How long has it been since you sang Trust and Obey in a worship service? My guess would be that for many folks under 50 the music puts us off. We cannot realistically expect all hymns to remain in the Church's ongoing playlist. However, as many old hymns fade out of memory, a valid question is whether their themes and teaching are continued in new songs.
Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Do we even think of Jesus as an authority to be obeyed? By the time I began doing weddings in the mid 1980s the word obey had been dropped from the wife's vows. Certainly the New Testament teaches mutual submission in marriage. But did we change our wedding vows to reflect Scripture or because our culture taught us to disdain authority?
Jesus clearly exemplifies a life of potent compassion. But do we see Jesus as Lord or therapist? A therapist clarifies my thinking, encourages me, points me away from self-doubt and gives me tools for overcoming self-destructive behaviors. I'm very pro-therapy. But a therapist rarely commands obedience. Does Jesus?
The activity for today asks us to write down a Jesus command and carry it with us until we do it. I pray folks of all ages will give this a try. You can keep your Bible open to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, 7) and find plenty of Jesus' commands to choose from. Or, if you would like a more concise listing I recommend this guy's blog: HillsChurch: Commands of Jesus. (To get the complete list you will have to click additional entries from the archive on the far left and down.)
Try it and tell us about it here.
Tell us about your hopes & goals for 40 Days 'Till Easter.
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