Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

Dawn was already suffering a good deal, basic tiredness, as I understand it.  Her cancer was ravaging her body.  After almost two years of fighting it and learning to live with it to some degree, Dawn, here with her loving family and her close Irish friend sitting at her side, enjoyed our “last supper” with her.  A meaningful time that we will carry in our memories for a long time, I am sure.  Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to be blessed by Dawn, one of your special gifts to us and to many others.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Ephesians 4:1

As I think about this letter I am reminded that Paul is writing this letter while a prisoner in Rome, waiting the court ruling on his fate.  He wrote very little about that.  He was not much interested in personal safety, nor was he chaffing under his circumstances.  He did not dwell on the fact that he was a prisoner of Rome.  I think I would have pushed this front and center, not Paul.

As he began what we call his fourth chapter, he uses the word, prisoner.  That he was.  How does he view his imprisonment?  Here we have an additional insight into how Paul viewed himself.  He is a prisoner, right, but we are startled as we read that he sees himself As a prisoner for the Lord.  I should have thought he would have written that he was the prisoner of Rome.  Not so.  Or that he was a prisoner of the Lord, which, in fact he was.  Rather he wrote, he is a prisoner for the Lord. 

What is he saying?  I think he is saying that his physical situation is a prisoner of Rome but that is of little consequence to him, and even less for his readers.  He is a prisoner for the Lord. My eye fastens on the three-letter word, for.  Paul saw his imprisonment as a gift to the Lord, not punishment.  That makes all the difference.

Thank you, Paul, for seeing your imprisonment as a gift to God.  I am impressed with how important it is to view things from God’s perspective, not our own.  That is the work of the Holy Spirit – to give us his perspective!

We find it hard to believe that the most played-with toy or whatever at our place is this African stool – decorated cow-hide seat, hand-turned wooden legs.  It makes a nice table for the wee tea set that we had for a long, long time.    Karibu, chai!  Welcome to tea time!

Love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Ephesians 6:23

I tend to skip over too much.  When reading my regular materials, I seem to hit the highlights and go on.  I realize that I should not treat the Scriptures like that.  So, I read again the next to last sentence in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

Paul prayed that they might know the love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   Both love and faith are spiritual gifts, given to us by the Lord as his children.  By nature, we control our loves and we trust only ourselves, to a large degree.  Paul reminds us that as new-born people, we have a new perspective, a new way of looking at life.  We depend on God to give us love and faith as precious spiritual gifts. It is our responsibility to apply this love and faith to all relationships.

I find that I am not in control of whom I should love nor how I should love, nor what I should place my faith in.  No, as the Spirit of the Lord is at work in me, I do what He wishes and which, as a person born from above, I agree is right and proper.

I find a depth of meaning here that I now find precious beyond thinking.  But, I must admit, it takes some praying and obeying.  By nature, I have no idea how to love or have faith like God does.  In the Spirit, I see that clearly.  May I take this lesson to heart, now and forever.

Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Ephesians 6:23, 24

As Paul’s letter comes to a close, he encourages all his readers to love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying love.

I tarry a bit to let this sink in. I hear the Spirit of the Lord telling me that the most permanent thing in all the universe, for all time, is the love of God toward me, toward all of us, a love that compelled him to passionately save our souls.  That is the driving force for everything, GOD’S LOVE!  His love drove him to become our sacrifice for sin and our righteousness before God.  He loved us unto the end.

God’s love never weakened toward us.  He loved us now and forever.  That is truly undying love.

Lord, purify my emotions, especially my love.  May my connection to you be love, love, love.

This was the cover of Dawn’s service of celebration.  It is so like her.  Happiness to be sure, fruitbearing (just see the grapes), all firmly connected with the warm earth.  A picture of her life, entirely!  I already miss her.

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Ephesians 6:24

About a third of the world’s people are Christians!  Believers are everywhere, it seems, in many cultures and nations.  We are not officially tied together but Paul reminds us, and we know, that we are all beloved of God.

Yesterday as I was worshipping with our small white, middle class, fairly educated and nicely rich group of wonderful people here in this, our country, I was reminded of the gift we are to one another.  We are finding our way as believers in Jesus in this world that does not love him as we do.  We might feel that we are but an insignificant minority but to God we are the apple of his eye!

As I thought about our little but meaningful group worshiping God in truth, I found myself thinking about this closing sentence of Paul’s letter to the Ephesian believers.  Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.  Really, to ALL?  That covers the globe and includes a multitude of cultures and situations.  I need to be overcome with the realization that I am a happy believer in my wee part of this huge world.

I am reminded that our unity as the Body of Christ on the earth is not based on our creeds and opinions, but on our unity as the most wonderful thing – the living Body of Christ on the planet.  I am connected with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.  That takes the breath away.  The Japanese widow who loves Jesus is my sister!  The family in Bombay who love Jesus are my family.  The wonderful believers at Chestnut Hill, the congregation I and my wife are in, is just as precious to God as any other in our huge world.

I am not surprised that we believers are so different, I am surprised to realize that we have one common belief that is stronger than any other allegiance, our love of Jesus Christ and our love for all He loves!

Yesterday, August 26, we commemorated the life of my niece, Dawn Nelson, at the Salford Mennonite Church.  This small table typified her life – just bring along your flowers (assuming from your own place) in memory of an extraordinary human being, Dawn.  She was only 65 years old when she died but her influence will go on and on.  We loved her dearly and feel priveleged to have known her as a heart friend.

Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Ephesians 6:23, 24

Peace, love, faith.  That is what Paul is praying for the believers in Ephesus. Our denomination is going through some challenging times just now.  It seems like the central issue is in the area of discipline and common belief.  The question is, what do you believe about marriage?  That is an important issue, and one that our western culture is forced to face.  We are splitting over that issue.  Churches are being torn apart, old conference affiliations are eroding.  It is not a happy moment for our denomination, that is for sure, at least on that level.

Maybe we should address brotherhood issues the way Paul advises.  In summary, we are brothers and sisters, and as such should live in peace with one another in this new society, the followers of the Lamb.

The thing that binds us together is love, not adherence to a particular creed, but a common love for Jesus Christ, an undying love.

Of course, there are times, certainly rare, when splitting is the right option.  After all, Our Anabaptist denomination split with the Roman Catholic Church 400 or so years ago.  That seems right.  But are the things that are splintering us these days important enough to split over?

If we are going to divide up, why not do so on central Biblical themes, like loving one another, believing with all our hearts that Jesus saves to the uttermost, that our hope is in eternal life, that our future is secure under the canopy of God’s love, that it does not matter one bit what culture we grew up in, what nation, what tribe, what history.  I fear that our present questions are somewhat peripheral.  Can we return to what matters, peace, love and faith?