Maxims of Abundant Life
Wednesday, January 5, 2011 -- The 12 Days of Christmas, Year One
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 940)
Psalms 2, 110:1-5(6-7) (morning) ----- (evening)
Joshua 1:1-9
Hebrews 11:32 - 12:2
John 15:1-16
Eve of Epiphany (Evening Prayer)
Psalms 29, 98
Isaiah 66:18-23
Romans 15:7-13
"I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
Monday's Morning Reflection focused on a phrase some have called Jesus' Mission Statement: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Today continues that consideration as we hear Jesus elaborate on his teaching. The abundant life that Jesus came to give us is a life filled with joy. Jesus wishes to give us his joy, Divine joy -- complete and infinite joy.
Yet we know that the cross stands central in the story of Jesus. The cross does not look joyful in the superficial way that we tend to equate joy with "feeling good."
The joy of Christ is to do the will of God.
And what is the will of God? It is always love.
Jesus gives us the Summary of the Law -- love God, neighbor and self. Jesus also gives the New Commandment -- love one another as I have loved you. Love is the fountain from which springs the abundant life and joy Jesus intends for us.
Today's image is the vine and branches. Living in the love of God is like being connected to the vine as the source of life. God's love is the Ground of our Being. From that ground God's love flows through Christ the Vine into us as the Spirit's pure love. As we soak up that love, letting God love us into being, we become fruitful -- we make love tangible in the character and action of our lives.
Here are the grapes on the fruitful cluster: (from St. Paul) "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and temperance. There is no law against such things." (Gal. 5:22-23) When we live in connected intimacy with the infinite love of God, God's love pours into us to produce these fruits in our lives.
But there is the pruning. God expects us to grow. Once we have become fruitfully conformed to Christ in some parts of our lives, God will prune us in order to allow other parts to grow. God will go deeper into our being and invite us to let the abundant life of purging love flow into areas not yet open to God's energy and will. As we allow the Divine light and life to touch and heal our undeveloped parts, new vines grow in us to produce new fruit. We learn to do God's will in new ways. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and temperance have new ways to be manifest in us.
The process can feel like death. In order to live abundantly, our crippled, anemic branches must be pruned and die. Giving up our old, selfish ways can feel very threatening. Only the infinite love of God can get us through. God is love. God's will is love. Underneath all is love.
When we can experience our crosses as signs of God's loving work of pruning what needs to die in order that we might live more abundantly, trusting in his loving will alone, then the joy that Jesus speaks of can be released.
It comes down to a handful of maxims: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I have said these things so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and temperance. There is no law against such things. Pick up your cross and follow me. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 940)
Psalms 2, 110:1-5(6-7) (morning) ----- (evening)
Joshua 1:1-9
Hebrews 11:32 - 12:2
John 15:1-16
Eve of Epiphany (Evening Prayer)
Psalms 29, 98
Isaiah 66:18-23
Romans 15:7-13
"I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
Monday's Morning Reflection focused on a phrase some have called Jesus' Mission Statement: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Today continues that consideration as we hear Jesus elaborate on his teaching. The abundant life that Jesus came to give us is a life filled with joy. Jesus wishes to give us his joy, Divine joy -- complete and infinite joy.
Yet we know that the cross stands central in the story of Jesus. The cross does not look joyful in the superficial way that we tend to equate joy with "feeling good."
The joy of Christ is to do the will of God.
And what is the will of God? It is always love.
Jesus gives us the Summary of the Law -- love God, neighbor and self. Jesus also gives the New Commandment -- love one another as I have loved you. Love is the fountain from which springs the abundant life and joy Jesus intends for us.
Today's image is the vine and branches. Living in the love of God is like being connected to the vine as the source of life. God's love is the Ground of our Being. From that ground God's love flows through Christ the Vine into us as the Spirit's pure love. As we soak up that love, letting God love us into being, we become fruitful -- we make love tangible in the character and action of our lives.
Here are the grapes on the fruitful cluster: (from St. Paul) "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and temperance. There is no law against such things." (Gal. 5:22-23) When we live in connected intimacy with the infinite love of God, God's love pours into us to produce these fruits in our lives.
But there is the pruning. God expects us to grow. Once we have become fruitfully conformed to Christ in some parts of our lives, God will prune us in order to allow other parts to grow. God will go deeper into our being and invite us to let the abundant life of purging love flow into areas not yet open to God's energy and will. As we allow the Divine light and life to touch and heal our undeveloped parts, new vines grow in us to produce new fruit. We learn to do God's will in new ways. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and temperance have new ways to be manifest in us.
The process can feel like death. In order to live abundantly, our crippled, anemic branches must be pruned and die. Giving up our old, selfish ways can feel very threatening. Only the infinite love of God can get us through. God is love. God's will is love. Underneath all is love.
When we can experience our crosses as signs of God's loving work of pruning what needs to die in order that we might live more abundantly, trusting in his loving will alone, then the joy that Jesus speaks of can be released.
It comes down to a handful of maxims: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I have said these things so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and temperance. There is no law against such things. Pick up your cross and follow me. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Lowell
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| Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: -- Morning Reflection Podcasts About Morning Reflections "Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church. Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer. Evening Prayer begins on p. 117 An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at missionstclare.com -- Click for online Daily Office Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html -- Click for Divine Hours Discussion Blog: To comment on today's reflection or readings, go to http://lowellsblog.blogspot.com, or click here for Lowell's blog find today's reading, click "comment" at the bottom of the reading, and post your thoughts. |
| The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love. See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org Our Rule of Life: We aspire to... worship weekly pray daily learn constantly serve joyfully live generously. Lowell Grisham, Rector St. Paul's Episcopal Church Fayetteville, Arkansas |
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