The Candle or the Mirror?
For the whole law can be summed up in this one command:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out!
Beware of destroying one another.
Galatians 5:14-15 (NLT)
Dear friend,
Sometimes folks tell me I don’t give up on anyone, to a fault. Well, maybe…
yet, I’d rather be this way than not. People need other people to believe in
them. People need other people to believe (if only one), that despite their
bad behavior, again and again and again, over years and years and years…
somehow, there’s still someone, who believes they can become the
highest expression of everything God has created them to become.
Now, this doesn’t excuse bad behavior and all of us need to be held accountable
for our actions and sometimes certain people can’t be around other people any
longer and it’s not your job, or mine, to fix people. Yet, when it is safe for us to do
so, not giving up on someone might just save their lives, and the lives of others.
Listen to Bonnie Raitt’s story in the video down by the prayer, an interview from June 18
on the PBS NewsHour (with Geoff Bennett) celebrating her 50 years in the music business.
Bonnie’s story is a story of grace and redemption, celebrating all our stories of grace and
redemption. That’s a beautiful thing and beyond the music she says: “It’s wonderful
to be recognized for who I am in the world, not just the way that I sing.”
Jesus can’t make us love him. We can’t make everyone love us. (Listen to Bonnie Raitt
singing “I Can't Make You Love Me” in the video above.) Yet, we can show forth the
qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT) to the best of our ability, each and every day.
Speaking for myself, I 100% never fully succeed. I need God’s grace and redemption, every single
day. Perhaps that’s what has me never giving up on others, hoping they will never give up on me.
So I keep doing my best to follow the light of Christ then reflect it, to a world in desperate need.
Perhaps you’ll join us for worship on Sunday, or listen to my Wednesday podcast.
I never give up hope you know.
Blessings and Love, now and always,
Pastor John
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out!
Beware of destroying one another.
Galatians 5:14-15 (NLT)
Dear friend,
Sometimes folks tell me I don’t give up on anyone, to a fault. Well, maybe…
yet, I’d rather be this way than not. People need other people to believe in
them. People need other people to believe (if only one), that despite their
bad behavior, again and again and again, over years and years and years…
somehow, there’s still someone, who believes they can become the
highest expression of everything God has created them to become.
Now, this doesn’t excuse bad behavior and all of us need to be held accountable
for our actions and sometimes certain people can’t be around other people any
longer and it’s not your job, or mine, to fix people. Yet, when it is safe for us to do
so, not giving up on someone might just save their lives, and the lives of others.
Listen to Bonnie Raitt’s story in the video down by the prayer, an interview from June 18
on the PBS NewsHour (with Geoff Bennett) celebrating her 50 years in the music business.
Bonnie’s story is a story of grace and redemption, celebrating all our stories of grace and
redemption. That’s a beautiful thing and beyond the music she says: “It’s wonderful
to be recognized for who I am in the world, not just the way that I sing.”
Jesus can’t make us love him. We can’t make everyone love us. (Listen to Bonnie Raitt
singing “I Can't Make You Love Me” in the video above.) Yet, we can show forth the
qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT) to the best of our ability, each and every day.
Speaking for myself, I 100% never fully succeed. I need God’s grace and redemption, every single
day. Perhaps that’s what has me never giving up on others, hoping they will never give up on me.
So I keep doing my best to follow the light of Christ then reflect it, to a world in desperate need.
Perhaps you’ll join us for worship on Sunday, or listen to my Wednesday podcast.
I never give up hope you know.
Blessings and Love, now and always,
Pastor John
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Would you pray with me?
God, Jesus, Holy Spirit,
we pray for your light to fill us.
Fill us, we pray, with wonder.
Fill us, we pray, with joy.
Fill us we pray,
with a desire to reflect your light,
in everything we say and do.
Forgive us
for keeping this light hidden within us…
turning our attention instead towards
the lure of immorality,
the lure of hostility,
the lure of quarreling,
the lure of jealousy,
the lure of angry outbursts,
selfish ambitions…more…
We pray instead to reflect your light,
as we shine forth…
the light of love,
the light of joy,
the light of peace,
the light of patience,
the light of kindness,
the light of goodness,
the light of faithfulness,
the light of gentleness,
the light of self-control.
God, Jesus, Holy Spirit,
You are the candle.
We pray to be a mirror,
reflecting your light to a world in desperate need.
Amen.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
God, Jesus, Holy Spirit,
we pray for your light to fill us.
Fill us, we pray, with wonder.
Fill us, we pray, with joy.
Fill us we pray,
with a desire to reflect your light,
in everything we say and do.
Forgive us
for keeping this light hidden within us…
turning our attention instead towards
the lure of immorality,
the lure of hostility,
the lure of quarreling,
the lure of jealousy,
the lure of angry outbursts,
selfish ambitions…more…
We pray instead to reflect your light,
as we shine forth…
the light of love,
the light of joy,
the light of peace,
the light of patience,
the light of kindness,
the light of goodness,
the light of faithfulness,
the light of gentleness,
the light of self-control.
God, Jesus, Holy Spirit,
You are the candle.
We pray to be a mirror,
reflecting your light to a world in desperate need.
Amen.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Become the Love you Seek!
JOURNEY on The Way
SEE the Face of Jesus
in All People
BECOME a Light of Peace,
Justice & Revolutionary Love
Sign Up for PJ's Place
If you wish to receive Pastor John's weekly e-mail, known as PJ's Place, please contact
Pastor John at jwhite3646@charter.net with a request to be put on the mailing list.
_______________________________________________________________________
JOURNEY on The Way
SEE the Face of Jesus
in All People
BECOME a Light of Peace,
Justice & Revolutionary Love
Sign Up for PJ's Place
If you wish to receive Pastor John's weekly e-mail, known as PJ's Place, please contact
Pastor John at jwhite3646@charter.net with a request to be put on the mailing list.
_______________________________________________________________________
