Life of the Beloved: Becoming

Good morning, Beloved friends. We are at the conclusion of our series called Life of the Beloved, based on a bestseller by Henri Nouwen. Nouwen has guided us on how to fully live into being a beloved child of God. Beloved is both who we are, and who we are called to become. When our deepest truth is that we are the Beloved, and when our greatest joy and peace come from fully claiming that truth, it becomes visible and tangible in everything we think, say, and do. We walk cheerfully. Our love is sincere. We hate what is evil, and we cling to what is good. We are devoted to one another in love, and we shine and reflect Christ’s light. We are joyful in hope, and we practice hospitality. All of the characteristics that Steven read from Romans earlier… this is what our love in action looks like as transformed believers, clothed in our belovedness. 

Nouwen uses four words to describe this transformative movement of the Spirit in our lives: Taken, Blessed, Broken, and Given. Being taken, or chosen, is the basis for our being the Beloved. We’re each stamped with the image of God and chosen as His Beloved ones. As we claim our chosenness by saying “yes” to the gift of God’s grace, and live it as our truth, we come to understand we are blessed by God and called to bless others through our prayers and our presence. We continued by acknowledging our brokenness. But Christ takes our brokenness, molds us and restores us, so that we can be given. We give our lives to others, so that they, too, can find a home in being the beloved child of God.

The more I read this book, the more one man came to mind. It’s a man we meet in the New Testament. Some of you have read about him your whole life. Others will be meeting him for the first time today. His name was John. John was fueled and fed by his calling, his self-proclaimed title, as the beloved disciple. He refers to himself throughout the Gospel of John as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Some see that as a bit prideful, “The one Jesus loved,” or “Jesus’ favorite.” But I sense there was a feeling of, “oh, how he loved me, and I did nothing to deserve it.” John was overcome by the realization that God loved Him so much that He gave him Jesus. What a gift of love.

Let me introduce you to this man. He was likely a manly man with a beard, and wore the rugged outdoorsman-look very well. But he was a softy on the inside. You wouldn’t know it from looking at him, but he was filled with so much passion and devotion that his eyes could well up with tears at the drop of a hat. He was probably one of the most loving men you would ever meet.

John grew up in northern Israel, born in a small fishing village called Bethsaida. His full name was Yohanan Ben Zavdai — meaning John, son of Zebedee - for his dad’s name was Zebedee, and his mom’s name was Salome. He had an older brother named James, and together with their father, they ran their family fishing business, catching fresh water tilapia on the Sea of Galilee. The waters had always been kind to Zebedee, yielding what he needed to be one of the most successful fishermen in Galilee. And like every dad, he hoped his boys would someday take over the business.

When John wasn’t on the lake, he was in the Bet Sharim, otherwise known as the “House of Life.” This was a small room attached to the synagogue where he learned from the Jewish Rabbi, who taught from the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, and from the Psalms. He also studied the Hebrew language, in order to read and write on his own. Little did he or his family know, John would be quite the prolific writer someday – odd for a little fisher-boy from Bethsaida.

One day, when the boys were grown men in their early twenties, they were out fishing, as they had done hundreds of days before. James and John, had heard about a prophet, who wandered in the wilderness proclaiming the Messiah was coming. Neither of these things were new to them — a prophet, a man claiming to speak on behalf of God — or a man saying the Messiah was coming. You see, in the Jewish faith, they always lived with a hope and expectation that God was going to save His people. They read about it. They studied it in their Jewish school. They sang about it in their Sabbath services. Being staunch Jews, they longed for the Messiah.

The fact there was a prophet said to be walking the earth just a few miles away was thrilling! Prophets were spiritual heroes! It had been nearly 400 years since the last notable prophet lived and spoke to the people. And this prophet’s impact was ripping through the Nation of Israel. His name was also John, but he was known as “The Immerser” or “The Baptizer.” This prophet didn’t just speak; he would call his listeners into the water to be immersed. A sort of object lesson. He said repeatedly, “Repent! Repent! The Kingdom of God is at hand.” Water immersion was a way for people to physically get wet and say, “Yes, I repent! I wash myself of my sin.”

James and John no doubt had long talks under the starry skies of Galilee, wondering if there was any credibility to this cleansing that John the Baptizer was calling them to do. The idea of being immersed in water wasn’t new to them. Jews had used ritual baths called mikvahs for centuries. Before making a sacrifice to God, they would go down into these baths to purify themselves, or at least symbolize leaving their sins and their pasts behind. This new strange prophet was doing the same thing, except it wasn’t by the temple, and it wasn’t in a mikvah. He used whatever water he could find, mostly making use of the large river flowing down the middle of the country called the Jordan.

I can imagine these two brothers, perhaps with their dad, sitting in the fishing boat, talking about John the Baptizer…

Maybe John said to his older brother, James, “Do you think that John guy really is a prophet?”

“I don’t know… but I think it’s odd that he eats locusts and honey,” James may have replied.

“Yeah, but remember that verse, in the writings of Isaiah, that says there will be ‘one crying in the wilderness, making straight the way of the Lord, making straight the highway for our God in the wilderness?’ Do you think this could be the guy?”

After a long pregnant pause, perhaps James replied, “Well, only time will tell. If he is that voice crying out, then the Messiah will be here soon… Now, come on, help me pull in this net.”

Curiosity gripped John’s soul, or maybe you could say it was a calling. But whatever it was, John couldn’t stay away. Soon John packed a few fish and some loaves and headed out to see this John guy for himself. Sure enough, there he was, wearing nothing but animal skin. He stood in the murky water of the fast-flowing Jordan River, preaching to the crowd on the shore. At the conclusion of his sermon, he invited people to come into the water to be baptized as a symbol of repentance.

This dirty, and seemingly crazy man, was persuasive. His words gripped your heart, as if they were from God. John, son of Zebedee, grew convinced that this really was a prophet and quite possibly could be the last prophet before the Messiah comes.

At that moment, John was all-in. He bought it - hook, line, and sinker. It only took one day with John the Baptizer to convince him that he wanted to hang up his fishing job and follow this man. James felt the same way. Their friend, Andrew, too.

