A Vestry Reflection
Last night's Vestry meeting opened with a Bible study of John 15:9-17, which was the Gospel passage for last Sunday:
Jesus said to his disciples, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another."
The Vestry members reflected on the following passages in particular:
What does it mean to “abide in Jesus’ love?” What does it mean for us in our individual lives and in our lives as a congregation?
What does Jesus mean when he says, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete”? How does “joy” differ from “happiness”?
What does Jesus mean when he says that “no one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends”? Does it necessarily mean to die for someone else? Who are our friends that Jesus is talking about?
How do you respond to these questions? What do they mean for you in the life and mission of Trinity Church?
Jesus said to his disciples, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another."
The Vestry members reflected on the following passages in particular:
What does it mean to “abide in Jesus’ love?” What does it mean for us in our individual lives and in our lives as a congregation?
What does Jesus mean when he says, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete”? How does “joy” differ from “happiness”?
What does Jesus mean when he says that “no one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends”? Does it necessarily mean to die for someone else? Who are our friends that Jesus is talking about?
How do you respond to these questions? What do they mean for you in the life and mission of Trinity Church?
posted by Don+ @ 9:59 AM
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