Just Love

•April 25, 2013 • 3 Comments

Love is such a popular concept.  A quick type of love into YouTube gives about 192,000,000 results!  A Google of love gives about 7,530,000,000 results. But I wonder what people mean when they speak of love.  Is it a mushy sentiment?  A feel-good feeling? Something like this?

Or a sacrificial act?

Because Jesus asks us to love in the way he does.

John 13:31-35

The New Command

31 After Judas had gone, Jesus said:

Now the Son of Man will be given glory, and he will bring glory to God. 32 Then, after God is given glory because of him, God will bring glory to him, and God will do it very soon.

33 My children, I will be with you for a little while longer. Then you will look for me, but you won’t find me. I tell you just as I told the people, “You cannot go where I am going.” 34 But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. 35 If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.

Do you notice how Jesus gives this command after Judas has gone?  Jesus has washed his disciples feet, showing them what true love looks like; he knows what is about to happen, because he tells them; he knows they are not going with him – so they are left behind.  They will be the ones to carry the message on.  How are they to do it?  By loving one another.  Their love for each other should be such that everyone will know that they are disciples of Jesus – people living his way.

Jesus makes it quite clear loving is our responsibility.  We are called to love whether someone loves us first, or back.  Our loving someone may be what they need.  If they don’t act in lovely ways, do they need our love to help them?

But of course, when Jesus said this he didn’t know Mrs X, or young Y, or that Z.  He didn’t know how they behaved – honestly that’s just not how we do things…

But actually Jesus does know them.  As he knew Judas the traitor, the impetuous Peter, James and John the power seekers – oh and me.

Yet his command is still to love.

Because love is what can make a difference.  It makes a difference when we are loved – and when we do the loving.

Lord,

may I love

as you do,

in your power,

in your name

Posted in bible, faith, Jesus, Lectionary, love, Religion, theology
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Making New

•April 24, 2013 • 2 Comments

Regeneration is a buzz word and concept in our time.  Taking somewhere that was derelict and restoring it to use again.

Being originally from Sheffield, an example that springs to mind, love it or loathe it, is Meadowhall, a mecca to the god of retail, built on a site previously occupied by steelworks.

Richard Bird [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

In the early 1980s much of Sheffield, and the lives of the people there, were decimated by the closure of many of the steelworks, played out in realistic fashion in the film The Full Monty.

This was very much a part of my formative years.  But Meadowhall has replaced that.  From an awful time in the life of a city and it’s inhabitants, and the ruins of a city and a workforce, has come something new.  A huge shopping centre may not be much replacement for jobs for men used to working in heavy industrial labour, but it is at least doing  something for the economy of that area.  From the death of steel, some new life has come.  From distress has come opportunity.  The area is unrecognisable from the ghost town of empty industry it had become.

None of this comes anything close to what God can and will do, but it gives a bit of an idea.  Because God is making all things new.

Revelation 21:1-6

The New Heaven and the New Earth

21 I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and so had the sea. 2 Then I saw New Jerusalem, that holy city, coming down from God in heaven. It was like a bride dressed in her wedding gown and ready to meet her husband.

3 I heard a loud voice shout from the throne:

God’s home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people. 4 He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.

5 Then the one sitting on the throne said:

I am making everything new. Write down what I have said. My words are true and can be trusted. 6 Everything is finished! I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give water from the life-giving fountain to everyone who is thirsty.

This has long been a favourite passage of mine.  It is a beautiful vision, and speaks to me of hope and peace.

This is heaven – not God sitting on some fluffy cloud playing his harp, but God coming to live with his people.  And not just live with us, but wiping all tears from our eyes.  I can just picture God coming, putting his arm around me, and making everything better.  All the pain; all the tears; all the sorrows; all the losses; all those things that no one else could put right, however much they wanted to – not brushed under the carpet, but taken by God and dealt with forever.  And the promise that there will be no more.

Whatever has happened in our lives – God is going to make something new – that is his promise.  Not a repair, not a patch, something entirely new.  It may or may not be what we are expecting, but his promise is that he will do it.

I don’t know about you, but I could do with God getting a tissue and wiping away the tears I still cry, and truly making things new.  That’s the hope I cling to.

Thank you God
for your promises.
That there will be a new day
and a new way.
That you will come
and dwell amongst us,
holding us tight,
wiping our tears,
taking our fears,
our suffering,
our pain,
our grief
and those things that cause us to feel like that.

That they will be gone,
and in place of desolation and despair,
will be your ways.

Thank you for the hope,
the vision,
the promise
in you

Posted in bible, faith, God, hope, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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Shout Praises!

•April 23, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Come Praise the Lord

148 Shout praises to the Lord!
Shout the Lord’s praises
in the highest heavens.
2 All of you angels,
and all who serve him above,
come and offer praise.

3 Sun and moon,
and all of you bright stars,
come and offer praise.
4 Highest heavens,
and the water
above the highest heavens,
come and offer praise.

5 Let all things praise
the name of the Lord,
because they were created
at his command.
6 He made them to last forever,
and nothing can change
what he has done.

7 All creatures on earth,
you obey his commands,
so come praise the Lord!

8 Sea monsters and the deep sea,
fire and hail,
snow and frost,
and every stormy wind,
come praise the Lord!

9 All mountains and hills,
fruit trees and cedars,
10 every wild and tame animal,
all reptiles and birds,
come praise the Lord!

11 Every king and every ruler,
all nations on earth,
12 every man and every woman,
young people and old,
come praise the Lord!

13 All creation, come praise
the name of the Lord.
Praise his name alone.
The glory of God is greater
than heaven and earth.

14 Like a bull with mighty horns,
the Lord protects
his faithful nation Israel,
because they belong to him.
Shout praises to the Lord!

All things are invited to come and praise the Lord.

That includes you and I

Posted in bible, faith, God, Lectionary, Religion, Thanksgiving, theology
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