Loving Your Neighbor

The Ten Commandments are the rules God gave us as our guide to living in a society. Then, Jesus comes along and leaves his disciples with another commandment that He called “new.”

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13.34)

There are plenty of examples in scripture of Jesus’ love for those who where the social outcasts and great sinners of his day. As a result of their encounter with Him, many knew love for the first time. Yet the word love is probably one of the most misunderstood and misused words in the modern world. I remember a third year seminary project, part of which was to ask teenagers in the churches we were assigned to, this question: What is love? Many of them referred to love as a “feeling.” These kids were Christians but they never referred to any aspect of love from a biblical perspective. As for Jesus’ love, scriptures show that His reaction to sinners often times was to correct the problem and set them free. His love was an action.

The word love is used often in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament. But, let’s face it; love is difficult to accurately define. So, I decided to get technical and look it up in the dictionary. When love used as a noun in an abstract way such as, “baseball was Bob’s first love,” the word goes beyond the senses. When love is used as a verb it’s often describing a relationship to someone and something; “Ian must be madly in love with his wife, Robin, as they are constantly holding hands.”

As people moving through life quickly, we tend to limit the meaning of love to human emotions, but when we view love as an action, we are tested as to the truest definition of what it means to love. As Christians we are called to be more than a people who love; we are called to be a people who love and act. We are called to help with our hands, to forgive with our hearts, and to nurture all who are in need.

“Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.” (Proverbs 10:12)

The apostle Paul brilliantly describes love in 1 Corinthians 13. He defines love as that which, "hopes all things, endures all things and never fails." (My paraphrase). Wait a minute, did he say, “love never fails?” Why would Paul describe love in that way? Let’s look at it this way. In our culture we define love as: affection, approval, attraction, and so on, but without Jesus they will all fail at some point. When Paul says that love never fails he is talking about divine love. The love of God never fails. Let’s face it, the love we have for one another fails to a greater or lesser degree, unless it is tied to Christ.

Jesus issued the commandment to love one another; the roots originating in the Old Testament with the commandment to, “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18). Jesus issued this commandment because love was a principal that He lived and died for. To love one another as Jesus loves us shows evidence of our new spiritual birth and continued growth. Remember just how pure Christ’s love is; he even prayed for the ones who murdered him as he hung there on the cross.

"We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers.” (1 John 3:14)

Love is inseparably connected with all other aspects of the Christian life. Love is the light that shines through and separates the darkness. It is how we as Christians must be seen in this world. Love always comes before mercy and gives the faint hearted patience to finish the race. Love is the main spring that gives the believer courage and strength to follow God. Even when the sin is so wretched that we struggle to find anything to love, we may find that it is only through the love Christ has shown us in our own lives that can we find strength to love the sinner.

We must love God in response to His love for us, and we are to love each other as a result of our love for God. We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; “for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” (1 John 4:19–21 )

Be found loving…

Bishop Ian

Why Should We Obey Our Parents?

"Honor your father and mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12).

Why should we obey our parents? Notice at the end of this Commandment it says, "… so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12)

So not only live long, but it also says, "In the land your God is giving you." He is not only talking about individuals; He is talking about society because when the family unit breaks down, the society breaks down too.

Take a look around you. Respect for parents and family is certainly something we have lost sight of in our culture. I'm going to be incredibly un-PC right now and say that many of the Baby Boomers that became parents created a generation of spoiled children. It’s been my observation that as a result of this spoiling, many of today’s parents spend more time trying to negotiate with their children than establishing who is in charge in the first place.

The best they can come up with after the negotiations fail is more idle threats, ridiculous bribes, or the ever popular, “time out." Heck, just the sound of my dad's footsteps coming down the hallway used to shut us kids right up. I understood as a child that my Dad was in charge, so was my Mom. Let’s face it, in many ways they still are. But, it wasn’t just fear of punishment that kept me on the straight and narrow, I was learning to respect their authority, and that began developing in my earliest years.

The truth of the matter is the breakdown of family values in this country is one of the greatest battles we face as a nation. The sad fact is that five out of every six births are to unwed mothers. We have become a nation of wounded souls giving birth to wounded souls. Is it any wonder that so many kids today can barely read, pass a test, or say no to drugs and alcohol? Did you know that the majority of violent criminals are teenagers?

It has been rightly observed throughout history that the family is the backbone of society. It always has been the first building block to a successful society. Our very existence as a safe and loving community is dependent upon the success of the family.

Nobody cares more for our personal well being, outside of our parents, than God. Healthy families produce healthy people, and a healthy nation. I also want to point out that scriptures say nothing about an “age of maturity,” a time when you suddenly are free from respecting and honoring your parents. Growing from childhood to adulthood is not a time of moving spiritually away from your family. Your family is eternal, and honoring them has eternal as well as earthly consequences.

