set this before a hundred people?’ So he repeated, ‘Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, “They shall eat and have some left.”‘ He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.

Does this scripture sound familiar? It immediately reminded me of the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 (Matthew 14:13-21).  He was a student of the Hebrew scripture. We sometimes forget that God with Us is yesterday, today, and forever.

Regular pictures of hungry and dying children in Yemen appear on news programs. Yesterday I saw the starving children of Syria. There is something very wrong with a world where some countries throw away more food than could feed all the starving people in the world. We can have fierce theological discussions on various topics in the Bible, but there is no question that God wanted all of God’s children to have enough food and that all people are God’s children. Nowhere in any of those stories are there forms to fill out to determine if the people are eligible or requirements that they must work or seek work. In fact, feeding the hungry is the first item on Jesus’s criteria for judging us. (Matthew 25:35)

Prayer: Lord, help us feed the hungry directly and assure that our society addresses the significant systemic challenges to address hunger. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Being One

Living in the Spirit

Living in the Spirit

July 16, 2021

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22

So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.

In John 17:20–23, Jesus called us to be one. Paul picks up this theme in both Ephesus and Galatians. Yet, we still cannot even find ways to be one among the groups that consider themselves to be Christ-followers. We are driving people away from Christ, not introducing them to him.

We humans pick out the strangest things about which to disagree. My faith community split the first time over whether the bible supported the use of organs in worship. This group was founded on the belief that we had no creed but Christ. I guess some folks had some other doctrines. My guess is some were concerned about their members moving toward the high church type worship from which their ancestors moved to the New World to escape. The problem presented is rarely the concern needing to be addressed.

Here in 2021, we are farther away from being one, as our ancestors in faith were when they fled religious oppression. Instead, we are following a well-established worldly competitive attitude that my god is better than your god. But, of course, often in such discourses, the god of choice is the one projected from our image. So, how did we get to this point? But, more importantly, how can we turn around from this place and seek God’s Kingdom where all people are capable of loving and being loved in return?

Prayer: Lord, fill us with your love to the extent that we can love ourselves and one another without question or dispute. Make us one, O Lord, Make us one. Amen.

 *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_churches_and_churches_of_Christ

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Distracted by Idols

Living in the Spirit

July 13, 2021

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

In 2019, Christians represent 65% of the total adult population, 43% identifying as Protestants, 20% as Catholics, and 2% as Mormons. People with no formal religious identity at 26% of the total population*.

That is a drop from 2014 with 70.6% and 2007 with 78.4%**. Why are these numbers shrinking? Jeremiah’s words above surely apply to us today.  How diverse in theology are those who identify as Christian? Do we even recognize each other as fellow followers of Christ?

We know what happened to the Hebrews Jeremiah was addressing. They eventually landed in exile,  becoming oppressed because of their unwillingness to follow and serve God. So we can learn from the ancient prophets, but we can only know if we are willing to let go of the idols we worship, greed and lust for power, and on it goes.

 We have been having flash floods in Oklahoma recently. I keep hearing the warning turn around don’t drown on my TV, warning people not to drive into the water when they do not know how deep it is or if there is even a road left beneath it. We should apply this caution to other aspects of our lives as we bury ourselves in depths that lead away from God’s love.

Prayer: Lord, help us return to your guidance and practice your love. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States

**https://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Abiding with God

Living in the Spirit

July 12, 2021

Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-14a

Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar? Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings.

The rest of the story includes Solomon getting the job of building the temple and David getting a great name regarding leadership. What I want to delve into is God’s desire to be with God’s people wherever they are.  The building of the temple eventually occurred yet it was also destroyed as was its replacement. Having a place to gather and worship is helpful but not necessary. Being in a relationship with God is fundamental.

God wants the very best for all of God’s children. We become fully the persons God created us to be when we are in full communion with God. We have been provided the freedom to develop the desires of our hearts as we align our love of others with God’s love.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your love. Help us to grow in spirit and in truth as you abide with us and we abide with you. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Learning to Love Ourselves in the Right Way

Living in the Spirit

July 10, 2021

Scripture Reading: Mark 6:14-29

For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.’ And he solemnly swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the baptizer.’ Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb. –Mark 6:17-29

What was Herod thinking? The answer is he was not thinking, and his pride would not keep him from breaking his promise. How much of our lives are controlled by our instinctual desires that we probably cannot explain, and yet we let them guide our lives. I once went on a business trip with a group in an area awash with bargain shops and malls. Two of the participants spent every free moment of their time on that trip shopping. A couple of weeks later, I saw one of them and asked how she liked all the purchases she had made. She said she sent it all back. She wondered what she was thinking?

