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Last week we gathered — a smaller group than typical and a bit cosier with the undecorated tree in the corner.  And we checked in, it had been a bit challenging to remember for 2 whole weeks what the homework was (to Bless (and/or) Praise the Lord!).  But after opening in prayer it turns out there was much to check-in with.

Did we bless God?  Did we praise God?  Was it easier with good news & things happening, or was it easier in the challenges of the day?  We asked what exactly does it mean to bless God — including considering, isn’t it God who blesses us & we who praise God?  Does our blessing of God actually mean an attempt to bless others out of our gratefulness for God?  It was a rich conversation and while some might have forgotten the homework — it did seem that folks had sat with Psalm 103 throughout those weeks and so even if they thought they’d not done the homework, they had sat with the scripture & that scripture had marinated in them (which I’d say is NEVER a bad thing!)

And we made a turn to Proverbs — reading Proverbs 1:1-7

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, King of Israel:   For learning about wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight, for gaining instruction in wise dealings, righteousness, justice, and equity; to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young — let the wise also hear and gain in learning, and the discerning acquire skill, to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

We heard “fear” make another appearance in this reading (The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge) — and we considered if the book of Proverbs still speaks to us today.  One could perhaps argue that these are for Solomon, and not us (but honestly, I doubt how many would hold to such a reading of Proverbs!), however it seems that this book, one of the wisdom books of the Bible might have something rich, meaningful & instructive to offer each of us today in our lives & even as we begin the season of Advent — the time of waiting & looking for Christ (God with us) to be born among us — the time of longing for our Savior to come again!

As we begin a season in Proverbs — our first homework was to create or to find a Proverb that speaks to you — and to come with that Proverb to share with us who gather around the table tomorrow!  Looking forward to hear the Proverbs God is guiding each of us to!

Blessings!
~ Rev. Sabrina Slater 

2 African proverbs:

“When you pray, move your feet.”

& (mentioned in the sermon last week) “If you want to know the end look at the beginning.”

Well…I know it was almost 2 whole weeks ago, but who could forget the time we spent in Psalm 103?  (Or the homework that we agreed to work on?).

Two Sundays ago, we altered our rhythm a little.  We had a little bit more silence to what we’ve become used too (about 1 minute after each reading of scripture).  After hearing Psalm 103 read aloud once, we were silent for a longer period of time.  During the silence there was the invitation to look (& listen) on our own to the scripture, using your own Bible, the Bible in front of you, or perhaps the print out of the scripture.  The invitation was especially open to use the print out of the scripture so that as we continued to look/listen/be open to what the Holy Spirit was highlighting in Psalm 103 we could highlight words or phrases, or underline verses — using a print out (especially for some people who would never imagine writing in a Bible!) allows us to look closely at the scripture before us, to see what words might be repeated, to focus in on the verbs or the nouns in the passage and to ask questions — printing out a section of scripture (or writing it out!) invites us to slow down with scripture and to possible see what it has to say to us with eyes open — instead of knowing exactly what it says (ahhh — this passage, easy I’ve memorized it I’ve read it so much!) — this slowing down, invites us into an intimate space with the Holy Spirit guiding us to just what God might be highlighting.  While we stayed silent for only a few minutes, this is a practice (a way) of reading scripture or meditating on scripture that you can do for much longer too!  In fact, if you do sit with some scripture I would love to hear what God speaks to you about whatever passage you might sit with — so please don’t be shy!

And after the silence we opened up to discussion.  The first to share was someone for whom this scripture has a deep meaning for them — someone they loved once offered they read it during a challenging time and so they have walked with it ever since.  It was interesting that the person offered it but did not necessarily say why they had offered it to this other person, instead they allowed God & the scripture to do & be what was needed.  What faith!  Do we have that type of faith — to trust that God will show up in the scriptures & speak, offer comfort — transformation & healing?  Often I think we find we need to be more “hands-on” — offering an introduction to the life-giving (Word, God, Christ, Holy Spirit) — perhaps a topic for another time, but what would we (life/church/world?) look like it we really did trust God?  

