Wisdom teaches us to love

From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough

Hello Everyone, 
I pray this email finds you and your loved ones well, and that you are taking time for your Sabbath rest.  Do let me know if there is anything I can be of assistance with.  We will be offering Zoom services when your community is ready, so do keep me posted!   May we be able to come together soon.    
  
Blessings, 
Rev. Sue Ann
 
 
Scripture:  Psalm 86:11   
"Teach me, Lord, your way 
that I may walk in your truth, 
single-hearted and revering your name. 
I will praise you with all my heart, 
glorify your name forever, Lord, my God."  
   
Meditation     
In the Book of Acts, we learn that the early Christians were known to be followers of The Way.  In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." It seems like it should be easy to know the way.  We know the Ten Commandments.  We can look to  the Beatitudes for guidance. We certainly have at least some knowledge.  However, I think there is a deeper issue we may want to explore. Surely we yearn to be able to live this knowledge. We want to take it to heart and make it our own.  We want to deepen our knowledge into wisdom. 

Wisdom teaches us to love.  We all have known people who know a lot about a lot of things, including the Bible, but they seem to be lacking in the ability to love.  This is not the path that Jesus lays before us.     

​Recently, I was introduced to a book entitled, "Abandonment To Divine Providence".  It is a collection of writings of Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade.  Father Caussade was born in Cahors, France, in 1675 so he is definitely not a current figure.  Yet, he still has much to say to us today.  

He writes, "We are sent along the path he has chosen for us, but we cannot see it, and nothing we have read is any help to us. Were we acting on our own, we should have to rely on our experience. It would be too risky  to do anything else. But it is very different when God acts with us. Divine action is always new and fresh, it never retraces its steps, but always finds new routes." ​

Ballerina - Source: Pixabay on Pexels.com

When I bring up the word abandonment, people tend to frown.  It is not a word that generally has positive connotations.  However, let us think of a ballerina, who has trained and studied for years.  Her knowledge of dance runs deep.  Yet knowledge is not enough. When she dances, there is a moment when she surrenders to her role, to the music, to the moment. That is the kind of abandonment that God calls us to.  To study, yes.  But eventually, we must abandon ourselves to God's love, and God's guidance.  That will always bring us into new territory.  We might hear the phrase, "Let go, and let God."  We surrender completely to where we are today, and we let our lives and hearts be a dance of praise.  The way of God, is always to accept love and to be love.  Father Caussade calls this, "fulfilling the duties of the present moment".  It is in this moment that we can know God.  Like our dancer, we trust that the knowledge is there, and we can be bold in our steps and in our hearts.

Prayer   
Holy One, help us have the courage to surrender to your love.   Help us to entrust our very lives to you, because you have given us life.  May we realize our own worth, and the worth of others.  May this knowledge be transformed into love as we follow The Way of Jesus.  This is how we can love you, love our neighbors, and ourselves.   May we remember that this is what we are called to do.  May love be our new way.     
In Jesus' name we boldly pray,  Amen. 

Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ
SpiritCare Ministry to Seniors 

www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com