“have we done – what we ought?”
Rev. Terry J. McGuire
right from the start, in the old testament reading, “justice never prevails” and “justice comes forth perverted” and even so still today – when the so called religious right gets it so wrong, that we hear of teens jumping to their deaths because someone has outed them… really… we live in the land of the free, don’t we… then why do we still have such discrimination’s against others different from ourselves… I think it is time we stand up, stand out, and demand true freedom for each and everyone… are we to let the others become the gatekeepers, of our day… or are we to take a stand, watch our posts… guard the truth of Christ… “You are Loved” you are truly loved by God your creator… what would you write on tablets that a runner could see… what has God given you as your message… the first one that came to mind for me… “You are Loved” and the other that come to mind is what I have posted on our website… “if God can use a man like me, just imagine what God can do with a life like yours”… the righteous shall live by the confidence in God’s trustworthiness… knowing from deep with-in that God does indeed love each and every single one of us… and it is our jobs to make certain that everyone know that… everyone can have full freedom in and through Christ… no distinction, no distractions and no excuses… YOU are truly Loved by God… know it… feel it… live it… in our Psalms reading, we find an exhortation to patience and trust… not to worry… the Scriptures tell us to “take delight in the LORD, and he shall give you your hearts desire”… what is your hearts desire… is it in sync with what Christ wants from and for you… “to love as I have loved you”… without anything, getting in the way of real – lasting – unfailing Love… again the Scriptures tell us if we place our trust in him, he will bring it to pass… and to wait patiently for him… but when we see and hear of such hatred… how can we – do nothing… and so let us patiently wait before the Lord in prayer… let us not give up on others, ourselves, or Christ… the day will surely come… that one day… each and every child of God will see and know true freedom…. that comes only through Christ… and in the epistle reading… “to rekindle the gift of God that is within you… God didn’t give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline”… let us be found encouraging one another, uplifting one another, and loving one another… we are also reminded to “guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us” see we don’t have to go it alone, ever… so what have we been entrusted with… are we living up to our fullest potential… are others seeing and feeling the love of Christ through us… and finally: if you had faith… it would obey you… so what is the it, in our lives, is it in harmony with the Scriptures, Christ’s unfailing love and Gods mercy and grace for us… and not just a selected few… but each and every single one of us… Scriptures tells us ‘come at once, take your place at the table’ what are you waiting for… “have we done only what we ought to have done!” and don’t forget Christ has called us friends… and that includes YOU… we never get all the answers – to all of the big questions we will have along the way… we are to be always growing in our relationship with Christ and each other… if someone tells you they have all the answers, I tell you RUN… run fast, and as far away from them that you can… the truth is not with them… God makes available for us an unashamed commitment to the gospel and the extraordinary manifestations of God’s grace announce throughout the Gospel – that is what we too must preach, teach and share with others… God has chosen you… created you… loved you… my job is to love you just as you are… if God makes us truly aware – of what we ought to do – what are we failing – to do… what are you struggling with? Where or what in your life needs changing, who are you following, someone else – yourself – or the Holy Spirit… “what ought we do”, that we do not… and if we truly do know better, and still refuse, what then? Have we become so stiff necked and hard heart-ed, cynical ourselves, that we no longer hear that still small voice of the Lord in us… are we so set on repeating the past over and over again? And not what others – ought we ought – just as it is not our place to place a burden on them… and much like the pharisees in Christs day – we too must find we ourselves are not expecting others to do – say or be – something different than the creator has created them to be… while we may journey along some of the same paths – sometimes in unison and at others in discord with God and each other… each of us are responsible for our own actions, or in-actions… not our place to tell others which path they are to take – God has greater plans for them than our infantile minds can bear… we can hardly get our own right, let alone steer someone else… who deters or discourages you from achieving everything God has set out for you to do… and finally also like the pharisees, we to must not expect, demand or place such heavy burdens on others, that we know we could not or would not fulfill ourselves… no amount of our self efforts will change who God has created each of us to be… only God’s mercy and grace toward us, can enable us to fulfill our life’s purposes… just like Christ – did for each and every one of us… so are we truly doing what we ought? Let us always be found doing just that! “Loving one another as I have loved you”… Amen…
