Jesus
began his ministry by loving everyone into sacred community before he ever
began the teaching, healing, and other facets of his ministry. This is the Week
of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year’s theme comes from the Great
Commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbor as yourself…”1 The challenge for followers of Jesus has always been to reconcile our relationships
with God’s love. Wherever we fall short in loving as Christ loves, we are
invited to acknowledge and revise our behavior. How we relate to each other within
and beyond the faith community is a reflection of the progress we are making in
our ultimate reconciliation and unity with God, humanity, and all Creation.Humanity
has been invited into an ongoing holy conversation ever since Jesus announced, “The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe
the gospel.”2 Everyone
is invited to join this eternal spiritual chat room and to engage as
participants in exploring all the ins and outs of a universal faith community that
spans all barriers of time and space and life and death. Beliefs, expressions,
and practices will always differ among everyone as they always have, and people
will always continue to associate and organize around similar ideas and objectives.
We are all called and sent to love one another into the sacred community of God’s
family.
____________
Excerpt from the manuscript of the sermon preached by
Rev. Bill Lawson on January 21, 2024, at Briensburg UMC.
Bible
Readings for the 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany,
Revised Common
Lectionary, Year B
Jonah 3:1-5 & 10, Psalm 62:5-12, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, Mark 1:14-20
Complete Sermon with Bibliography and Notes:
[ PDF | MP3 Audio | All Text Formats ]
COVER IMAGE: Pixabay
User ooceey. “Unity in Diversity,” 2020. Pixabay. pixabay.com/illustrations/unity-in-diversity-all-forms-of-love-5615018/
Accessed 16 January 2024. Image.
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