Someone else offered their translation which read, “Praise the LORD” instead of what the translation we had heard (“Bless the LORD.”)  And of course, that brought up a question, what exactly is it to bless the Lord?  And there was a challenge in the text too — this idea of “fearing” the Lord?  What is that?!  And we had a discussion, mentioning earthly Fathers who were loving (and perhaps stern too) — some who wanted the best for us, but who also instilled a bit of fear — in the sense that if we did not do what was expected….errr well, because the Father was consistent we knew what would be coming!  And yet, this conversation regarding what it is to “fear” God, an understanding of reverence or awe — something else? — a good type of fear — is an ongoing conversation.  Language changes over the years and through translations, so to understand what the original author was trying to convey will prove challenging!  And yet, it serves us well as we seek to hear from God & take scripture seriously — what does it mean to fear God?, do we still find that need in the New Testament?, what is lost if we functionally ignore this fear? Psalm 103:17a reads,

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him…

We did not answer the question of fear and that likely is an invitation for us all to continue pondering this in our life (our faith journey, our walking daily with God).  But we did leave with a “homework” assignment – a 2-week one!  We were sent out to “Bless the LORD!”  Psalm 103 begins as it ends,

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Ok — if you look closely the opening ends with a “.” and the ending closes with a “!”  I like that — it’s almost as though the beginning Blessing (or Praising) is more tentative than the ending…as though we grow in strength in the Blessing & the Praising through the practice of doing so, through the living of doing so.  And so, 2 weeks ago, before the community ecumentical Thanksgiving service, and before families (and friends too) gathered to share a meal and time on the 4th Thursday in November — we received the homework to go out and to Bless the LORD!  And to come back in two weeks with the stories of what exactly that turned out to be & looked like!  And well…tomorrow is the day when we will check in.  So — there’s still time (because perhaps the invitation is for at all times to Bless & Praise the LORD!)

Love ya & See y’all tomorrow @ 10AM!

~ Rev. Sabrina Slater 

We finished #love (well, finished sort of — finished in the sense that #love is not the “study” for right now….but let’s be honest, #love is how we live life — it’s not something we just visit and then forget about it — Jesus doesn’t cease to be Jesus if we forget about him, the call to love — to recognize ourselves as loved — does not disappear just because we choose not to #love).

We took some time to talk about what worked & what didn’t.  While there were a variety of responses, and of course the necessary comment of “there’s always one” to the one person who named liking the homework assignments — we determined that the structure of the study (including prayer, checking-in, scripture, silence, dialogue & homework) worked for us.  Overall — we observed together that we appreciated how everyone engaged how they could, how everyone’s voice and insight was important – and how we all did try to do (& remember to do) the homework.

But what’s next right?  Well, I posed the question and folks had a lot of thoughts, books of the Bible (naming Daniel, Ephesians, Romans, Isaiah, and specifically Psalm 103) and topics too (naming Sabbath, Solitude, Victory, and “Engage” – rethinking church Mission).  MANY topics — and all important topics (plus of course there are more which your loving Pastor might be considering too!)

So — not knowing though what would be coming next (tomorrow now!) — we did have homework.  After sitting with all of Psalm 46 — all of it!  And it was a rich conversation, there was a pointed question — why this Psalm?  Why Psalm 46?  And my answer was — I felt led to the scripture, and the anchor verse which captured me was Psalm 46:10a

Be still, and know that I am God!

