Spirit Gives Birth To Spirit

Much has been written and sung about love.   From Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to Johnny Cash and Bob Dillan.  To modern poets, writers and musicians. But what about Platonic love?  What about love of neighbor.  Well, pretty much the entire New Testament, and many parts of the Old Testament are about this kind of love.  But it is summed up best in Jesus’ teachings and actions.  In Luke 6, Jesus sums up what this kind of love looks like, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.  To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to

                I attended the new membership class at our new church today.  It is a Methodist church that hired my wife to lead the worship team about 6 months ago. We went around the room for the first half of the class and people talked about their faith walk and how they had come to attend this church. Many people expressed that they felt welcome and how the members of this church were so warm and friendly to them. The new pastor touched on some of the core beliefs in the church.  Most important of these is to walk out Jesus’ love to the world in practical ways.  She mentioned the major Christian creeds and they are not required. I was especially relieved because I have some core issues with the Nicene and Apostolic Creeds which many churches require you to agree with, publicly, in order to become a member.  After the class I went up to talk with the new pastor. I started out, “I’ll join, if you take me. I have some pretty unorthodox beliefs.”  She smiled and spoke with me for