Call to Worship God,
to Gather Together
Accept one another
Romans 15:7
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Pondering Point
Stop and think on this: When you accept someone (like Christ accepted you), it brings praise to God; it’s an act of worship. When Jesus chose to love and accept you – it wasn’t because you earned it -- the wages of your sinful life were death, but he gifted you with life. Let’s gift others with similar acceptance. Who knows – through our God-honoring act of acceptance, God might breathe a little life out there through the same grace he used to accept you as His child in Jesus.
Prayer
Father God, from grace given (by You) to grace given (by me to others), may Your grace be received by those around me. Let my acceptance of others align with your will and Spirit, Your Word and ways. In the name of Christ I pray. Amen.
And so that you may live under the same grace you are to offer to others…
Pondering Point Part Two
Stop and think on this as well: When you accept yourself like Christ accepts you, you emulate the One who died to set you free; it’s an act of worship. Who knows – through our God-honoring act of acceptance, God might breathe a little life in there through the same grace he used to accept you as His child in Jesus.
Prayer
Father God, from grace given (by You) to grace given (by me toward myself), may Your grace do its God-ordained work. Let my acceptance of myself align with your will and Spirit, Your Word, and ways. In the name of Christ I pray. Amen.
Here are a few more lengthy quotes to chew on from The Other Half of Church:
When translating the original languages of the Bible, joy sometimes disappears in modern languages. We see it clearly in the Hebrew, but it gets lost in translation. An example is Psalm 89:15. The NIV translates this, “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.” In the Hebrew, “in the light of your presence is literally “in the light of your face.”
~ page 54
In John 15, Jesus talks about how He loves His disciples with the same love that the Father has for Him. Then He says, “I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (v.11) If we replace “joy” with the fuller definition, Jesus’ statement in John 15 would be, “My father's face lights up when He sees me because I'm so special to Him. I'm telling you this so that you will feel how special you are to My Father and to Me. Our faces are shining on you with delight.” I can feel that in my body when I picture it. Can you?
~ page 57
Joy helps us regulate our emotions and endure suffering. Jesus refused to relinquish joy in the midst of His suffering on the cross. When we are able to stay relationally connected to others and God, we experience joy while we suffer. Joy does not remove our pain, but it gives us strength to endure. Remember that joy is relational, so “joy in suffering” means that God and our community are glad to be with us in our distress. They do not allow us to suffer alone. We are able to bear our suffering like Jesus, “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2).
~ page 59
A high-hesed community is bound together by strong and lasting attachments. Ideally, spouses, family, and close friends naturally
enjoy hesed relationships… Character develops through relationships -- hesed relationships -- that can handle times when things go wrong. A secure hesed attachment can ride through storms and remain loving.
~ pages 81, 82