And so the homework assigned for the week was to think on that — to think on, “Be still, and know that I am God!”  To consider what exactly does that mean, look like, happen? — in our daily lives.  And y’all — then we went home — and after getting home we heard news of Sutherland Springs, TX — and it’s not fair — and I don’t know how to “Be still,” how to “know that I am God!” Because it’s too much, too much evil, too much pain, too much death.  And yet I am grateful that the homework and the invitation would be to “Be still, and know that I am God.” — because the reality is there is too much evil, and too much pain, and too much death EVERY SINGLE DAY — it’s just some days it really hits us, some days we get a sliver of the understanding of how through sin death entered creation…and so there is a grace that as we mourn with those who mourn (and we are mourning — this is part of our family who went to church last week and did not walk out) God would gift us with this living Word, this reminder and invitation when perhaps some of us are paralysed that what has been offered is, “Be still, and know that I am God!”  And y’all, even though I don’t know all the things, I am so grateful that the One Who we trust has been proved faithful and loving and so even now, even in the midst of all this (all life), let us together,

Be still, and know that I am God!

Love always & see you in the AM ~
Rev. Sabrina Slater 

National Domestic Violence Hotline:

1-800-799-SAFE

www.TheHotline.org

“Past the Pulpit” is a space where I hope to be able to share some thoughts and to continue the conversation(s) we are having as a congregation.  Sometimes these conversations might be uncomfortable for us.  I pray and hope though that we can commit to honestly engage with each other respectfully and with open hearts to listen.  I pray and hope too that we foster a community where we can hold space for challenging and difficult conversations — with a deep commitment to the unity that we have because Jesus loves us.

A few weeks ago, on Oct. 15th, we started a HARD conversation.  A conversation some of us might never have had before in church — or at least not in church above a whisper.  We read a really challenging (REALLY challenging) scripture selection.  Judges 19:22-30 and we NAMED (some of) the violence that is in the text.  We NAMED violence in the month of October because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  And in a moment in time when we know of many instances of sexual assault & harassment in high profile cases it is important to NAME some of the realities of our context.

There are so many statistics that can be named & on that Sunday we began by sharing that 1 in 3 women will experience intimate partner violence.  1 in 3.  Think about that for a minute — think about all the women you know.  Divide that number by 3 and (number of women/3 = ?) that is the number of survivors you likely know right now.¹  After this Sunday — after this sermon — something happened in the following week — were surprised to read this HORRIFIC scripture selection and then people kept on talking, wrestled with what to do, asked questions and were challenged by this evil and this sin!  This wrestling we are doing is life giving — this NAMING we are doing is important.  The scripture said,

Consider it, take counsel, and speak out.

As Halloween — a night when some might get scared– comes to a close and we look to welcome November — we can’t forget the things that are scary & that literally keep some of our sisters & brothers up all the time — the violence that is around us, the violence that is domestic violence.  So, what are we to do?  Let’s keep on wrestling.  One way we wrestle is learning some of the facts & statistics.  Here are some FACTs.  Maybe you’d like to learn some of what Presbyterians Against Domestic Violence are doing — check them out HERE.  Or maybe you’d like to participate in “Thursdays in Black” where as an act of solidarity you choose to wear black on Thursdays naming your desire and commitment to a world without rape or violence.  Perhaps most important for us all is we continue to conversation, that we prayerfully listen (& believe) those who share the stories of violence that they live.  And let us never be satisfied with a world where the sin of domestic violence and gender-based violence is a reality.

And let us join again in this prayer (& may it be our prayer not only on Domestic Violence Awareness Day & not only in October — but may it be our prayer until thanks be to God we need it no longer!):

We are the church.  We offer ourselves to you, O God, our creator.  We offer our hands.
May we use them to extend a healing touch to comfort sisters and brothers and children, youth and seniors who are afraid.  We offer our eyes and ears.
May we see and hear the signs and stories of violence so that all may have someone with them in their pain and confusion.  We offer our hearts and our tears.
May the hurt and sorrow of the abused echo within us. We offer our own stories of violence.
May we be healed, as we embrace each other. We offer our anger.
Make it a passion for justice. We offer all our skills.
Use our gifts to end violence. We offer our faith, our hope, our love.
May our encounters with violence bring us closer to you and to each other. In every congregation of every faith, victims, survivors and abusers sit in our pews.
Some are listening for words of recognition, understanding, comfort and healing, hoping to hear that the church stands with them in their suffering. All need to hear a clear message that violence in our homes is against the will of God.
Our silence makes us complicit to the suffering. This Domestic Violence Awareness Day, let us make our churches places where the gospel of wholeness is heard and lived out. We offer our prayers and our peace in that journey.
All this we ask through Jesus Christ, who knows the pain of violence. Amen.²

¹From Presbyterians Against Domestic Violence (& also) Sojourners email, “Tell Your Faith Leaders: Speak Out For Survivors of Violence” sent on Sept. 19, 2017.

²Prayer offered at Service of Awareness about domestic violence (SEE HERE)

How did we already get here?  Week 5 of our 6 week #love series?  So journaling was for some easy & for others hard for us as we tried to track and measure just how much God loves us (and in what ways).  However, whether we found it easier or a bit more challenging everyone was really thinking about just how much God loves us.  And anyone present might have observed that in general there was some discomfort in considering God’s act of love toward us…

As a note — this I believe is something many of us struggle with — perhaps because we want to be independent, perhaps because we are uncomfortable getting something for nothing — perhaps because we really want to earn our grace, or not to need grace at all — and that is in so many ways the essence of grace…We can’t earn grace, God gives it.  And if we didn’t need grace, well then God would not have bankrupted heaven to offer the world Jesus Christ — God with us (in flesh!).  

Moving through discomfort we turned to hearing some scriptures which we might be more comfortable with.  Might being an operative word because well, the scripture selections did tell us what to do — and it was in so many ways love understood as a verb, a verb with an object other than us — and yet these scriptures are challenging. Consider 1 Corinthians 16:14 (only 1 verse),

Let all you do be done in love.

Let that sink in for a moment, “Let all you do be done in love.”  Really; really God?  Everything?  And we talked about if we could do this out of duty, we talked about if we could do it in our own strength, we talked about those who are easier to love — and considered too those who are harder to love!  There was mention of loving enemies and praying for those who persecute us; a confession that often it is easier to love those who are not so near to us (neighbors, family…); and the offering that we can really only do this through God — because of God — that to love is a gift God gives us because we can’t really do it on our own.

The conversation was sincere and rich.  And thankfully one person had named earlier in the conversation that when they feel most loved by God is when they can be used by God/useful to others.  Some others agree & I find this sentiment an important one to consider — that we might feel very loved by God as we are able to use the gifts/skills/talents/intellect/experiences…God has blessed us with to bless others.  <– There are HUGE implications to this, inviting us perhaps to think differently about so many things (just one example being can we feel loved by God in the work we do whether we consider it a career or a job — even perhaps a job we don’t particularly enjoy?).  And our homework for this past week might allow us to think through some of those things/some of those implications.  Because our homework invites us to look out & to look to love.

The Homework:

• We are looking “OUT” this week – so last week we journaled how much GOD loves us.  This week our task is to LOVE others to the best of our ability (maybe even better than ever before!).  We are to measure how loving we are to others….Let’s see how GREAT we can love!!!
• And of course, the perpetual invitation is to sit in your own belovedness because well — YOU ARE LOVED of God — and God delights in you!

So….I’m excited to see y’all on Sunday & I’ll finish with a quote from St. Vincent de Paul which we heard last week,

We must love God, but let it be in the work of our bodies, in the sweat of our brows. For very often many acts of love for God, of kindness, of good will, and other similar inclinations and interior practices of a tender heart, although good and very desirable, are yet very suspect when they do not lead to the practice of effective love.

Blessings!
~ Rev. Sabrina Slater 

Last week (Sunday Sept. 15th) we met again.  I was back & after gathering & opening in prayer we opened the space to share.  It turns out that an invitation to meditate on any of the scriptures we had considered already in #love was challenging for most.  And it sounded like the challenges included not knowing how much time was needed to meditate, or needing to focus just on that which we were meditating on.  And some of that insight was shared also naming that when we focus exclusively on #love (on LOVE, choosing LOVE, seeing in LOVE, thinking of GOD as LOVE — when we focus on LOVE) — all that distracts us quits distracting us.  One of the wise voices gathered at the table shared when they are completely focused on love then distractions (like say, fear, jealousy, frustration…etc.) pass away — as though if we have our focus on love we cannot be distracted, just because we don’t have time.

It seems getting to that focus — that #love focus is hard though.  It was named that — we need practice, and with practice we can get better at the focus.  (Help us Jesus!)  And perhaps — perhaps that is part of why we study the Bible in community — perhaps that is part of why we #love (together).

And we moved into scripture, looking at Ephesians 3:14-21, with an emphasis on verse 18-19:

¹⁸ I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

And after hearing the selection read three times we listened to each other, hearing the highlights God emphasized to each of us.  One person named the collective nature of this scripture — how collectively we have power, how collectively we can know just how much God loves us.  Another person shared how the word “power” in the scripture kept sticking out to them — and considered what that word means here though.

The conversation wanted to go further and there were some questions (IMPORTANT questions!) like is it enough if we are just grateful — do we need to move from gratefulness to love — at the end as we were about to pray.  The questions were heard though not answered — though these are questions that shape us as we strive to follow Jesus and to #love in our lives.

And before prayer we did get the homework — and yes — there is still time!  Considering verses 18-19 we are invited to try and think about just how much God loves us.  To know the breadth and length and height and depth of God’s love for us — to be able to name & measure that love.  And so the homework was:

• Thinking of Eph. 3:18-19 — think about & JOURNAL (pen to paper — or fingers to keyboard!) how much God loves you.  The specific ways — how much does God love you?
• And (as always) there is the invitation to sit in your belovedness!  And this week though, because we also heard a story that had been shared in a Daily Bread devotional — we had an image of a niece almost crying & refusing to take a nap because her Aunt had not yet held her that day — she required 5 minutes of holding to be ready for nap time — so, the invitation is to ask God — please hold me!

Blessings & prayerfully see y’all Sunday!
~ Rev. Sabrina Slater 

Last week…I wasn’t there (I missed y’all!) but I know that the guest facilitators were AMAZING — many thanks to Gene & Gina for being so kind as to do this while I was away (THANK YOU BOTH!!!).

So last week we checked in — the homework had been thinking about putting on love and the scripture that was considered and focused on was the scripture that had shaped the homework, Colossians 3:12-14

¹² As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³ Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord^[a] has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.                                                                            (New Revised Standard Version)

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¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.                                                                                          (New International Version)  

I imagine (& have heard) the conversation was rich.  That y’all seemed to know what it is to put on love — which by the way, I think is pretty amazing & so (spoiler alert) — I might want to hear a little bit of this wisdom tomorrow!  And while it seems all knew the “how-to” of putting on love, the authenticity, the consistency, and the why we practice it might have proved more elusive.

And I wonder if this elusiveness might be connected to our discomfort in understanding LOVE in its noun (as compared with verb) form, or even why sitting in our own belovedness (the understanding that GOD is the first lover, that how much GOD loves & delights in us does not change no matter what we do or do not do, that grace is a free gift — defined by being unearned — GOD just loves us — it’s the character of who GOD is — whether we like it or not!) feels a bit uncomfortable?

Now, just as a reminder what exactly was the homework from last Sunday?

• Meditate on any of the scriptures we have considered thus far:
  • Matthew 22:37-39 (love God…love neighbor)
  • 1 Corinthians 13 (love is patient…love is kind…the greatest of these is love)
  • Luke 7:36-47 (who will love more?  The one to whom more has been forgiven)
  • Colossians 3:12-14 (put on love)
    

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• As you meditate on (one) of these scriptures, consider if anything “new” jumps out at you.  How do you hear the text (scripture) now?  Has your understanding of “love” changed at all?  (Is the invitation to #love harder or easier today?)
• And finally, as/after you meditate — try to sit again in your (our) belovedness — our identity of beloved of GOD.  Has this (sitting in belovedness) become easier or more challenging?  We are wondering outloud together if it is easier or harder to consider our (first) identity as beloved of GOD?

So for tomorrow, perhaps we will lean into some of this discomfort in our journey with our #love series to think about, why exactly do we practice putting on love & how exactly does that connect with our own experience of our belovedness, our own understanding of how God loves us?  Maybe we’ll reflect on a song I at least know from my childhood,

We love.  Because God first loved us.  We love.  Because God first loved us.                                                    We love.  We love.  We love.  Because God first loved us!

That is our prayer — may we love (#love) because beloved, God first loved us.  Amen.

Blessings y’all & see you tomorrow!
~ Rev. Sabrina Slater 

Last Sunday brought us not only World Communion Sunday but also our 3rd week in the 6 week series.  (And for anyone wondering — yes next week — this coming Sunday — Oct. 8th — is titled week * — even though I will not get to be there — we will be meeting….10AM….with information to share — so get excited, and here’s that reminder to be doing the homework…..)

We began in prayer and then checked in with our homework.  It was a choose 2 (or 3 for those overachievers among us!) adventure with the invitation to define love, to think of the most loving person we know (& think about why), and to talk about love with at least one other person.  There were rich offerings from those who were present — definitions and reflections on the homework.  One piece that struck me and was named in different ways from more than one person was the idea love being safe.   I really appreciate this understanding of love & find it might very formative for us to think about love as safe….for example what are we open to do and who are we open to be when we feel safe?  What might the world look like if we all felt safe?  These are some of the questions we can consider if we have an understanding of safety and a feeling of “safe” when we consider love.

As we heard the Lukan text (Luke 7:36-47) perhaps one of the most difficult to hear was Jesus saying to his host,

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

Do we think about this question?  This idea of loving more?  Does it make us feel uncomfortable?  Do we even think we need extravagant love?  Or perhaps do we think actually, we are pretty good — we don’t need the fullness of the love of God — the forgiveness of God — the gift of grace, the sacrifice we remember each time we celebrate the sacrament of communion?  And if that is true (which to be clear … that’s not what I think) then how can we ever love more?  How can we ever allow our love to make others feel safe?

I leave us with these questions to ponder and pray for God to speak to our deep, to our mind, to our very hearts.  And this week the homework we have before us is as follows,

• Read & Meditate on Colossians 3:12-14
• Consider, what does it mean to “put on love” — what does it even look like?
• Try putting on love at least once.  How does it feel?  Is it even possible to put on love daily? (If yes, how?)

Blessings y’all!

Rev. Sabrina Slater

Last week we continued in the Adult Bible Study series of #love.  After a week of homework that focused on us trying to sit in our belovedness we returned together.

Opening in prayer we then started to hear how sitting in our belovedness was.  We discovered that most of us found it hard — hard in surprising ways for some & hard for others as they were more comfortable “doing” something loving (as compared with sitting with understanding that we are loved).  There too were some delightful surprises with some leaning into different ways to enjoy the understanding of being beloved — taking some more time to do something, enjoying a sweet snack, being still.  In all it was amazing to hear some thoughts about how to sit in our belovedness.