A healthy family is the place we learn about life. We learn things about living together as a family and as a society. Family life is the path to a great deal of life’s lessons. You want to know about conflict resolution, financial management, love, acceptance, failure, success, communication – you name it – your family should be the place to go.

Sadly, the world today looks at families in a different light. For many, the family just isn’t important and too often God isn’t important either. Yet we are all born with this primal need to know who we are. Our very nature craves being loved by the two people called mom and dad. If we lose that connection, our identities blur and it weakens not only ourselves but our nation – and yes, our connection to God.

Yes, there are some very imperfect parents – abusive, absent, and substance addicted, but the commandment has no “clauses” that excuse our responsibility to honor them. Even though their actions may have brought us pain, they have after all, brought us into this world.

"Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." (Colossians 3:20).

Do you want to know how to please God? Read his commandments to us. Obey them – not just a few – but all of them. Obeying and honoring your parents pleases the Lord. As I mentioned, even if they aren’t particularly lovable, the commandment has no exception clauses, and no expiration date as to our responsibility to it.

Honoring your father and mother is never more apparent than when you have children of your own. Suddenly you understand what you owe your parents. And then you take all the good they have given to you and pass it on.

Be Honorable,

Bishop Ian

Remembering the Sabbath

Life can get pretty busy at times. As the hours pass, you channel your limited supply of energy into work, relationships, activities, and service. All worthwhile endeavors, but don’t forget to save time and give yourself a rest.

God gave us the example of rest by stopping on the seventh day of creation.

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. (Genesis 2:2)

Instead of encouraging us to beat our tired bodies into a stressful wreck, God sets the precedent.

Look at commandment #4: “Remember to dedicate the Sabbath day.” (Exodus 20:8)

Isaiah followed with this reminder: “Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day.” (Isaiah 58:13)

Enjoy it, but don’t pursue my interests? Think it sounds like a paradox? It is. We should embrace a discipline in our lives that ultimately leads from work to rest. We refocus our hearts, re-energize our spirits, and reorder our lives around God by setting aside time to rest our souls. True Sabbath-keeping is far more than an ancient, outdated rule; it’s also more than a vacation from work. Confused? I thought so.

Sabbath’s Purpose ~

Jesus proclaimed, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)

He shattered the idea of rules for the sake of rules, emphasizing that the Sabbath is not about blind legalism. As we have seen in our Gospel readings for Trinity 16 and 17, Jesus broke many Sabbath rules by healing and meeting needs, He revealed God’s love for people over practice.

In Hebrew, the word for Sabbath, Shabbat, literally means to cease or to stop. Look at it this way… In Sabbath-keeping, we take this day to stop and honor the creator and remember our humanity. Unlike God, we cannot work without stopping. We need rest.

Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. (Deuteronomy 5:12)

Deuteronomy on the other hand, commands us to observe the Sabbath as it was originally a time to observe or celebrate God’s freeing His people from the yoke of slavery. In a similar way, we observe Sabbath because we’re not forced to toil every day as those in captivity. We are free to rest.

When we celebrate Sabbath, we are declaring that we are more than our work. Our lives are not dollar signs nor are they our endeavors, no matter how noble. Work ceases to define us because through spending time with God, He redefines us as His children.

Let’s face it, most of us don’t live the 'prairie home companion' life. Our priorities get out of whack. A day for Sabbath rest also helps us to reorder our lives around God, not ourselves. Sabbath is a day “to the Lord your God,” (Exodus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5:14). In observing the Sabbath, we are both giving a gift to God and imitating Him. We recognize that it’s God’s world, and we need to stop our interfering.

In my opinion, that’s what’s missing from a Christian Sabbath - a true cessation from work and the world, a time wholly set apart for worship. I think we have lost that sense of the point of Shabbat, is to reorient our lives toward God.

I think what’s important is to remember that before we keep a Sabbath day, we need a Sabbath heart. To have a Sabbath heart, means we reflect on who God is. Our prayer book worship reminds us of our dependence on Him for salvation and even our every breath. The reason for structure and liturgy in our worship is to keep us focused that our worship is a spiritual observance, not a ritual.

OK, I know what you’re thinking; "this Sabbath stuff sounds great! But seriously Bishop Ian, I have five deadlines, a boss breathing down my neck, a relationship going south, a mortgage payment, kids that don’t do homework, etc. There’s no time to rest."

I get it, but the Sabbath is more than a nice idea. So, start with this simple exercise; learn to stop. Cease doing what you have to do, and do what you need to do for your soul’s health - that is the basic meaning of Shabbat. Enjoy a day without a to-do list. Honor God through a Sabbath. Refrain from housekeeping, worry, and problem-solving. Avoid those things that might distract you from soaking up the presence of God. Try to avoid the topics of work and money in your conversations.

The idea is not to barricade yourself from the world, but it is to center your entire being on experiencing joy in the presence of God. The goal of Sabbath-keeping is to spend time enjoying God so that you may know Him and love Him more. All else is secondary.

Be a Sabbath-keeper,

Bishop Ian