{RE:} Always Ready to Remind

March 17th, 2022

Friday: Always Ready to Remind

Good morning! We are closing out a second week together as we journey toward a resurrection life. There are parts of each of us that long for new life and a fresh start. Last week we talked about the places where we needed to return to God, this week we have been thinking about the ways we remember (who God is, what God has done, those who labor with us). To close out the week, we will read some really encouraging words from Peter about our role in helping one another remember.

At the end of the post, I have included some weekly reflection questions again, you can do them today or over the weekend. If there are other people in your household, try doing the weekly reflection together!

Read: 2 Peter 1:3-15 (Message)

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God...

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Because the stakes are so high, even though you’re up-to-date on all this truth and practice it inside and out, I’m not going to let up for a minute in calling you to attention before it (reminding you of it). This is the post to which I’ve been assigned—keeping you alert with frequent reminders—and I’m sticking to it as long as I live. I know that I’m to die soon; the Master has made that quite clear to me. And so I am especially eager that you have all this down in black and white so that after I die, you’ll have it for ready reference.

Reflect:

Perhaps the core of Israel's constant rebellion in the Old Testament was their failure to remember what God had done for them and what God had called them to do. Maybe this is why Peter says that he will keep on reminding the church until he dies. Maybe even worse than forgetfulness is the way that we can get so used to something that it becomes invisible. I think this is why Peter says that he won't stop reminding them of things that they already know and practice. There is a danger in allowing our salvation and transformation to become so common that we lose the awe of God and the passion to follow him.

In what ways have you taken for granted God's salvation and transforming love? Can you think of a time when that was "new" or "exciting" and it was consuming (in a good way)?

In Luke 22:32 Jesus tells Peter that his work will be to "strengthen" his companions in the faith. What we see in this letter is a great example of Peter living out that call! Peter is promising to be persistent in reminding the church not to take their faith for granted and to be transformed.

Who around you needs to be reminded of the goodness of God and/or their calling?

Respond:

Lord, because you have made me, I owe you the whole of my love;
because you have redeemed me, I owe you the whole of myself;
because you have promised so much, I owe you my whole being.

Moreover, I owe you as much more love than myself as you are greater than I,
for whom you gave yourself and to whom you promised yourself.
I pray you, Lord, make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge;
let me know by love what I know by understanding.

I owe you more than my whole self, but I have no more,
and by myself I cannot render the whole of it to you.
Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of your love.
I am wholly yours by creation; make me all yours, too, in love.

Weekly Reflection:

1. Begin with gratitude - as you look over this week, what are you most grateful for?

2. Review - Go over the events of the week in your mind (review your journal if you're keeping one). Where did you see God at work? What brought you joy? What troubled you? What challenged you? Take a moment to ask for repentance for those places where you did not fully live into God's will for you!

3. Response - Take time to pray and ask God to go with you into the days ahead. Ask him to remind you of his love.

4 Comments

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Nick Tebordo - March 18th, 2022 at 4:57am

Peter’s words are an inspiration. I remember the time that he Risen Lord met the disciples on the shores of Galilee. After Peter’s 3 denials, he is offered forgiveness and redemption as he affirms his love 3 times. He is told that at the end of his life, he will go where he doesn’t want to go. By the power of the Holy Spirit, he fulfills his calling. Jesus tells him that he will be dying soon. Rather than being depressed, you can see his strong desire to finish well. That is my desire as well. I want to return to “first love”-zealous, passionate faith! I really enjoy Maverick City Music’s “Take Me Back”. I had a rough day yesterday, but I feel good this morning! Have a great day fellow 556ers!

Susan Blais - March 18th, 2022 at 5:25am

Years ago I was part of a worship team that used to provide worship for the “spirit alive“ movement in the church. And every year we would go to Messiah College to lead worship. This was so exciting and new for me, and it led to a deepening of my faith in a very special way. I am reminded of those days every Sunday during worship. I do miss the excitement of those early days but I am constantly reminded of how my relationship with the Lord was deepened end it keeps my stole refreshed And willing to serve him.

Peg Ash - March 18th, 2022 at 5:59am

I have so much to say inside my heart that words cannot express everything. First of all I want to say that I hope everyone has a really beautiful day and I know that I will do my best to keep my loving creator in my heart. Thank you for another week I’m waking up and having beautiful words and things to think about as I start my day. Thank you Kaitlyn for all that you put into every day. I found myself today reading things a few times and reflecting in the more I read the more tears I fell from my eyes as I sat and reflected. I had a really bad Wednesday as my niece turn 21 and I have always been there for her and her for me until a few months ago she decided she wanted nothing to do with me anymore. Anyway I don’t want to get off on that track, I just wanted to reflect and stay in Gods Love. I honestly know when I came back again full force into God‘s love is when I first started united church, and a few beautiful people over there to talk with me we’re not here anymore on this earth. So yeah I’m going to go back and read the response again and feel what I’m feeling right now. Thank you Lord for waking me up this morning and help me to walk in your footsteps and thank you for a beginning of a beautiful day.

Teri - March 18th, 2022 at 10:36am

~In Luke 22:32 Jesus tells Peter that his work will be to "strengthen" his companions in the faith. What we see in this letter is a great example of Peter living out that call!~

I read this today after just having a brief message exchange yesterday with Kaitlyn about the hypocrisy of one of the ECO churches here rejecting my request to journey with them to develop an inclusion ministry. That caused me to reflect on my spiritual journey over the past few years after leaving Texas and the ministry I helped to create for Julia and the other families of young adults who were craving community.

The irony of that text message exchange with Kaitlyn is that it came after a very difficult conversation with the NYS office that (finally) approved Julia’s eligibility to get Federal and State services in NY. BUT, the bittersweet news comes amid the reality that she’s approved for services that are impossible to implement because there’s no workers to provide her services. “You’re better off staying in CA with the services you have.”

So, stay in CA, where every attempt I’ve made to connect to a faith community has hurt me, and Julia’s, spirit because of the ugly comments of church leaders and congregants who don’t believe that my daughter deserves a place in their community, in their pews and in their community.

And, do I continue to zoom in here, with all of you, who don’t miss us when we’re gone because we haven’t really been woven into the fabric of your community? Who aren’t there for the coffee socials after services or the vigils, the parades, the 365 days of weaving into the community.

I’m grateful for the services I have here in CA, and for the gift of time. Now, the question is how do I use this time, in my skeptical communion with Jesus not knowing which step to take next because I’ve run out of cobblestones. Be still, and reflect on each blessing God has bestowed upon me and remember that the power of the Holy Spirit is in me. And, like Mother Mary, prepare for the return of Jesus - the true leader in our journey. He will come again - in my heart and in our community. I need to prepare a place for Julia at the banquet table.