31 Days of UnitySample

(Re)new: Hiking in the mountains, one thing you have to get used to is encountering false peaks. The mountain distorts your perspective as you climb it. You come upon what appears to be a peak, when in fact you are a long way from the summit. Thinking the journey is almost over, there is the pain of discovering there is in fact, a long way to go.

Our journey of discovering the love of God is like that but in reverse. Whenever we think we have reached the summit of God’s love, there is more to discover. Instead of sadness and pain, what a joy to discover that there is so much more to discover! The love of God is always bigger, deeper, and more transformative than we imagine. Whenever we think we have reached the fullness of our understanding of God’s love, a new level is revealed to us. The joy of these discoveries is one of our motivations for continuing the journey. It just keeps getting better!

In Ephesians 3, Paul celebrates the depths of God’s love which are continuously being revealed. In his own life, he sees how his call to take God’s love to the Gentiles revealed to him and others what has always been true. God is the God of all people, drawing all people to himself! Paul’s own ministry revealed this depth of God’s love in new ways to people. It was off-putting for some, confusing for others, and made some angry to discover that they didn’t in fact, fully understand God’s love. But for others, this discovery of God’s love that desires to bring all people into God’s family was in fact, the best news possible.

As we have been praying for the renewal of the church, the goal has been for us to discover that the love of God is in fact, much bigger than we realize. There is a transforming power when we begin to discover how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. This love that goes beyond our wisdom and knowledge is so big that it is working to heal and reconcile all of creation.

Our renewal, as the church, will follow our discovery of new depths and heights of God’s love for us and for those around us. Our path forward is a journey of discovering greater joy and hopefulness as we experience God’s love in new ways. We have not yet found the limits of God’s love. Let’s join together in pursuing this further, and trust that in our pursuit we will grow to love God and one another in deeper ways.

After reading the passage, ask yourself these questions:

• What are some moments when you have discovered God’s love in new ways?
• Have you ever thought it impossible to love someone and then God helped make possible what you thought impossible?
• We can’t love people without knowing them. Who is God calling you to draw closer to, in order to get to know and to love them?

Our Prayer for (Re)newal

Create in us clean hearts, O God, that we may learn to be your people, and live in unity with one another. Give us the gift of humility, and strengthen us to live in sacrificial love for one another. May we glorify you by being peacemakers in a world of division. Amen