Each day this week, or as many days as you can, create time to sit before God in silence for 5 minutes.  Feel the gaze of God’s love of you.  Don’t explain it or qualify it.  Just receive it; feel it.  Know it is truth.  For God so loved the world.  For God so loved you.  You are the beloved of God.  God loves you with an everlasting love.

Knowing/Mind:

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Paul gives us a beautiful description of what the fruit of Love looks like. 

Memorize this passage.  At the end of each day, use this passage as a tool for self-examination. 

• Where was there evidence of the fruit of the spirit of Love as you went about your day? 
• What one step might you take the next day to allow the fruit of the spirit of Love to be more evident?

Doing/Body: 

We can’t cultivate the fruit of the spirit of Love in other people; only in ourselves.  Our call to love is not dependent upon how loveable other people are.  We ourselves fall short of Jesus’ example of Love, yet God loves us still. 

How will you share God’s love this week with someone you find it difficult to love – reminding them, and yourself, that they are the beloved of God?

From the sermon:  The practice of

Minding the Gap

• Prayerfully read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  Read it several times. 
• Ask God to cause a word or a phrase to stand out to you; one gap that God wants to work on in you.  Pay attention over the course of several days.  What gap becomes glaringly obvious to you?
• When you have that one word or phrase, read the passage again.  Ask God to show you one step that you can take in that area to love more like Jesus.

A sermon reflection by Rev. Jayne Davis