No, I’m not talking about me! I’m not asking if you love me, Pastor Ben, though it wouldn’t hurt to hear it if you do. All joking aside, this coming Sunday at St. Mark’s we will finish our sermon series based around Bishop Reuben Job’s Book Three Simple Rules with a look at rule #3 – Stay in love with God. Again and again in Scripture we are told to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We are also told/shown just how much God loves us and desires to be in covenant relationship with us. But it takes two. God has never and will never quit on God’s end…but what about us.
Jesus, in a post-resurrection appearance, asks Peter 3 times, “Do you love me?” It is a question that stops me cold in my tracks. “I want to,” my heart screams back to God but I know I fall short. I don’t always attend to the ordinances/practices of prayer, Bible study, Holy Communion, and fasting. I too often rush into the day and speed right past Morning Prayer all the while promising to check in for Night Prayer. But too often I get to the end of the day and fall absolutely exhausted into bed without even so much as a word of thanks to God for the day.
Imagine standing in front of Jesus. Imagine Jesus asking, “Insert your Name, do you love me?” How would you answer? Perhaps this week’s Word from God is a call to examine your life more closely. How are you doing, really, at staying in love with God? Do you make time daily/weekly to check in? How often do you actually sit down and study your Bible? When is the last time you took communion?
So often I hear people say, “God just feels so distant.” Or they ask, “Where is God?” Listen, God never quits on us. God never moves away rather we are the ones who quit, who walk away, and who fail to hold up our end of the bargain/covenant.
The Good News is that even after Peter denies Christ three times, Jesus gives him another chance and he does the same for you and me. So if your answer to Jesus’ question, “Do you love me?” is not a full-fledged, all out, “yes!” then maybe it is time to pick back up the practices of daily prayer, study, communion, and fasting. Will you join me?
