Live Your Life This Way!
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection, outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if theyare thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
~ Romans 12:9-21
Teach us O Lord, your lessons,
as in our daily life
we struggle to be human
and search for hope and faith.
Teach us to care for people,
for all, not just for some,
to love them as we find them,
or as they may become.
~ Fred Kaan
At some thoughts [one] stands perplexed, above all at the sight of human sin, and…wonders whether to combat it by force or by humble love. Always decide “I will combat it by humble love.” If you resolve on that once for all, you can conquer the whole world. Loving humility is a terrible force. It is the strongest of all things, and there is nothing else like it.
~ Kallistos Ware
Jus allow people to see Jesus in you
to see how you pray
to dee how you lead a pure life
to see how you deal with your family to see how much peace there is in your family.
Then you can look straight into their eyes and say,
“This is the way.”
You speak from life, you speak from experience.
~ Mother Teresa
In these verses Paul asks his team to go out there and subvert the game and surprise the opposition by not hogging the ball, by refusing to retaliate – indeed, by helping out the opposition. Sounds like an order from the coach to throw the game. Not so. That’s how you win! You never know – you might change the way the game is played, and you might have opponents wanting to join your crazy team. Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld
Spirit, open my heart to the joy and pain of living. As you love may I love, in receiving, and in giving. Spirit, open my heart. Ruth Duck
These reflections are for the week of August 30-September 5 and are based on the scriptures for worship on August 30.
Joyce D. Sohl, Laywoman-in-Residence
Joyce D. Sohl has been Laywoman-in-Residence since 2009 as a full-time volunteer. She retired as CEO of United Methodist Women in 2004. She is the author of 4 books, a teacher, retreat leader, writer and non-professional musician. Here at the Center her work is in the area of Spirituality & the Arts with such programs as Tuesdays in the Chapel, Vespers & All That Jazz, Poet’s Corner, quarterly retreats, and art exhibits.