September 10, 2022 – Hebrews 8:12, The Funny Shape of Faith

“[Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself” -Matthew 22:37-39

“Love God with all of your heart, soul, and strength.” How do we do this? Because the answer is not clear-cut, we pray to and confide in God-and develop a relationship that brings us closer to the mystery than, say, any road map. And “love your neighbor?” This includes people in far-off places, but it begins in the very places we live, play, and work each day.”

(Laurie Hanson. The Funny Shape of Faith: Devotions for the Rest of Us (p. 97). Kindle Edition.)

Are These “Written in Stone” or Ten Suggestions?

In the song “In the Stone” by Earth Wind and Fire, part of the first verse and the chorus goes something like:

I found that love provides the key, Unlocks the heart and souls of you and me — Love will learn to sing your song, yeah, Oh yeah, love is written in the stone

In the stone, you’ll find the meaning — You’re not standing tall
In the stone, the light is shining — Ever touching all

What we tend to forget about the Ten Commandments is that G-d gave us the written law out of love for G-d’s children, not out of punishment. G-d loves G-d’s creation and seeks to be in relationship with the same. And since G-d loves all of creation we are called to do the same – loving G-d, loving all people and loving the creation as well.

My friends, these instructions are not holy suggestions, they are rules to live our lives by – beginning in the love of G-d and sharing that same love with all people.

Let us pray,

Loving and compassionate Lord, I want to stop treating others out of a place of judgment. Your kingdom is a place of love – and we are to be instruments of that love. I accept the challenge to become the person you created me to be. Help and feed me. Amen.

Pastor Dave

September 9, 2022 – Hebrews 8:12, The Funny Shape of Faith

“I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12

“Some people picture God keeping a long list of all our blunders – and checking it twice like some crabby Santa. But instead of toys, people think God is dishing out punishment. Throw that idea out the window. In the case of forgiven sins, God is forgetful.

We’re the ones with the long memory. We can use our memory against those who have wronged us, which isn’t actually forgiveness. Or we can forgive those who have wronged us and use our memory to protect ourselves. Forgiving does not mean forgetting or allowing someone to harm us. It means telling the truth about what someone did and loving them anyway. And it takes God’s power to do that. That’s what forgiven people do….they forgive.”  (Laurie Hanson. The Funny Shape of Faith: Devotions for the Rest of Us (Kindle Edition.)

Only Santa Keeps a List

I keep all kinds of lists. I keep lists to find my lists. It is a problem with me – the lists are not as cohesive as they should be, and do not always keep me on track. And yet, I continue to make more and more lists.

As people we like to keep track of things, especially of the wrongs others have committed against us. We have long memories for the hurts and usually memories that are way to short for the blessings. And as I see it, this has the perspective of G-d turned inside out. Santa likes to keep lists, but G-d refuses to keep anything but our names in his love, mercy and grace.

Everyone is a blessing to us: those who are helpful, those who are hurtful, and those who are benign. The helpful ones remind us that everyone has a gift to share and we should accept such blessings when others seek to offer us assistance. The hurtful ones remind us that their pain often is manifested in acting out painfully toward others. When people hurt us, we should separate from them physically so they do not continue to hurt us, but keep them close in prayer so we can love them through the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

And as for the benign people in our lives, those who seem to be always lukewarm, perhaps what they need most is our prayers and our love – both may help them find the spark of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, I know you forget my sins. Help me to forget them as well and to forget the sins of others too – not so they can hurt me – but so I can pray for them. Amen.

Pastor Dave