You can imagine the late-night conversation by candlelight back in Bethsaida with their father. “Dad, we’re going to become disciples of John the Baptizer and leave the family business, at least for a while.” The whole family felt their father’s disappointment. I’m sure they didn’t want to let their dad down, but they also realized this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Zebedee was proud they held to the faith so strongly, but why couldn’t they just stay at home and hear about this John guy from afar? Perhaps their mother had to step in to unruffle the feathers.

You can almost hear Salome say to Zebedee, “Honey, let them go… this is their dream. Don’t confine them to your dream.”

“But dear, really?! You want our boys to go eat locusts and honey, and play in the Jordan River all day? What will we tell our friends?”

“Zebedee, you’re over reacting. They will be fine. They are men. Let them learn. If it doesn’t work out, they’ll be back.”

With a dad’s perplexed, and perhaps broken heart, they went to become disciples of John the Baptizer. Their mission was clear: prepare the way for the Messiah. Little did John, son of Zebedee, know… he grew up at nearly the same age, as a part of the same generation, under the same political environment, with the same Jewish rituals, only about 24 miles away, from Jesus in Nazareth.

John left his dad’s business and all that was familiar to him. He wandered by the Jordan River, in the wilderness of Israel, to help a traveling preacher hold daily revival services. This was not just any preacher; He was preparing the way for Christ.

John observed the mannerisms and emotions of John the Baptizer. He knew when He was fired up; he knew when he was sad; he knew when he needed a break or some food; but he also knew when he was amazed. In the writing of John himself, he records the moment he saw his mentor, hero, and teacher become paralyzed by the awesome presence of the Messiah, the very moment he was living and preaching for. Hear these words from the Gospel of John, chapter 1:

John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “Where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So, they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.”

“Behold the lamb of God!” the Immerser cried out. With those words, John turned his allegiance from John the Baptizer to Jesus the Messiah. It was a moment that John will never forget. He even remembers the exact time it happened, “about the tenth hour”, which was four o’clock in the afternoon. They stayed with Him, for that night was the first night of their thrilling lives as Apostles of Jesus Christ.

John was there for all of the big moments: the Transfiguration, the miracles, the teachings, the parables… the Upper Room, the Garden. It was John who, with Peter, followed Jesus to the High Priest’s Courtyard for the trial. It was John that stood at the Cross with the women, when all the other disciples had abandoned Jesus. It was John to whom Jesus spoke from the Cross and asked to care for His mother, Mary. And, in fact, John the Beloved did so. He brought Mary to live with him in Ephesus, where he cared for Mary all of her life. John was faithful to the responsibility and calling Jesus placed upon him, which ultimately defined his loving, caring, faithful, and obedient character.

John the Beloved lived until he was 94 years old. He was the only disciple not to die a martyr’s death for his faith. He was a pillar of leadership, a close associate of Peter, and helped to establish the Church. John wrote 5 of the 27 books in the New Testament, four of which were named after him – the Gospel of John, 1, 2 and 3 John. And he wrote Revelation, likely while he was in exile on the Island of Patmos. As the beloved disciple, John primarily wrote about love and faith. His ethos - his nature, personality and passion – was breathed onto the pages of Scripture. He was a man used by God in great ways; the words he wrote are precious and relevant to us, even today.

Nouwen writes that our lives are God-given opportunities to become who we are, to affirm our own spiritual nature, to claim our truth, to integrate the reality of our being, but most of all to say “Yes” to the One who calls us the Beloved. The One who created us is waiting for our response to the love that gave us our being. God not only says “You are my Beloved,” but God also asks “Do you love me?” He offers us countless ways to say “Yes”. And that is what we call our spiritual life journey, the chance to say “Yes” to our inner truth.

John models this concept for us. Jesus chose John to follow Him. John was blessed to live and learn with Jesus for three years. And Jesus used John’s passion and pride to giveothers a model for how to deeply love Jesus and become a beloved disciple. This man experienced deep grief and loss, fear and doubt, pain and joy. He was like us, an ordinary person transformed by an ever-powerful God for extraordinary purposes. We all need Jesus; no one got that more than John. He knew he needed the hope and love of Jesus Christ. Without it, he could do nothing.

John saw Jesus as the perfect picture of love. We know this from his quintessential verse in John 3:16, “For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only Son…” John understood that if we did not have Jesus, we would not have love. In John 17:23, he recorded Jesus saying to God, “I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent me and that You love them as much as You love me.”

John experienced that God’s love will never leave us the same. In John’s gospel, he rarely uses his name or speaks in the first person. He simply calls himself, “The disciple whom Jesus loved.” My son, Mackenson in Haiti, once said to me, “God loves me so much. I can feel it. I am telling you - He loves me more than anyone else.” Though his words sounded prideful, he was trying to use English to say, “God’s favor is on me, and it doesn’t make sense…” It reminded me so much of the Beloved Disciple’s words, as John called himself, “The one Jesus loved.” He had a sense of the love of God in His life that was so real, so present, so powerful, yet so undeserved.

John was a man moved by this love, fueled by God’s love shown through Jesus. Though he may have been a burley fisherman, at his core he was a lover. John loved Jesus, and Jesus truly loved John. As a result of that love, John was propelled to teach us to love God and love others. John’s writings focus on the ideas that when we understand we are beloved by God, we will live as the beloved child of God. Love will shine through in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

Our memory verse today is from 1 John 3:18, “Dear children, let’s not merely say we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” The mere outflow of God’s love in us is God’s love through us. It starts with us and what God has done for us on the Cross. His continual love for us through care, teaching, and encouragement should merge into a river of overflowing blessings to others.

Beloved ones, as we wrap up this series today, I pray that you, like John, will be fueledand fed by your identity as a Beloved child of God, living as though you ARE His beloved child, His beloved disciple. And I pray that you will remember these words of belovedness, the words we have heard each Sunday, that the Lord offers to each of us. Repeat them daily, and know you are beloved:

I have called you by name, from the very beginning. You are mine. And I am yours. You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests. I have molded you in the depths of the earth and knitted you together in your mother’s womb. I have carved you in the palms of my hands and hidden you in the shadow of my embrace. I look at you with infinite tenderness, and care for you with a care more intimate than any other relationship on earth. I have counted every hair on your head and guided you at every step. Wherever you go, I go with you. Wherever you rest, I keep watch. I will give you food that will satisfy all your hunger and drink that will quench your thirst. I will not hide from you. You know me as your own, as I know you as my own. You belong to me. Wherever you are, I will be. Nothing will separate us. We are one.

