Thursday, November 7, 2024
Gospel Reflection: Our Work
The Rev. Rob Stevens
John 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
God loves you. That’s what I needed to start with today. The incarnation. God loves you and me so much that God put skin on and experienced humanity with all its joys and suffering. That kind of love is a love of action and that is what we as followers of Jesus are all about.
My work on November 7 is the same as my work on November 4. Yes, I believe the recent election has clarified and amplified it, but the work is still the same. Our baptismal covenant states my/our work so well. If you wonder where to turn for structure and direction these 5 questions lead me well.
Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers ? I will, with God’s help.
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? I will, with God’s help.
Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? I will, with God’s help.
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? I will, with God’s help.
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? I will, with God’s help.
I will read these daily for a while to remind me that the work of love is not a nice sentiment, but action. To love God with all that I have and to love my neighbor with that same energy is my highest allegiance. It is an allegiance to a God that loves everyone with a power that is stronger than death. This is where I find hope. This is where I find courage. This is where I find peace.
Go well friends. Love big with confidence and know that in all of life whether it be deep sorrow or deep joy we do not go alone. Onward!
Today we commemorate a former Archbishop named William Temple. A quote attributed to him has helped me in my ministry and reminded me again and again that God is for ALL. “The Church is the only society that exists for the benefit of those who are not its members.”
William Temple, the Archbishop of Canterbury during the early 20th century, was a profound theologian and social reformer who believed deeply in the transformative power of Christian love. One of his central theological themes was the incarnation, which he saw not only as a foundational event in Christian belief but also as a profound demonstration of God’s love for humanity. For Temple, the incarnation was not just a doctrine to be affirmed but a reality to be lived out—God’s entry into human life in the person of Jesus Christ was a radical act of solidarity with the suffering and the marginalized.
In Temple’s view, the incarnation demonstrated that God’s love is not abstract or distant, but active and intimately involved in the world. He argued that the life of Jesus reveals the heart of God, who seeks to bring healing, justice, and reconciliation to a broken world. The love revealed in the incarnation is not one of sentimental affection, but a love that engages with the deepest pains of human existence and transforms them.
Temple’s emphasis on the incarnation and love was not just theological but had practical implications for his work in social justice. He believed that Christians were called to embody the love of Christ in their relationships with others, particularly in addressing social inequalities. For Temple, the love of God revealed in the incarnation was a call to action, urging believers to participate in the redemption of the world through acts of compassion, justice, and service.