SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST



PROPER 10

Message from the Pew

Last Sunday’s Collect, Proper 9, reminds us that the Christian life is not simply about following a list of rules.  Jesus teaches us that every commandment finds its fulfilment in two great acts: loving God with our whole heart and loving our neighbour as ourselves. Love is the foundation upon which our faith is built.

The prayer begins by acknowledging that it is God himself who teaches us how to live. Left to ourselves, we often struggle with selfishness, impatience, unforgiveness and division. That is why we ask God to grant us the grace of his Holy Spirit. Grace is God's gift that enables us to do what we cannot accomplish on our own.

The prayer also asks that we may be devoted to God with our whole heart. This challenges us to examine ourselves. Is God truly first in our lives, or do we allow work, money, status, or other distractions to take his place? Wholehearted devotion means trusting God daily, seeking him in prayer, worshipping faithfully and allowing his word to guide our decisions.

We also pray to be united to one another with pure affection.  In a world marked by conflict and division, Christians are called to be people of reconciliation and genuine love.  Pure affection means loving others without selfish motives, forgiving those who have hurt us, encouraging those who are discouraged and treating everyone with dignity because they are created in God's image.

As we continue in our worship today, let us remember that God calls us not only to hear his word but to live it each day. The love we receive from him is meant to shape our thoughts, our actions and our relationships with others.  When we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, we become living examples of Christ's love in our families, our workplaces, our schools and our communities.

In summary, Proper 9 invites us to place God at the very centre of our lives and to allow his love to flow through us to everyone we meet. It reminds us that true devotion to God is reflected in the way we care for others.

As we leave this place, may we seek the Holy Spirit's help each day to love more deeply, forgive more readily, serve more willingly and live more faithfully, so that our lives may bring glory to God and hope to those around us.

Donna Cogle-Wallen