Life of the Beloved: Given

Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the Savior passed that way, he looked up in the tree. And he said, Zacchaeus, you come down from there! Because I’m going to your house today! Because I’m going to your house today!

Yes, that was the scene in Jericho one afternoon. Jesus was passing through town on his way to Jerusalem, creating quite the buzz. The townspeople rushed out to see Him, including Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in the area. Dressed in his shiny robes, made of the most luxurious textiles, with impeccably clean sandals, he ran ahead of the crowd to catch a glimpse of the man they called “Rabbi.” Everyone looked at Zac with disdain, audible sneers, and repulsion. No one, NO ONE, liked tax collectors. And why should they? Zac worked for the enemy, the Roman Empire. And he was wealthy. He had a big house on the edge of town, probably paid for by the money he skimmed off the people’s taxes.

Zacchaeus scouted the location and saw a sycamore tree. There! He would climb the tree! A perfect place to observe and see Jesus. Jesus and his friends inched closer and closer, until they stopped right under the sycamore tree. “Zacchaeus,” Jesus said, “come down at once. I must stay in your home today.”

Shocked and awed, Zacchaeus climbed down the tree. Jesus wanted to come to his home? His HOME! They could have gone to the diner, or the country club, but no, Jesus wanted to go to his HOME, to sit at his table, and meet his family and friends. He looked up at Jesus and smiled cheerfully. He was so honored and happy to welcome Jesus into his home. Before they could even arrive at his house, Zacchaeus stopped in his tracks. Jesus had given him the best gift he had ever received – Jesus called him by his name, when others only called him bad names. Jesus gave His time and His presence. Convicted of his broken lifestyle, Zacchaeus confessed his sins and fell into his identity as a beloved child of God.

Good morning, Beloved friends. We are in nearing the end of a sermon series called Life of the Beloved, based on a bestseller by Henri Nouwen. In this book, Nouwen guides the reader on how to fully live into being a beloved child of God. All at once, beloved is both who we are, and who we are called to become. When our deepest truth is that we are the Beloved, and when our greatest joy and peace come from fully claiming that truth, it is only natural that it will become visible and tangible in the ways we eat and drink, talk and love, play and work. When we believe we are beloved, we walk cheerfully. We shine and reflect Christ’s light. We choose joy.

In the last weeks, we have spoken about our identity as the beloved and how Nouwen uses four words to describe the movement of the Spirit in our lives: Taken, Blessed, Broken, and Given. Being taken, or chosen, is the basis for our being the Beloved. We’re each stamped with the image of God and chosen as His Beloved ones. No one is rejected. As we claim our chosenness by saying “yes” to the gift of God’s grace, and live it as our truth, we come to understand we are blessed by God and called to bless others through our prayer and our presence. Last Sunday, we continued by acknowledging our brokenness. Each of us are broken in some way, but Christ takes our brokenness, molds us and restores us, so that we can be given.

Today, we are exploring this fourth movement of the Spirit in our lives: given. Nouwen believes our greatest fulfillment is in giving ourselves to others. Beyond all our desires to be appreciated and rewarded, there lies a simple and pure desire to give. Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in our giving. And, I would argue, that as southerners, our most joyful giving is when we break bread together. But the joy of a meal isn’t just about the food; it’s about the sharing of our lives and the offering of hope, that happens around the table. It’s in the sharing of our lives with each other that we understand our chosenness and blessedness, and receive healing in our brokenness.

When you read through the Gospels, it is quite clear: Jesus loved a meal. Open to any page in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, and you’ll find Jesus in one of three places: on His way to a meal, eating a meal, or just leaving a meal. Miracles, teachings, parables, and sermons were always happening around a meal. Think about it:

· At the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus performed His first miracle of turning water to wine.

· At Matthew’s house, Jesus enjoyed dinner with sinners and tax collectors after calling Matthew to follow Him.

· In Capernaum, Jesus healed Peter’s Mother-in-Law, who promptly arose and made lunch for the Savior.

· On a journey south, Jesus stopped to eat grain from the grainfield with the disciples on the Sabbath, and took the opportunity to teach a lesson to the Pharisees.

· At the table of Simon the Pharisee, He forgave a sinner’s sins.

· At the house of Simon the Leper, and at the house of one of the chief Pharisees, Jesus lunched with saints and sinners alike.

· In Bethany, He often reclined at the table with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. It was here that Jesus was anointed. It was here that Jesus taught us to have a Mary spirit of listening and learning, while living in a Martha world of tasks and projects.

And in Jericho, Jesus called down Zacchaeus from a sycamore tree. Jesus chose the chief tax-collector’s house for dinner, making Zacchaeus feel special and seen. Jesus called him by name, blessing him with the gift of acknowledgement and presence. Convicted of his brokenness, skimming money off the townspeople’s taxes, Zac repented of his sins. And through his repentance, Zac pledged to give to others four times what he had taken from them. On the walk with Jesus to his house for dinner, Zacchaeus feasted on the Bread of Life, as he prepared to make dinner for his Beloved Christ.

So why? Why am I talking so much about food and tables? N.T. Wright, a New Testament scholar, concluded that when Jesus wanted to explain to His disciples about His forthcoming death - what His purpose and life was all about - He didn’t give them a theory, He gave them a meal. Indeed, in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, Jesus gathered His disciples and friends for their Last Supper. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body given for you.” The same pattern of language — taken, blessed, broken, given — also shows up in the accounts of feeding the 5000, as well as in the scene in which Jesus eats dinner with the disciples, with whom He had walked on the road to Emmaus. Being taken, blessed, broken, and given is at the heart of the Christian story. This is the shape of communion. The shape of the Gospel. The shape of the Christian life.

Jesus used meals and tables to teach connection, reconciliation, blessing, brokenness, and ultimately givenness. He reminds us that there’s more to food than fuel. We don’t eat only for sustenance. A meal together is one of the most beautiful expressions of our desire to be given to each other. And, if we are called to imitate Jesus, we, too, should find the significance in eating and drinking with one another.

