A little more: Romans 13:8-14

Romans 13:9-10 (NRSV)

The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

I don't preach every week. And clearly I don't remember to blog every week either! 😉

But as a new program year has begun in the non-liturgical calendar of the church, it seems as good a time as any to make new year's resolutions. So...resolving to write...well, at least more often than I have been.

And since I don't get to preach every week, and so don't often get to follow a lectionary thread through weeks in a row, it seems that looking at the previous Sunday's lessons might be good practice for me. And maybe even helpful for someone who feels like there was one more word they wanted to hear in the sermon on Sunday that they didn't get.

This word from Paul on love is one that expands a little bit on Jesus' two great commandments to love God and love neighbor. And the law here gives us some ways that we can do it. Love is after all not simply an emotion, but it is also a verb. 

An action.

An activity.

One where you don't harm your neighbor. Where you don't take what is theirs or cheat them (or cheat on them)!

Where you treat them as yourself. (so, I am really hoping you treat yourself with love and compassion as well!)

We live in an age where many both inside and outside the church rightfully point fingers at those of us inside the church and say: "Yeah, you don't really seem to treat each other so well."

Fair enough. And true often.

But is that really so surprising?

Is church a place we come to because once we walk in the door we get it right; where we do exactly what God wants; where perfection reigns?

Or is church more like a lab or studio where we get to practice working out just what this Kingdom (or Kin-dom) of God looks like.

Martin Luther called the church "the Holy Spirit's workshop." I like that. We get to come and let the Spirit work on us.

We come because we need the practice. And we need the community. And we need the love.

We don't always show that love. We hurt each other and we fight and we argue.

But if we keep showing up, the work continues and sometimes we get a glimpse of just what it is that love is really all about.

Lord, keep working on me. And keep me working it out too. Amen.