The Life of Love (Ephesians 4)
God, You call us to a life of love, following the example of Christ.
Bless us as we strive for this,
Bless us when love is easy
- when it fills us with warm feelings and sweet sentiments.
Bless us when love is hard
- when it requires us to dig deep and to sacrifice our own ego.
Bless us when love is boring
- when the everyday acts of care become mundane
and feel more like a chore than a blessing
Bless us when love causes us pain
- when our love is not returned,
or when it is returned with insult or injury.
Bless us when love means grief
- when those whom we love are no longer ours to care for.
Bless us when love requires us to change
- when our old ways of loving no longer work,
and we have to humble ourselves to find new ways.
Oh God this is the work of a lifetime, and we need your help. Of all the things you ask us to do, loving our neighbor, not as we want to be loved, but as they do, is perhaps the most humbling and baffling.
Grant us courage and peace,
as we put aside bitterness and pick up forgiveness,
as we let go of resentment and choose to be at peace,
as we give up illusions and delusions and do the work of love,
through the love and example of Christ our Lord. Amen.
Based on Ephesians 4:25-5:2
25 Therefore, after you have gotten rid of lying, Each of you must tell the truth to your neighbor because we are parts of each other in the same body. 26 Be angry without sinning. Don’t let the sun set on your anger. 27 Don’t provide an opportunity for the devil. 28 Thieves should no longer steal. Instead, they should go to work, using their hands to do good so that they will have something to share with whoever is in need.
29 Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community so that it benefits those who hear what you say. 30 Don’t make the Holy Spirit of God unhappy—you were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Put aside all bitterness, losing your temper, anger, shouting, and slander, along with every other evil. 32 Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way God forgave you in Christ.
5 Therefore, imitate God like dearly loved children. 2 Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. He was a sacrificial offering that smelled sweet to God.
Written and prayed for worship at Decatur First UMC,
Decatur, GA
August 11, 2024