As Nouwen wrote, “the expression ‘breaking bread together’ shows the breaking and the giving as one act.” Jesus broke the bread and gave it to His disciples. Jesus modeled for us vulnerability at the table. At a meal, we disarm ourselves. Eating from the same bread and drinking from the same cup calls us to live in unity and peace. Everyone, no matter their culture, race, tax bracket, or gender, has to eat, right?!

Last February, I was in the Judean wilderness spending the night at a Bedouin camp. And come to find out, Bedouin tribes have a practice called a “sulha”. S-U-L-H-A

This is an Arabic term derived from the Hebrew word for “table” – “shulhan”.

S-H-U-L-H-A-N. A Sulha is a meal between enemies for the purpose of reconciliation. Before the conflict can get out of hand, an attempt at reconciliation is made. The two families, who are involved in a conflict, come together at the table to eat and to seek forgiveness and understanding. It is around the table where the walls come down and reconciliation takes place.

Eastern cultures throughout Asia and Africa, from the distant past up to the present, have understood that sharing a meal together is a sign of true fellowship and connection. For thousands of years, groups have shared a ceremonial meal as a symbol of peace and mutual acceptance after making a covenant. In fact, don’t we also do this? Following a wedding, we celebrate the covenant of marriage with elaborate receptions, where we break bread and connect with our new family and friends. So, I ask you this: Who do you need to invite to your table to give the gift of connection, to grant your forgiveness, or to instigate reconciliation?

Whereas Jesus saw the table as a place of reconciliation and connection, He also saw the Table as a place of blessing.

Living in the south, I think we can appreciate Jesus’ love for meals and His call for us to gather around a table. I love my dining room table. When Christopher and I got married, the only thing I said I absolutely had to bring to his house was my dining room table. Everything else could go to storage or be given away! But I could not bear to get rid of my table. After countless meals shared with family and friends, my table had become an icon of God’s grace and goodness. To take up a place at that table was to occupy sacred space. The people I loved most sat with me there. Our Global Mission Team prayed fervently at that table for Christ to partner us with like-minded servants all around the world. My Haitian family, our friends from Russia, Romania, Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, Czech Republic, and Uganda, have all broken bread at that table. Many of YOU have sat at that table! Meals were shared. Stories were told. Sins were confessed. We laughed together and cried together. Together we remembered where we’d been. And we dreamed of where we might go one day. We prayed at that table. And at that table, we experienced God’s nearness, God’s kindness, and God’s love.

By gathering with people around our tables, we can enjoy a meal as both a gift and means of grace. Such gatherings need not involve lavish spreads. They can be quite simple. For around the dinner table, we gather with guests and get a glimpse of the banquet of the kingdom to come. Meals are where we get a little foretaste of the shalom, the wholeness of God, where the veil that separates heaven and earth seems exceedingly thin. So, I ask you this: Who do you need to invite to your table in an effort to bring the blessing of the kingdom of heaven here on earth?

As we said last week, Jesus also saw the Table as a place of brokenness and restoration. My favorite meal scene in all of Scripture is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 21. It was on the banks of the Sea of Galilee after the resurrection of Jesus. After a futile night of fishing, the disciples encounter Jesus, who calls out to them from the shore. Acting impulsively, as always, Peter dives into the water, fully clothed, in an effort to get to Jesus. As he emerges from the sea, dripping wet, he moves toward Jesus, who had made a charcoal fire on the beach. At that moment, he smelled a hauntingly familiar smell. The word that John used to describe the fire that Jesus made is the same word that occurs in only one other place in Scripture — in John chapter 18, verse 18. There, we find Peter, and the others, warming themselves by the fire on the night of Jesus’s arrest and trial. The charcoal fire of John 18:18 was the place of Peter’s denial. For Peter, shame had a smell — that of burning charcoal. But the charcoal fire of John 21 is the place of Peter’s restoration.

The simple invitation of Jesus to His friend is, “Come. Let’s have breakfast”. The last thing Jesus wanted to do before He ascended into Heaven was to make breakfast for His best friends - for the table is the place where broken sinners find connection and belonging. Despite our best intentions, we all, like Peter, stumble after Jesus. Around the table, the bonds of spiritual friendship are strengthened among believers, who are walking together on the road of discipleship. So, I ask you this: Who do you need to invite to your table to share in your brokenness? What aroma reminds you that you are beloved?

And finally, Jesus used the Table as a Place of Givenness.

This latter aspect of our identity reminds us that as God’s people, we are given to the world — called to represent Him. God’s mission is to rescue and renew His good but broken creation, and we are swept up into that mission and called to participate in it by announcing and embodying the love of God in Christ.

Giving from our chosenness, blessedness, and brokenness is about living as God’s people, representing Christ, and personifying the Fruit of the Spirit. We are chosen, blessed, and broken:

· so we can give affection for others and be loving,

· so we can have exuberance about life and exude joy to others,

· so we can have serenity and provide peace.

We are chosen, blessed, and broken:

· so we can develop a willingness to stick with things and offer patience,

· so we can have a sense of compassion in our hearts and offer kindness and generosity,

· so we can have a conviction that a basic holiness permeates all things and all people.

We are chosen, blessed, and broken:

· so we can find ourselves involved in loyal commitments and be faithful,

· so we are not needing to force our way in life, but we can be gentle,

· so we are able to marshal and direct our energies wisely with self-control.

Yes, the Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control - is meant to be shared throughout all our lives’ activities, but especially around the table. It is the greatest gift we can give to each other, as we live our life in Christ. Our call from God is to let others know that they are chosen and blessed, and in their brokenness, they are beloved. Let us invite them to our tables to experience connection, reconciliation, and blessing, and teach them how they, too, can give their lives to Christ and live into their identity as being a beloved child of God.

For remember these words of belovedness that the Lord offers to each of us:

I have called you by name, from the very beginning. You are mine. And I am yours. You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests. I have molded you in the depths of the earth and knitted you together in your mother’s womb. I have carved you in the palms of my hands and hidden you in the shadow of my embrace. I look at you with infinite tenderness, and care for you with a care more intimate than any other relationship on earth. I have counted every hair on your head and guided you at every step.

