Tag Archives: United Methodist

Love God, Love others, and Love myself. These are not separate acts, but joined together in unity.

Posted on by
Reply

I believe the basis for interpretation of the Bible and spirituality must be filtered through love. Mark 12:30-31 has been a lifeline for me in guiding my decisions, in deepening my relationships and my intentions in growth. “30 and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31 The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.”

I pray to love more: Love God, love others, and love myself. These are not separate acts, but joined together in unity and the spirit of love.

Being loving isn’t about being nice. Somehow I developed this belief as a young child that love was all about self sacrifice and making other people feel good. If I was upset about something, or things didn’t feel fair, it was better to be quiet than create conflict. Over time this made me feel less loving and a bit fake. It is easy to feel like a hypocrite when the standard you set for yourself is just not human. It also made it very difficult to honestly look at myself when it wasn’t ok to look at the darker emotions and actions.

It is impossible for me to love without remembering grace. God gives me grace – The Spirit loves me, not because of what I do, but because of who I am. All I have to do is receive this grace. Or a simpler way for me to understand it – is to be open to seeing grace and beauty around me. When I look at the ocean or a mountain I feel this essence of wholeness. For me this is what grace is.

Through my connection with a Higher Power, I can radiate more love to others. I can have compassion for those who are hurting, and be of service to those in need. I can speak up for the one who is oppressed, and recognize the potential hurt and anger of the oppressor. I can seek peace in trying to build relationships with all people, yet sometimes I may need to walk away or make changes when the path becomes destructive.

I honestly have more questions than answers about this big word “Love”. I pray for the Spirit to guide us in our endeavors. May we be more open, may we recognize the power of language, may we continue to listen for truth and grace.

Elissa Noble
“What it Means to Be United Methodist: What We Believe” Thoughts on the latest sermon.

Loving All People

Posted on by
Reply

We are in a new sermon series on “What it Means to Be United Methodist”. When I first heard about this title I was expecting a lot of religious talks about what we need to be, yet also curious about what the United Methodist believe as I am newer to this denomination. I was drawn to this church because of its inclusiveness to all people, and later because of the social justice aspects that I see in the people of this church. Learning the core values of the church can help me go deeper into my own faith, and also to see what changes might need to take place within myself and within the church. Are the core values showing love to all people?

There are so many extreme opinions these days when it comes to beliefs, that I can feel discouraged and oppressed. A lot of laws being created in the name of Christianity that show hatred and unkindness. So much systematic racism and injustice and ignorance. How do I live out love and faith in so much darkness?

The first sermon “What it Means to Be United Methodist: The Methodist History of Mother’s Day” was very thought provoking in seeing this day didn’t originate in the way in which we have chosen to celebrate it. Mother’s Day, like a lot of things in history, can become “rewritten” or told from a narrow viewpoint, or taken out of perspective. Pastor Heather shares an article by Church historian, Professor Diana Butler Bass, PHD, about the Radical history of Mothers’ Day. Mothers’ Day was founded by Anna Jarvis, a member of a Methodist congregation in Grafton,West Virginia, passed out 500 white carnations in church to commemorate the life of her Mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, who organized the local, poor women into“Mothers’ Work Day Clubs” to work for clean water and sanitation, to improve the lives of women and children and worked for universal access to medicine for the poor.

The message for me is a reminder to continue to love and work for justice one day at a time. Today, I am creating history, and can be part of creating change. The change begins in being open to learning from all people, not putting people in boxes, and seeing how the spirit can bring more love in my life. It begins in my relationships around me, my community, my church, and those I come in contact with. Through my relationships, I can take action and be part of making this world a little more loving, a little more kind and a little more fair – to all people!

Love and grace,
Elissa Noble

References from sermon:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/diana-butler-bass/radical-history-of-mothersday_b_3259326.html
http://legacyproject.org/guides/mdhistory.html