Daily Scripture: John 15:12 “This is my command: that you keep on loving each other just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends, if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is about; but I have called you friends, because everything I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, I chose you; and I have commissioned you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that whatever you ask from the Father in my name he may give you. 17 This is what I command you: keep loving each other!
Reflection Questions:
“I chose you,” Jesus told his disciples, “so that you could go and produce fruit.” At first glance, that might sound to us like a harsh, work-oriented demand. But Jesus also told his followers he didn’t call them servants, but friends. And the first and foremost “fruit” he asked them to produce was to live in God’s love and to love one another.
- Read verses 12-15 of this passage again. Imagine them coming from a project, team or workplace leader to the group (including you) whom that leader has chosen to “bear fruit.” How do you think that kind of message would affect your attitude and that of others on the team? How would it shape communication and cooperation as you moved forward?
- Jesus also said, “You didn’t choose me, but I chose you.” “Wait,” you might think. “I clearly remember coming to Coffee with the Pastors, filling out the forms, reciting the Apostles’ Creed, choosing to join this church.” We do indeed choose Jesus—but we choose by responding to his call that reached out to us. Are you thankful that God chose you to be part of God’s family?
Lord Jesus, you really seemed to believe this love, friendship and trust stuff. We’re 2,000 years into your great experiment, and it’s still going. Help my life to bear fruit, making my world more like your kingdom. Amen.Insights from Courtney Felzke
Courtney Felzke is Pastor of Silver Link. Resurrection’s Silver Link Ministry serves the frail and elderly with dementia by maintaining a connection through pastoral care and worship with older persons who become unable to fully engage in the life of the church.
Our Scripture reading for today includes these words: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” One of the things this verse reminds us of is how much God loves us. We can see God’s love for us through the boundless forgiveness and grace God extends to each one of us. Can you imagine what the world would look like if we extended this same love, grace and forgiveness to others?
After reading today’s Scripture and being inspired by Bishop Fisher’s sermon last weekend, I began thinking of how we might take action steps to actually live out this commandment to love others. What’s one thing we can do today that might help us love our neighbor as God does? One idea would be to follow in Pastor Adam’s footsteps and begin the day in prayer, asking God to guide our actions and our words so they might be loving.
What else might we do? I wonder if we could strive try to be more patient and grace-filled in one area of our lives this week. For instance, I’m not always a patient driver. It drives me crazy when people are driving slowly, especially when I’m in a hurry. Or when people wait until the last second to merge, even though it’s very clear the lane they are currently in will soon end. I wonder if, instead of choosing to not let these cars in and having my blood pressure spike, I could let these drivers in, slow down, and be present in the moment. It’s a small thing. But if we all did one small thing each day or each week, think how different this world might look.
Our Scripture reading for today includes these words: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” One of the things this verse reminds us of is how much God loves us. We can see God’s love for us through the boundless forgiveness and grace God extends to each one of us. Can you imagine what the world would look like if we extended this same love, grace and forgiveness to others?
After reading today’s Scripture and being inspired by Bishop Fisher’s sermon last weekend, I began thinking of how we might take action steps to actually live out this commandment to love others. What’s one thing we can do today that might help us love our neighbor as God does? One idea would be to follow in Pastor Adam’s footsteps and begin the day in prayer, asking God to guide our actions and our words so they might be loving.
What else might we do? I wonder if we could strive try to be more patient and grace-filled in one area of our lives this week. For instance, I’m not always a patient driver. It drives me crazy when people are driving slowly, especially when I’m in a hurry. Or when people wait until the last second to merge, even though it’s very clear the lane they are currently in will soon end. I wonder if, instead of choosing to not let these cars in and having my blood pressure spike, I could let these drivers in, slow down, and be present in the moment. It’s a small thing. But if we all did one small thing each day or each week, think how different this world might look.
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