Wherever you go, I go with you. Wherever you rest, I keep watch. I will give you food that will satisfy all your hunger and drink that will quench your thirst. I will not hide from you. You know me as your own, as I know you as my own. You belong to me. Wherever you are, I will be. Nothing will separate us. We are one.

Life of the Beloved: Broken

It was a dark, cool night in Jerusalem. Peter stood baffled and bewildered by a charcoal fire recounting the week’s events. What happened? How did he get here? Where did he go wrong? 

Peter and his eleven friends had made the journey with Jesus, from Galilee to Jerusalem, for the Passover. While the townspeople greeted Jesus like a King, the tension in the air was thick. Peter could sense something was amiss; Jesus was on edge. On Monday, Jesus used His temper to teach a lesson at the temple courts, overturning the tables and rebuking the moneychangers. The next day, Jesus was teaching Peter and the others on the Mount of Olives, which sits east of the Temple and overlooks Jerusalem. Jesus had a lot to say about the Second Coming, and the destruction of the Temple, and then, He began to weep. Peter had never seen Jesus so tired, so emotional. They rested in Bethany the next day, at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus to prepare for the Passover. And then, Thursday came.

As Peter stood there staring into the charcoal fire, he remembered walking into the Upper Room. Jesus greeted him by asking to wash his feet. What? It was ludicrous. A Rabbi washing His disciples’ stinky feet. Peter scoffed at the thought, but watched curiously as Jesus washed the other disciples’ feet. After the Lord's rebuke, in typical Peter fashion, Peter didn’t want just his feet washed, he wanted to be washed all over! Jesus shook his head, “Peter, Peter.”

Following dinner, Jesus warned His apostles that - one would betray Him; all the rest would abandon him; and one, Peter, would deny Him three times that very night. How? How could he possibly know that? Still not recognizing his own vulnerability, Peter claimed that no matter what the others did, he would remain faithful, even if it meant dying for the Lord. Remembering his words and actions, Peter shook his head, embarrassed by his arrogance and superiority.

Jesus, with His inner circle – Peter, James, and John, walked to the Garden of Gethsemane. Three different times, Jesus went away to pray and begged the three to stay awake and keep watch. Why? Why couldn’t he have just stayed awake? Jesus’ earlier warning seemed to have gone right over Peter’s head. He was confident he would stick with Jesus until the end. In fact, when Jesus was arrested, Peter jumped into action and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. In Peter’s mind, he was making good on his oath of loyalty. That’s got to count for something, right?!

But then Peter saw the soldiers tie up Jesus and led him away. Peter’s effort to defend Jesus failed. It was all so surreal. He followed the parade of soldiers to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest. Unsure of what to do next, he hung back at the door as Jesus was led inside. Was it fear? Was he being a coward?

A servant girl approached him at the doorway and asked, “Aren’t you one of this man’s disciples?” Shocked and scared, Peter answered, “I am not!”

What?! Why did he say that? Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They gathered around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them. A servant girl saw him there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” Peter’s eyes bulged out of his head, and his heart leapt with anxiety. “Woman, I don’t know him!” What?! Why?! He did it again!

Not a minute later, someone else saw Peter and said, “Certainly you were with Him. You’re a Galilean.” Before he even knew what he was saying, Peter yelled, “Man! I am NOT! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” And as the words left his mouth, the rooster crowed. From across the courtyard, Jesus locked eyes with Peter. The look from Jesus. That look. He will never forget that look. Peter had denied his Lord. The shame washed over him. What had he done?!

Peter failed despite his brash promises. Peter failed despite claiming to be more faithful to the Lord than his fellow disciples. By denying the Lord, Peter completely failed to live up to his word. He broke his promise to forever be loyal to the Lord he claimed to love. The shame. The embarrassment. The brokenness.

It is hard to imagine the heartache of Peter at this point. Peter was chosen by Jesus to be a disciple. He was chosen by Jesus as one of his “inner three.” Jesus blessed Peter, calling him the “the Rock”, upon whom He would build His church. After being chosen and blessed, how is Peter in this state of brokenness? How would Jesus ever use Peter now?



Good morning, Beloved Ones! Today we are continuing our series called Life of the Beloved, based on a bestseller by Henri Nouwen. In this book, Nouwen guides the reader on how to fully live into being a beloved child of God. All at once, beloved is both who we are, and who we are called to become.

In the last weeks, we have spoken about our identity as the beloved and how Nouwen uses four words to describe the movement of the Spirit in our lives: Taken, Blessed, Broken, and Given. Being taken, or chosen, is the basis for our being the Beloved. We’re each stamped with the image of God and chosen as His Beloved ones. As we claim our chosenness by saying “yes” to the gift of God’s grace, and live it as our truth, we come to understand we are blessed by God and called to bless others through prayer and presence.

This week, we are on the third movement of Spirit in our lives: Brokenness. This is a tough word for many of us. The images that come to mind when I think of the word broken are not pretty: broken glass, cracked plates, shattered phone screens... Most likely, something tangible like this is something we would quickly replace. Or if it can be repaired, we think it will never be the same, or at least not as good as it once was before. It also brings to mind broken vows and promises. Our world is filled with people who have broken hearts, broken spirits, and broken relationships. When one is not honored, there is a break down in relationships. When relationships break down, we often find it easier to walk away, rather than walk toward restoration, reconciliation, or mending the relationship.

As broken people, we find solace in the words from Psalm 22. “My God! My God, why have you forsaken me? Why have you left me all alone? Why are you so far from saving me — so far from my anguished groans? My God, I cry out during the day, but you don’t answer.” Broken people feel abandoned. They feel alone. No matter how loud they cry out or act out, we tend to ignore them because it is too painful for us. It’s easier to avoid them than to be present with them.

Or, sometimes broken people choose to be alone. They don’t want anyone to reach out to them. Perhaps they feel there is no hope in putting the pieces back together again, like Humpty Dumpty. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again. Broken people often feel rejected and ignored, despised and useless, worthless, unappreciated, and unloved. They feel like their world is falling apart.

How do I know this? Because I’ve asked you. And because I’ve felt it myself. There are times when I have been so ashamed, I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. There are times when I have been so deflated, I have wondered if God could ever use me again. And there are times I have sat with you, and I have heard you lash out and say, “Where is God? Why did He leave me?”