We can be critical of both the atrociousness of Herod’s acts and the flakiness of my friend’s behavior. We, however, must recognize that we have all done something similar.  I stay closely on my eating plan most of the time, but occasionally, I succumb to a cookie or worse. Sometimes there is nothing wrong with doing something silly on the spur of the moment, particularly if it does not hurt anyone, including ourselves. The problem arises when we do not know or try to deal with what needs we are trying to meet with our impulsive behavior, and that is important. Cookies or other self-indulgences do not cure loneliness, shame, fear, lack of self-esteem, or even boredom.  

God desires wholeness for each of us. We all have had events in our pasts or everyday things like the pandemic that chip away at loving ourselves—wanting the best for ourselves. Such experiences can raise their ugly heads in our lives and send us down paths not attuned to God’s ways of being. When we do not love ourselves, we cannot love others. Routinely, dealing with such issues Is the best way to remove them from our lives. Take a few minutes each day to think about your day. Identify the things that happened that brought you joy and events that brought you down.  If you find something that routinely haunts you, spend some time wondering why it has a hold on you. Let it go and asked God to fill its vacancy with God’s love providing the insight needed to overcome it.

Prayer: God, grant us the insight to clear the path for loving ourselves, which paves the way to love others. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

What Constitutes Family?

Living in the Spirit

July 9, 2021

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

If my mother, the great egalitarian, made something for one in a group, she did the same for all. Thus, each of her grandchildren has one of her handmade Afghans and quilts. That is also true of her children. Since there are only three children and seven grandchildren, how does the next generation pass down what our ancestors gave us? My house is full. I am not a hoarder. I have no problem throwing stuff away, but I have lived in the same place for over 40 years, and all my closets and draws are full of things I no longer need or use. Thus, I deal with many things by donating them to charities or tossing them in the trash. What do you do with grandma’s quilts? How do you pick who gets them?

I was discussing this recently among the family as we talked about who might want something I had, would females desire some items more than males, and should age be a factor in determining who gets first pick? The question of adoption came up as criteria as I have both adopted children and stepchildren among my next-generation family members. I was considering taking it all to the charities because I did not want to cause a family feud or force something on someone who was not interested in it. These people are carefully arranged on my family tree even though they are not marked as sharing my DNA. My DNA profile has been upgraded twice as the science of studying it has expanded. However, the knowledge that we are all made in God’s image has never changed and answers what constitutes the family of God?

Paul, too, did not want to cause a family feud. The segment of Ephesians above is trying to answer the question. What constitutes a family? In the family of God, all people are members of God’s family, if they choose to be. Some in Ephesus had known God throughout their lives. Others had only recently been introduced to God. With a diversity of backgrounds, these people, us too, are called to be one. Only God’s abiding love can make that happen if we share God’s vision that our oneness is key to the successful functioning of God’s kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, cleanse us of the need to create hierarchies of sharing the blessings of knowing you and being loved by you. Make us lovers of souls just as you are. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Loving Others is Loving God

Living in the Spirit

July 8, 2021

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

I write about free will a lot because It is fundamental to understanding our relationship with God. The gift of free will often gets us into trouble when we do not make good choices, but it also establishes God’s will in our relationship with the Lord, the best way out of trouble. God wants us to choose to love God. Thus, the Lord also wants us to choose to love one another. Think about it do we really love anything we are required to love? For self-preservation, protection, or to please the world, we might go through the motions of doing the things humans attribute to love, but selfishness is not a component of love.  Now might be a good time to read 1 Corinthians 13. Here is the part that describes love in verses 4-7, Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

The most significant expression of our love of God is how well we love one another. Unfortunately, while we claim to love God, our love of others seems sorely missing in our world today. The time is now for us to change that and live God’s love with God’s help.

Prayer: Lord, make us aware of the many ways we can love one another in everything we do. Amen. All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved