“God is Calling—Anyone Listening???”
Lectionary Readings: Genesis1: 1--2: 4; Psalm 8; 2Corinthians 13: 11-13; Matthew 28: 16-30.
“God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number;” Genesis 1: 27-28a.
Sunday, June 7th is Trinity Sunday and the lectionary readings for this week remind us of the three persons of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Genesis passage provides images of God, Our Creator. Psalm 8 echoes God the Creator and adds God the All Powerful: “Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth.” Matthew 28 contains the Great Commission of Jesus “to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” 2 Corinthians highlights the Three in One: “the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God and the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.”
This marvelous trio is unique, and often difficult to comprehend: How could they be separate and yet all one. I will leave the theological discussion of “how” and “why”, etc. to more learned minds to explain. All I need to focus on is that the essence and the being of the Trinity is LOVE. God is LOVE! Jesus is LOVE! The Holy Spirit is LOVE! And just a few chapters earlier in Matthew 22, Jesus answers a question with: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
2020 been a challenging year so far: full of fear, conflict, and unrest. We are faced with new and uncertain health, economic, religious, financial, and political issues and concerns. It seems that many have not taken the commandments of Jesus to our hearts with the depth needed to change actions. We have not learned the lessons of our Sunday School teachers, our pastors and religious leaders and scholars. We also have not fully learned the lessons of our history regarding how to treat all others with kindness, compassion, understanding, fairness and love.
I have lived a quiet, fairly naïve life. I didn’t really know I lived a privileged life, but it must be true. I had two parents who demonstrated love and compassion. I have been affiliated with wonderful role models and friends as I have grown and matured, worked and worshiped. I have not known the fear and oppression that many in our country describe. But I am aware that it is there. I miss volunteering at Ebenezer because I want to make a difference in the lives of the children who attend the programs there. I have seen their fear, hurt, mistrust and observed many actions that signal the distress that they experience. One little girl has so much anger that she is constantly in trouble, disrupts games and craft time and pushes others away. She has built up a protective wall that is hard to penetrate. I have no idea of her home life and don’t need to know. But it takes a lot of extra energy to show her love instead of frustration and negativity. I don’t always say or do the right thing and have to apologize or spend extra time with her the next week. She is a child of God, worthy of His Love and my time and attention. God is calling us in these times. I’m not always sure of the specifics, but I am sure He is calling us to surround others with love and care; to do whatever we can to show with our actions that there are loving ways to behave. The great commandments are not suggestions or recommendations, they are God’s expectations for our lives. Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry said this week that the opposite of love is not hate, but selfishness. When we do not first love God and others as ourselves, we are being primarily selfish beings. May our actions grow more loving each day!!!
Dear Father, forgive us as we have not always been effective stewards of your creation. My Jesus, thank you for inspiring the peaceful demonstrations and walks taking place in our city and state. But we are all worried about the violence and chaos in other places. You have called us to seek peace and justice and we have not found a way to make them a priority. Oh, Holy Spirit come to us. Rain down on us with your healing power, comfort and care. Grant us insight to guide our actions and strength to persevere in your calling. Help us to listen with our whole being and heed your direction. AMEN.
Chyrl Budd
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