The Bible, too, is filled with stories of broken people and broken hearts. But God chose them and blessed them in their brokenness. Jesus healed people who were broken - physically, spiritually, and mentally. Jesus even allowed Himself to be broken so we could receive His healing power of salvation and grace. We remember this in our communion liturgy, “This is my body broken for you.”

In one way or another, we’re all broken. One of the beauties of being the church is realizing we’re a community of believers. We come with the shattered pieces of our lives - our pain, our suffering, our grief, our loneliness, our broken spirits, our broken hearts, our damaged lives. We bring them here to a church community that is as broken as the individuals in it - seeking the glue that fixes, the salve that relieves us of pain, the tape that holds us together. When we become aware of each other’s brokenness, even though our brokenness is different, we see we’re not alone. We’re reminded that we have each other, and we have God. God chose and blessed us, even though we are broken. God’s redemption and restoration transforms our brokenness into something we could never imagine. He makes all things new.

Which takes us back to Peter…

For three years, Peter’s world revolved around Jesus. He left a fishing career to follow Jesus. He had confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. Out of all the disciples, Peter trusted Jesus enough to step out of the boat and walk toward Him on water. After Jesus was arrested, Peter courageously followed the guards, who took Jesus to the courtyard of the high priest, while the other disciples hid. But Jesus knew Peter and predicted that he would deny Him. So, when Peter was asked if he knew Jesus, even though Jesus had been the center of his world, Peter did not have the courage to admit that he was a follower of Jesus, nor did he attest to the Lordship of Jesus. Instead, Peter denied Jesus not once, not twice, but three times. Not only was Peter’s world shattered by Jesus’ arrest, his heart and spirit were broken when he realized that he rejected the One who transformed his world. Can you imagine what Peter must have felt like? Imagine that moment Jesus locked eyes with him. Sadness, grief, and shame don’t even begin to describe the lowliness and loneliness he must have felt. So, what does Peter do with all of this? He went back to what he knew, his former way of life - fishing.

Following the resurrection, some of the disciples were fishing in the Sea of Galilee. From the seashore, the resurrected Christ called out to them, “Children, have you caught anything?” They hung their heads and yelled, NO. Jesus commanded them to cast their nets on the other side, and 153 fish filled the nets! The man on the shore was the Lord! Peter was so excited, he leapt into the water and swam ashore, where he found Jesus cooking breakfast.

Beside another charcoal fire, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Peter, do you love me?” The interplay is profound and pointed. Peter was heartbroken and distressed, but he knew what the Lord was doing. Peter, having denied Christ three times, was now confessing Him three times. His repentance matched his sin — three denials, three confessions. At a charcoal fire, Peter had betrayed the Lord!
At a charcoal fire, the Lord restored Peter!

The Resurrected Christ put the pieces back together again. The broken Peter was not thrown away; he was not replaced; he was restored. Restored means we are put back into the place we were, as someone healed and whole. To do so, we must first claim our brokenness. Nouwen says, “We have to find the courage to embrace our own brokenness, to make our most feared enemy into a friend, and claim it as a companion.” Peter may still have been a brash natural leader, but Jesus didn’t want a natural leader. The Lord wanted a restored leader. Jesus wanted Peter to be a leader with integrity, who knew his own vulnerabilities. Failure wasn’t the issue. Every human will fail at some point. The issue for Jesus was that Peter had to own his failures. Peter needed to claim his brokenness. Peter needed to humble himself before the Lord and before those he let down with his arrogance and denials. Only then could the Lord raise Peter back from failure, and restore him to leadership. Only after Peter could acknowledge his failure — an admission that had to come from his heart — would he be ready for leadership.

The second step in healing our brokenness is to pull the brokenness away from the shadow of the curse and put it under the light of the blessing. This may not ease our pain, but it allows our hurt to co-exist with the knowledge that we have been blessed with our Belovedness. This isn’t easy. It is, and can be, a long process. But when we have the community of faith to rely upon, to offer supporting arms, we can step out of the darkness and step into the light of being blessed. Great burdens can be made lighter. What seems impossible becomes a challenge. Challenge accepted! Rejection can be turned into a deeper communion with God. In Peter's case, Jesus had to help Peter reach the point where he was genuinely convicted of his sin. Peter had to admit he was broken and that he needed to be re-set, cleansed, stabilized, rehabbed, and restored. And Jesus did this in front of Peter’s friends, his fellow disciples - those he had let down, those to whom he had claimed to be superior. They had to be part of the process so he could be restored to the team and restored to leadership and ministry.

How marvelous is the transforming grace of Christ! Those whom the Lord breaks, He remakes. Peter, broken and remade by grace, was ready to be used by the Lord and to begin his ministry in earnest. The next time Peter stood up in Jerusalem was on the day we call Pentecost. He proclaimed with courage and authority who Jesus was: “God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. … God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” Three thousand came to Christ because of the testimony and courageous faith of this once-shameful, broken, and now re-made man. 

God uses broken things. He uses you and me. It takes broken soil to produce a crop; broken clouds to give rain; broken grains to give bread; broken bread to give strength. We are all broken, but if we allow the Triune God, who has already chosen us in our brokenness, we, too, can be blessed. God can create beauty despite all our cracks. For remember these words, these words of chosenness and blessedness that the Lord offers to each of us:

I have called you by name, from the very beginning. You are mine. And I am yours. You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests. I have molded you in the depths of the earth and knitted you together in your mother’s womb. I have carved you in the palms of my hands and hidden you in the shadow of my embrace. I look at you with infinite tenderness, and care for you with a care more intimate than any other relationship on earth. I have counted every hair on your head and guided you at every step.

Wherever you go, I go with you. Wherever you rest, I keep watch. I will give you food that will satisfy all your hunger and drink that will quench your thirst. I will not hide from you. You know me as your own, as I know you as my own. You belong to me. Wherever you are, I will be. Nothing will separate us. We are one.

