• About

Trying to pray

~ reflections on a life lived in the presence of God

Trying to pray

Monthly Archives: October 2014

Image

Love…God, others, self

30 Thursday Oct 2014

Last Sunday I was privileged to go to Orkney again to preach.  It was Reformation Sunday.  I preached about how reformation is something that is much more than surface changes, and that it requires a surrender of our will to God’s.  I based the sermon on the commandments that Jesus gave, Love God with all you heart and soul and strength and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

It seems to me that when you do that, surrendering your will to the will of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit is a crucial component.  Loving is not something that we do naturally.  Oh yes we gush over babies and kittens and puppy and say we love them.  We even gush about romantic love… but none of those things are the difficult love that starts by seeing ourselves as God sees us, and then flows from us to transform the world around us.  Being people whose lives are lived in obedience to God and sharing his love with the world is the way in which we express our faith and show God the depth of love we have for him.

Yes I know that is a very challenging statement and indeed even a challenging way to live.  I believe that it is true though, because of what I see in my own life.  When I am busy putting love into the world by serving those whom God calls us to serve I notice that my own spiritual path is much easier.  Taking time to read Scripture and pray don’t feel like a chore, but an outpouring of the love and joy I have in relationship to God.  When I reflect on that it seems to me that the reason is that when I express love in service I feel better about myself.   I love myself.  I feel like I have a purpose.

Love God.  Love neighbor.  Love self….. this is a love circle that goes round and round and keeps building layers of love.  This is about the spirituality of love, which leads to joy, which leads to a greater love.  It just doesn’t get better than that.

Advertisement

Rate this:

Posted by ena | Filed under Prayer

≈ 2 Comments

Recent Posts

  • Covid Life: gratitude
  • COVID ANXIETY: racism
  • COVID ANXIETY: able to go out again?
  • COVID ANXIETY: questions in the night
  • COVID ANXIETY: The perfect storm
  • COVID ANXIETY: gratitude/service
  • COVID ANXIETY: cancelled/postponed
  • COVID ANXIETY: Peace
  • COVID ANXIETY: Exhaustion

Archives

  • July 2020 (1)
  • May 2020 (4)
  • April 2020 (6)
  • March 2020 (4)
  • November 2018 (2)
  • October 2018 (2)
  • September 2018 (4)
  • August 2018 (1)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • June 2018 (2)
  • May 2018 (2)
  • March 2018 (1)
  • January 2018 (1)
  • September 2017 (1)
  • August 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (1)
  • April 2017 (1)
  • March 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (2)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (4)
  • October 2016 (2)
  • September 2016 (1)
  • August 2016 (4)
  • May 2016 (1)
  • April 2016 (1)
  • March 2016 (5)
  • February 2016 (8)
  • October 2015 (1)
  • August 2015 (2)
  • March 2015 (1)
  • February 2015 (1)
  • January 2015 (2)
  • December 2014 (1)
  • October 2014 (1)
  • September 2014 (2)
  • July 2014 (1)
  • May 2014 (1)
  • April 2014 (1)
  • March 2014 (2)
  • February 2014 (1)
  • January 2014 (1)
  • December 2013 (1)
  • November 2013 (7)
  • October 2013 (4)
  • September 2013 (2)
  • August 2013 (8)
  • July 2013 (3)
  • June 2013 (5)
  • May 2013 (1)
  • April 2013 (5)
  • March 2013 (8)
  • February 2013 (12)
  • January 2013 (16)
  • December 2012 (19)
  • November 2012 (9)
  • October 2012 (12)
  • September 2012 (12)
  • August 2012 (11)
  • July 2012 (19)
  • June 2012 (31)
  • May 2012 (16)
  • April 2012 (11)
  • March 2012 (5)

Categories

October 2014
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep   Dec »

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 295 other subscribers

prayer

prayer

acrostic prayer Canadian Badlands Passion Play Christianity dementia Easter Faith families belong together forgiveness God homelessness Jesus justice music Passion Play Prayer refugees religion Side by Side spirituality st patrick's day thanksgivng Uncategorized
  • spirituality
  • Christianity
  • religion

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Trying to pray
    • Join 163 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Trying to pray
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar