In today’s text the Pharisees attempt to trip Jesus up again so they can justify arresting him. This time they send a lawyer. He would have been an expert in their religious law. He asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was. Jesus reponded with the Jewish Shema. Jesus adds a second command, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” In the end it is all about relationships. Today we will explore how Jesus reveals the secret of the Divine in the simplest ways.
- A simple chord and melody that touches us all profoundly.
- Lean On Me
- What I love about Jesus’ teachings is he uses the simple to reveal the profound.
- The Kingdom of God is like a woman who lost a silver coin.
- Have you lost your Cell Phone recently?
- What is the Greatest Commandment?
- Love God with all of your Heart, With All of your Soul! And All of your mind!
- The more work you put into our spiritual journey the deeper our understanding and actions of love will be.
- Then Love your Neighbor as Yourself! It is both/and.
- The Secret of the Cosmos,
- The Great lesson from the Divine.
- How you love yourself will be mirrored in how you love Neighbor
- How you love your Neighbor will be a reflection of how you love God.
- In the end it is about relationships.
- Imagine
Call to Celebration
God of all beings, we enter this space to deepen our capacity.
What does love look like?
Love responds to the cares and needs of all peoples.
Does that include my enemies?
Love is limitless; no boundaries, love includes ALL beings.
What about those whose intention is to harm others?
Love is a conduit that flows freely; without obstruction and without condition.
From where does a love like this commence?
Love is the ground of being. The source of all beings. All life forms are grounded in love.
Holy One, may it be so in me and us. Amen
Offertory
God, as human seekers, we sometimes miss the mark. At times our actions do not align with the depth of our hearts. Help us turn inwardly to the source of our being so that transcendent love may flow freely through us. Amen
Bringing in the Light
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Matthew 22: 34-36
Taking the Light into the World
A Prayer for Peace and Restoration
“Sometimes we’re fractured by the choices we make; sometimes we’re shattered by things we would never have chosen. But our brokenness is also the source of our common humanity, the basis for our shared search for comfort, meaning, and healing. Our shared vulnerability and imperfection nurtures and sustains our capacity for compassion.” Amen
Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
Good morning Pastor Barton. Excellent sermon…it touched my heart. You are an amazing person and Windermere Union church is truly blessed to have you as our Pastor. 10-25-2020