Life of the Beloved: Blessed

Not two miles from Jerusalem through a valley sits a village called Bethany. And in Bethany, there lived a family, friends of Jesus, named Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. These were Jesus’ besties. He loved spending time at their house. Their home provided him a respite from the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem. And every time He ventured down to Jerusalem from Galilee to celebrate a festival or Passover, Jesus would stay with his best friends. Martha was the orderly, detail-oriented, type-A sister. She would call you out if you weren’t in the kitchen helping her with a dinner party. Lazarus was Jesus’ beloved best friend. He had a lot of health problems, and relied the power of His Great Physician. And, then, there was Mary. Mary loved Jesus. She would spend hours sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening and learning, hanging on every word He said. In fact, Jesus gave her an A+ for knowing relationships and being present were much more important than washing dirty dishes! Mary’s presence was a blessing for Jesus, and vice versa, for there is no substitute for friendship.

In a scene of generous hospitality and intimate fellowship, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Jesus and his 12 friends were gathered in the afterglow of Lazarus’ miraculous return to life. Lazarus was reclining at the table with Jesus. Martha, ever the active servant, bussed the dishes and brought out the next course. And then Mary. You won’t believe what Mary did. She bent down and offered her gesture of devotion to Jesus, lavishing a full pint of exquisite perfume over Jesus’ feet and upending conventions of decorum by unfurling her hair to wipe down His feet. Just a few days before, Jesus, Mary, and Martha were confronted by the stench of Lazarus’ decaying body. Now, with Lazarus alive and well, they basked in the aroma of luxurious perfume.

Amazingly, this daring woman, who boldly broke the seal and emptied the entire contents of the jar upon the Lord’s head and feet, was not reprimanded by Jesus. On the contrary, Mary ministered deeply to the Lord on a level that nobody else had understood or dared to do. With her unashamed, humble, extravagant gesture, she threw out any half-hearted religious protocol, to anoint and bless the man she called her Lord. Her whole-hearted adoration, though mocked by some in the room (ah-hem, go away Judas!), is something to be imitated. Can’t you feel the song coming from her heart, “To my precious Lord I bring my flask of fragrant oil; kneeling down, I kiss his feet, anoint them with the oil.”

How amazing and revolutionary that a woman, A WOMAN, was ordained, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to perform this important act - to anoint the Anointed One, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords! In a beautiful act of faith, she broke a costly jar of perfume and anointed Jesus. In a beautiful expression of humility, she sat at His feet. In a beautiful moment of repentance, she dried His feet with her own hair. Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, understood who Jesus truly was, and blessed Him.



Good morning, beloved ones. We are in the midst of new series called “Life of the Beloved,” based on one of the best books ever written by Henri Nouwen. In this book, Nouwen guides the reader on how to fully live into being a beloved child of God. All at once, beloved is both who we are, and who we are called to become.

Last week, we spoke about our identity as the beloved and how Nouwen uses four words to describe the movement of the Spirit in our lives: Taken, Blessed, Broken, and Given. Being taken, or chosen, is the basis for our being the Beloved. We are each stamped with the image of God and chosen as His Beloved ones. As we claim our chosenness by saying “yes” to God’s gift of grace, and live it as our truth, we come to understand we are blessed by God and called to bless others. Yes indeed, our word for the day is “blessed!” What an appropriate word for this Independence Day, as we celebrate not only living in the best country in the world, a country that allows us to worship and live freely, but to also celebrate the one who blessed us by laying down His life for us and calling us His beloved sons and daughters.

Henri Nouwen identifies two ways we can cultivate a culture of blessing - in our homes, in our church, and in our world. And that is through presence and prayers.

Through the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit in our lives, God blesses us with His presence. He is listening and responding to us in prayer, and His presence goes with us wherever we go. As we are called to imitate Jesus, as we are called to be an extension of God’s love here on earth, we, as beloved children, can bless others through our presence and our prayers. 

As we have been blessed through the presence of God, so must we also bless others with our presence. Today’s modern living is not conducive to being present. We live in a Martha world, filled with tasks and the next items on our to-do lists. And we get angry if those around us are not pulling their weight or keeping up their end of the bargain. But Jesus calls us to have a Mary spirit. He calls us to be prayerfully present with the people around us.

You may remember in 2012, Dr. Pat Day set forth a vision to re-create our local and global missions ministries, to move away from transactional missions, or project based missions, and lean into transformational missions, or relationship based missions. Our incredible Local Missions Director, Michelle Osborn, and I drew inspiration from Scripture, the lives of Jesus and Paul, and how they put presence and prayer first and foremost in every relationship with individuals and communities.

Just like the story we began with this morning, throughout the Gospels, we often find Jesus sitting with friends and colleagues. We see Him eating; we see Him listening. We see Him being present with people. I wonder… How often do WE simply take the time to be fully present with those around us? If we are seeking imitate Jesus, how best can we love and care for those around us with our presence? How do we walk alongside them, so they know they’re not alone? When do we make time to share meals and encourage their hearts? Do we listen to only to respond, or do we seek to understand as they tell their stories?

The older I get, as Henri Nouwen reflected, “more and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult NOT to have plans, NOT to organize people around an urgent cause, and NOT to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder, more and more, if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.”

Michelle and I came to believe that the most important gift that we can give to anyone – through missions, or everyday life - is our time and our presence. It’s a way of “being” rather than a way of “doing” or “telling.” It’s a ministry given to all believers. As we read from 1 Peter last week, we are royal priests in service to God, and as priests we mediate God's presence, not just in the good times, but every season of life. Paul explained the Corinthians (2:3): “I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling…” and to the Galatians (6:2), Paul encouraged to: “Share each other’s burdens.”

One person kept coming to mind as I wrote these words, and I think I can speak for many of us when I say this. There is no other man we’d rather see come through the hospital room door when we are grieving; no other man we’d rather have surprise us for a cup of coffee and a visit; no other man I’d rather watch a baseball game and laugh with than Dr. Carl Rhoads. For nearly all of us, he’s been there to share our burdens in the tough seasons of life, and he’s also the first call when it’s time to celebrate the joys. He doesn’t come with an agenda to fix things, or to fix you. He arrives as an extension of Christ’s love. He offers nothing but himself - his presence, his love, his prayers, and his laughter. He IS the ministry of presence!

Like Carl, we are called to come alongside our brothers and sisters wherever they are, speaking the Word of God to them, and bearing their burdens for the sake of Jesus. It’s an unforgettable gift when we are lovingly and emotionally present with others in the here and now of life. It requires connecting with our feelings and our emotions. It demands intentionality, and seeing with the heart. I’ll be the first to admit that it is so much easier to hold a hammer, to physically build something, or to throw money at a problem and walk away. But when Martha insisted on cleaning and cooking, Jesus rebuked her, and applauded her sister Mary for sitting at His feet.

And the second avenue of cultivating a culture of blessedness is through prayer. In the stillness of quiet prayer, it is easy to let words of negativity and slander creep into our thoughts and heart. There’s a saying that goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Could there be a falser statement? We can hear 100 compliments, but it only takes one criticism to crumble us. Words have power. Words have the power to hurt. Words also have the power to heal. Words have the power to restore and transform. Words remind us of who we are, and whose we are. Throughout the Psalms and Gospels, God speaks words of affirmation and blessing to remind us of who we are in His eyes:

I have called you by name, from the very beginning. You are mine. And I am yours. You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests. I have molded you in the depths of the earth and knitted you together in your mother’s womb. I have carved you in the palms of my hands and hidden you in the shadow of my embrace. I look at you with infinite tenderness and care for you with a care more intimate than any other relationship on earth. I have counted every hair on your head and guided you at every step. Wherever you go, I go with you. Wherever you rest, I keep watch. I will give you food that will satisfy all your hunger and drink that will quench your thirst. I will not hide from you. You know me as your own, as I know you as my own. You belong to me. Wherever you are, I will be. Nothing will separate us. We are one.

Our words have great influence in the lives of those around us, and spoken blessings can bring hope, encouragement, and direction to our families, friends, and others. In the New Testament, the English word bless is a translation of the Greek word eulogeo (U-LO-GEO), which means “to speak well of, to bless, to thank.” When you bless others, you direct God’s goodness to them; you intercede for them — “stand in the gap” for them as you come boldly to the throne of grace in faith. We can derive “eulogy” from this word, but of course, eulogies are most often spoken at a funeral…when the person does not hear what we are saying! Why do we wait until someone is dead to offer up our words of affirmation to their lives?!

To give someone a blessing is the most significant affirmation we can offer. It calls out the inner truth we see in another. When we rest in our belovedness, when we claim it as our own, when we fall into the arms of Christ, we are free to bless another. We don’t worry about the competition. We recognize and respect the other’s true identity.

When I was living and serving in Haiti, the organization I was with made a covenant with the Episcopal Church to install a solar-powered clean water system at each of their parishes. As I traveled around Haiti, I spent a lot of time with the priests and began to call many of them my friends. When they found out I, too, was a pastor, I began to receive calls on Saturday afternoons to see if they could borrow me on Sunday mornings to fill their pulpits. You see, most of the priests would oversee a large geographical area, and sometimes would travel to 10-15 communities on a Sunday, simply to serve Holy Communion.

One Sunday, I found myself in the big downtown church in Les Cayes, leading their 6:00am worship service. The priest left me a tiny bottle of oil with a note to remind me it was the “Blessing of the Children” Sunday! Blessing of the Children Sunday? They didn’t teach me what that was in Seminary! With everyone around me speaking Creole, I opened my Bible and turned to the passage in Mark, where parents brought their children to Jesus to bless them. Mark 10:16 says, “And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.”

Blessed them. HOW? What did He say? What should I say? The only blessing that came to mind was the blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26:

“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”

Halfway through the service, the children lined up at the altar. The first child walked up to where I was standing. And with the oil, I lightly touched his forehead and drew the shape of the cross. And because I didn’t know what else to do, I brought him into my arms, and repeated the words from Numbers:

May the Lord bless you
and keep you;
May the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
May the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”

I spent the next hour hugging, anointing, and blessing 46 children with these beautiful words of security, grace, and peace. My life was changed that day, as I felt the power of God flow through me to the children. I have never felt so blessed to be a part of God’s ministry here on earth. And even though the children that day could not likely understand my English, I pray they know the love of God was descending upon them, as they, too, were chosen and blessed by God.

My challenge to you this week, and every week, is to be intentional with your words and actions. As Dr. Bell would remind us at the closing of our service, we, as a country, as a people of faith, as God’s beloved children, are blessed to be a blessing. As God has blessed you with His prayers and presence, who could you bless with your affirmation and your time? Who are the people in your life you could affirm with a spoken blessing? How is God calling you to imitate Jesus and extend His love and care? You may not have an expensive jar of oil, but as God’s beloved child, you are an image bearer, an extension of the Almighty, called to be a blessing to others.

Let us pray:

O Good and gracious God,
You have blessed us, picked us out, for special awareness of Your love.
Not because we are better than other people;
not because we are good or strong or clever;
but because Your love is free, persistent, merciful.
You have blessed us and set us apart to be signs of Your love,
to proclaim it, to live in the strength of it,
to make other people aware that they are blessed, too.

Lead us into more life and deeper wonder;
so that You can take who we are,
bless us,
break us open,
and give us to the world.
We pray this in the name of the Beloved Son,
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords,
Amen.


Benediction

In Latin, to bless is benedicere. That’s where we derive our word benediction, which is a blessing spoken at the end of a worship service. It is designed to send followers on their way with the blessing of God after the service, inviting God to bestow His divine blessing, help, guidance, and peace. So, beloved ones, receive this blessing:

May the Lord bless you and keep you, 

May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

May the broad expanse of God’s love 

and the abundance of His riches in glory, 

shape your perspective on your own life and needs, 

including those things which disappoint you.

May the eyes of your heart be open 

to all the blessings which surround you; 

may this awareness produce a harvest of generosity in your spirit.

May thankfulness rise up within you, 

not just today, 

but day after day, 

from the early morning watch 

until you retire for the night.

May your prayers reflect gratitude, 

while also acknowledging the needs of others 

whose situations are so drastically different.

May thoughts of Jesus fill your mind, 

and hunger for God drive your soul, 

and love for Lord guide your speech 

and your actions. 

And finally, may the grace, peace, 

and love of the triune God, 

protect, defend, and empower you 

to run with perseverance the race 

marked out for you.

Amen.