Last Sunday — after a week of not meeting we came together again. It wasn’t as warm as had been (& also wasn’t quite the downpour we’ve seen this week either!) and as we gathered we opened in prayer. We then checked in with our homework that had been assigned two weeks prior — to, using the insight of the 3-point plans of becoming better lovers (more loving) as individuals, craft a 3-point plan speaking to how we can become better lovers & more loving as a church.
Some named they thought it was really rather similar to being more loving as an individual. This makes sense as the church is made up of individuals. Another voice pushed a bit though, recognizing that as a church we are more than individuals as well. Two things happened in discussing how to be more loving as a church — one there was a repeated theme of listening (and being present) that one of the most loving things we can do and perhaps the only way we really can be loving was to really be a people who listen (and listen well). And second, we were very easily wanting to “solve” how we can become more loving (there was talk of hosting listening sessions as well as considering following-up to prayer requests that are named in our weekly fellowship — both really great ideas! — which can be further developed!), which led one to name how there are many MANY in the church who are very loving to people in church and to people in the community.
But before shifting to the Scripture selection we would focus the rest of our time on, I took a moment to highlight something…there are many in the church who are very loving people — and that is a good thing, a blessing! And the reason why we have been considering how to become more loving as individuals and as a church is because that is who we are called to be! It’s not as though with a program or a certain way of following-up that we will reach the apex of what it means to be loving and we can just stay there — we are on a journey to becoming more and more like Christ — which is to say we are on a journey to becoming more and more loving. Some days are going to be better than others — and that was even named 2 weeks ago — but the call is to love and to love well, we will continue to consider how we can do so more faithfully because that is who we are called to be — those who love others and love God passionately with all of who we are — AMEN?!
And then we shifted, to Matthew 9:35-38. Asking, as we do, what the Holy Spirit was emphasizing in that moment to each of us. Where God was directing our focus. One noticed how here, in this story Jesus was healing all — everyone was healed, and that’s not always what the story says. Another mentioned how those harassed and helpless people might not have even known how Jesus saw them. Yet another mentioned, we are like those harassed and helpless people. This week continue to let the Holy Spirit talk to you though this passage as you also consider the homework assignment which is to answer the question,
- What does it mean & look like to be laborers in God’s harvest?
- Give 1 example of “labor” and 1 example of the “harvest.”
In Christ ~
Rev. Sabrina Slater