Chap. 5: A Creed of Sacred Love
Our love for God is sacred. Sacred love demands total commitment.
THE NIGHTMARE. The story of one woman's struggle dealing with love that was not total.
HOSEA'S OPEN SECRET: GOD IS A LOVER. Hosea makes the bold claim that YHWH loves Israel, and that Israel is commanded to love him back.
JESUS' OPEN SECRET: GOD IS AN ABBA LOVER. When we think about our love for God in the context of Abba, it intensifies what it means to us.
A LIFE OF SACRED LOVE. The story of John Woolman. A creed of sacred love, if taken seriously must transform our lives.
- Sacred love transforms our speech. We need to be conscious of our speech and reserved because of our sacred love for God.
- Sacred love converts our acts. Zacchaeus as a example of someone changed by his love for God.
- Sacred love inspires our worship. The example of the woman (hooker) who washes Jesus' feet with her tears. "I can think of no better illustration of what genuine Christian worship is all about: Worship happens when I comprehend (1) who I really am before God—a love-violating sinner, (2) how faithful and gracious God is to his sacred commitment of love for me, and (3) how incredibly good God is to open the floodgates of that love to me."
Chap 6: A Creed for Others.
Sometimes we need to get caught in order to learn.
GETTING CAUGHT BY JESUS. The story of the Good Samaritan and how it overturns the law by making the choice to help someone in need, even thought it breaks the law.
LOVE OF TORAH OR TORAH OF LOVE. We are called to a Torah of love.
LOOKING TO SIDE TO SEE OUR NEIGHBOR. A story of a church in SIngapore putting this into action. If we engage in love of Torah, neighbors love, here is what it will look like.
- Neighborly love begins in the home. "In our morning prayers for our families, we could perhaps ponder each person in the family with this question: “What can I do for [name] today?” In so doing, our prayers for our families will become both private prayers of love and plans of neighborly love for the day."
- Neighborly love is whenever and wherever love.
- Neighborly love is moral love. Neighborly love is not tolerance.
Quotes from Mcknight, Scot (2009-10-01). Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others (p. 50). Paraclete Press. Kindle Edition.