And then we listened to 1 Corinthians 13.  We read the scripture 3 different times & in 3 different translations.  1 Corinthians 13 is that chapter that gets us to,

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.  Love never ends…And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

We read this because we realized in week 1 — we might be called to love, to #love — but what exactly is love?  Is it a noun?  A verb?  What does love look like and especially what does it mean when while many people might say the word, it seems to be empty and without meaning?  And so we are trying to figure out — what does love mean?  What is love?  And that question brings us to the homework of the week.  A choose your own adventure type of homework — where we are invited to choose 2:

• Think about who is the most loving person you have ever known.  Meditate on why (or how you know) they are the most loving — what makes them loving?
• (an option that was also named was thinking about someone it is HARD to love — and thinking about why!  If you do this — the expectation is not that you would focus too much on the actual person — & definitely no need to share the person’s name during the check-in! (always remembering confidentiality!) — but to consider the traits and/or characteristics which might prove challenging to love & why that might be.)
• Talk with at least 1 other person about love.  Really have a conversation and deeply listen to what they have to say.
• Write down your own definition of love.  (You might think about, is it a noun?  A verb?…)

And in case you need some starter definitions if you choose to write your own definition — well, here are a few quotes that we didn’t hear last week but might get some thoughts flowing,

Thich Nhat Hanh, “Compassion is a verb.”

Urban dictionary, “A word used by many, but understood by few.”

Urban dictionary, “Love. We think about it, sing about it, dream about it, lose sleep worrying about it. When we don’t have it, we search for it; when we discover it, we don’t know what to do with it; and when we have it, we fear losing it.  It is the constant source of pleasure and pain. But we can’t predict which it will be from one moment to the next.  It is a short word, easy to spell, difficult to define, and impossible to live without.”

Looking forward to seeing y’all Sunday and hearing the wisdom that will be uncovered.  Be blessed until then!

(And even though it’s not assigned homework, the invitation from God is always — ALWAYS — to sit in our belovedness.  God is #love initiator & originator…)

Blessings ~
Rev. Sabrina Slater

Last week we began something new…a new Adult Bible Study, titled #love.  It seemed more than appropriate to have a Study looking at love when we as a church profess Matthew 22:37-39,

He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

The “He” is Jesus talking to “him” – a religious man & a lawyer who had just asked Jesus, “Teacher which commandment in the law is the greatest?”  Just like a lawyer to ask a question right?  And yet, Jesus does not yell at the man at all, he answers, and my short version of what Jesus says is this, love God & love neighbor.  What I’ve taken to be communicated eloquently and modernly in #love.  I’d offer the fullness of the Word of God, God made flesh walking with us, the fullness of the grace of God — and the Good News is summed up in this #love.

So easy, right?  Just #love…but then why does it seem so hard?  Why do we not seem to know what is love anyway?  We’ve not answered everything — and yet we’ve begun (and more honestly continued) the journey together.  On day one we literally sat with these verses, hearing them read aloud 3 times (and in 3 different translations!).  And we got to listen to each other — to hear how God was emphasizing different words/phrases/images to each of us in these 3 verses.

And we ended with some “homework” some “life practice” because we don’t want what we hear and ponder and learn in church to stay in church — we want God to be in the process of changing and transforming us!  So — we had some “homework.”  For those of us who need a reminder (and for any who want to join who might not have been present) — our “homework” was to sit in our belovedness.  The scripture says to love our neighbor as ourself — and we are taking time to realize that in order to love our neighbor (well) then we need to love us (ourselves).  So we want to start in belovedness — we want to start rooted in the deep knowledge that God loves us, sees us (ALL OF US!), and delights in us, says we are very good….and not because of what we do/own/buy — but because we are.

Some of the homework ideas shared were to:

• When showering, imagine each drop of water is God telling you “I love you.  You are beautiful.”
• Finding a scripture that is affirming to you (ex: I am fearfully & wonderfully made — see Psalm 139:14) and meditating on it, writing it out, reading it to yourself daily.
• When looking at yourself in the mirror telling yourself, “God loves me.  I am beautiful.” 
• If you are able, treating yourself to something & just delighting in it. 
• Wrapping a heavy and/or soft blanket around you & imagining it is God’s arms wrapped around you. 
• Going on a long walk. 

The assignment is to sit in our belovedness.  And when we come together this Sunday after opening in prayer we will be sharing with each other our experiences with the homework.

Looking forward to all who will be able to come!

Blessings ~
Rev. Sabrina Slater