Devotionals Detail

1 John 3:1-3

Our first week of The Neighborhood Gospel was so much fun – wasn’t it? I hope you enjoyed the revived energy of being together in one worship service as much as I did! I can feel your excitement of reconnecting with church members who attend different worship service times, and the joy of laughing and singing together through songs that are familiar and different. After so much planning and preparation, seeing the smiles on your faces and the pure delight of worshipping in this new way brought me new life as well!

I truly believe when we are in a creative mindset that the Holy Spirit is more fully at work than any other time. For when we are open to what is next, without expectations, we make room for the Holy Spirit to enter in. That is my hope for all of us this summer during such a creative series: what we experience now, gives us a glimpse of what is yet to be revealed. The Holy Spirit continues to create in us, no matter how old we are as children of God. I am imagining what God will create us to be, through this summer worship together.

Our Scripture reading reminds us of this as it says “Beloved, we are God’s children now, what we will be, has not yet been revealed.” (1 John 3:2). This is the promise of God’s grace- it keeps working in us! Whether we know how, or understand when, or can explain why: God is faithful through grace. This unmerited and undeserved love allows us to have hope, that we are becoming more holy in relationship with God.

This is an important message for many who struggle with the “love yourself” part of Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself. To love yourself is to claim your identity as God’s beloved child. This adoption comes with assurances that we are not made perfect in love… yet. But many of us place expectations on ourselves, and others, to be perfect in the here and now. Whether it is expectations of perfection in performance to receive affirmation from others, or expectations of perfection in our relationships that are unrealistic. Whether expecting ourselves to be picture perfect in our bodies, homes or vacations, each lead to a sense of shame when not achieved.

The inability to achieve and perform according to these standards of perfections definition is not only unrealistic, it is harmful to our bodies, minds and spirits. So this Sunday in worship, we will welcome a neighbor in worship, who specializes in mental wellness. As a therapist for the past 20 years she has seen clients through many struggles dealing with shame and anxiety stemming from issues of perfection. So I hope you will join us this week to discover that our progress toward perfection is not to make ourselves perfect, but to be made perfect in God’s love. This is a holy work, open to what God will do next in our lives.

So, what will we be? May we be open to the Holy Spirits creative work: that we will be made perfect in God’s holy love!